Good morning.

Last week, I posed the age-old Coke or Pepsi question after Publicis Groupe made its answer clear when it landed PepsiCo's sprawling media business. The French holdco subsequently withdrew from the ongoing pitch for Coca-Cola's global media brief.

Today, our columnist Mark Ritson steps back from the headlines bubbling up around this story to ask a bigger question: when does a client conflict actually become a conflict? And, in an industry where relationships are increasingly complex, do brands really still get to call dibs on an agency?

And there's more change in store for Omnicom as president and CEO of its advertising arm, Troy Ruhanen, retires after more than 20 years with the business.

We also explore why publishers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars a month buying traffic, and we're kicking off our NFL coverage for the season.

Before we dive into the headlines, don't forget to register for ADWEEK's webinar on September 16 at 1 PM ET, What Top Advertisers Are Doing Differently This Black Friday, to learn how Tatari and Manscaped are timing budgets, blending channels, and driving efficient CPAs before BFCM even starts.

Now, to the news.

Rebecca Stewart, brand editor

Must Reads

1. Publicis Really Didn't Have to Choose Between Coke and Pepsi

Our columnist Mark Ritson thinks agencies may be the only businesses still taking client conflict quite so seriously.

After Publicis won PepsiCo while it still serviced Coca-Cola's North American media account, Ritson argues the longstanding rule against serving competing brands is more of a historical hang-up than a strategic necessity.

2. Andrew Robertson to Lead Omnicom Advertising as Troy Ruhanen Retires

Omnicom Advertising president and CEO Troy Ruhanen is retiring after more than 20 years with the holding company, according to an internal memo obtained by ADWEEK.

Andrew Robertson, the current chairman of BBDO—who began with the agency in 1995—has been appointed to succeed Ruhanen as CEO, effective immediately.

Chris Cicchiello has all the details.

2026 NFL Ad Tracker: A Running List of the Best Early Season Ads

Are you ready for some football? Because advertisers (and the ADWEEK crew) certainly are.

With so many brands looking to show off their moves as football season gets underway, we're keeping a running list of the best early-season NFL ads right here.

Publishers Are Spending Hundreds of Millions a Month Buying Traffic

Media companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars a month to buy the search traffic they once got for free, according to Similarweb data shared with ADWEEK, as organic referrals continue to erode amid a broader shift toward zero-click search.

Mark Stenberg unpacks this trend and what it means.

Cutbacks in GLP-1 Insurance Coverage Are Forcing Marketers to Pivot

As employers pull back on insurance coverage for GLP-1s, the marketing playbook for weight-loss drugs is changing too, finds our healthcare marketing reporter Andrea Michelson.

With more consumers potentially paying out of their own pockets, Andrea looks at how companies like Eli Lilly will need to work harder to build trust and sell people a promise beyond weight loss.

The Round Up

Tubi is the latest brand to go all in on Y2K nostalgia, (ADWEEK).
Meanwhile, Autodesk puts the spotlight on human makers amid AI hype, (ADWEEK).
BTS of the anti-AI-ad ad campaign from Harris Alterman and Dave Ross, (The New Yorker).
Apple unveils the iPhone Duo—a foldable model starting at $1,999, (Forbes).
How the news networks will mark Sept 11's 25th anniversary, (ADWEEK).
Here are the cable news ratings for August 2026, (ADWEEK).
Brands push influencers to hide their paid deals, (BI).
Instacart launches custom AI assistants for retailers, and its own, (Modern Retail).
DeepIntent releases agentic ad platform as pharma marketing grows more complex, (ADWEEK).

Revolving Door

Snap promotes Ronan Harris to chief commercial officer, (Yahoo! Finance).
Surfside names Lars Djuvik chief revenue officer, (PR Newswire).
Jamie Drew joins Gap Inc. as head of strategic partnerships and growth to drive 'Fashiontainment', (BI).
LVMH hands APAC media account from WPP to Publicis without a pitch, (Campaign Asia).

Ryan Joe will see you into the weekend tomorrow. Have a great Thursday.

1. Publicis Really Didn't Have to Choose Between Coke and Pepsi

2. Andrew Robertson to Lead Omnicom Advertising as Troy Ruhanen Retires

3. 2026 NFL Ad Tracker: A Running List of the Best Early Season Ads

4. Publishers Are Spending Hundreds of Millions a Month Buying Traffic

5. Cutbacks in GLP-1 Insurance Coverage Are Forcing Marketers to Pivot