ADWEEK

🚨🚨 The February issue of ADWEEK is here. 🚨🚨 There's always a period of transition after an election, but the administration of President Donald Trump has swiftly upended most every part of the federal government. This has left agencies and brands scrambling on issues ranging from tariffs to DEI. In the February issue of ADWEEK magazine, we took a look at the new order taking shape, and how marketers can stay ahead of the changes. So hold onto your hats—here’s what our experts and contributors are expecting, how they’re preparing, and what you can do now. Read all the stories about how the Trump administration is affecting the industry: https://adweek.it/4k5aA5X

SCOOP: Execs at Google, Amazon, DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science, Media Rating Council and TAG have issued responses to inquiries from Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) after they inadvertently helped facilitate advertising on a site known to host child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Earlier this month, the two senators demanded answers from the ad industry players after an Adalytics report found that, through advertising networks operated by Google, Amazon and other DSPs, ads from Fortune 500 brands appeared on a an image-hosting site and a sister site that had been flagged by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for publishing CSAM. In its response, Amazon said it has refunded all impacted advertisers. Google declined to say whether it will do the same. IAS, DoubleVerify, MRC, and TAG all outlined how they aim to mitigate the monetization of CSAM content online. For ADWEEK: #adtech #tech #advertising #technews #digital #media #digitalmedia #onlinesafety

JUST IN | Under pressure from bipartisan lawmakers, Google, Amazon, and other major ad industry players have shared the actions they’re taking after they inadvertently helped facilitate advertising on a site known to host child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Amazon has issued refunds to advertising customers whose ads appeared on the website. Google has blocked advertising on the site but did not clarify whether it will reimburse advertisers who were affected. “We have always strictly prohibited ads that we serve from appearing next to content of this nature–this was a clear breach of our policies,” Amazon’s vice president of public policy Brian Huseman wrote in a letter addressed to Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), obtained by ADWEEK. https://adweek.it/4hWuj6E

The WTA's rebrand this week brought in a lovely new shade of patina green (seriously, click their page), a darker version of their legacy purple, a simplified logo and "glimmer" broadcast graphics—but the organization's players are the reason any of the above matters. As WTA officials told ADWEEK, players took center court for the rebrand as their focus on social media, business, fashion, entertainment and other interests serves a growing fanbase. Branding specialists ChapterX and Nomad Studio helped craft the new identity, while 30- and 60-second ads created with help from agency Brothers & Sisters surround world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with players including Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Naomi Osaka, and Qinwen Zheng to make the argument that WTA venues aren’t tennis courts, but stages for their stars’ myriad interests. This isn’t happening by chance: Since 2023, the WTA’s commercial branch, WTA Ventures, has been trying to bring more investment into the sport and increase the profile of the WTA’s players, tournaments, and associates. During its first full year in 2024, WTA Ventures and its co-founders at CVC Capital Partners increased the WTA’s revenue by 25%—with an ultimate goal of tripling revenue by 2029. “For us, it’s about giving the players great visibility and giving them lots of opportunities to build fan bases and work with partners and sponsors, but really it’s about empowering them to tell authentic stories” said Marina S., who’s served as WTA Ventures’ CEO since 2023 after more than two decades in media at Sky. Sarah Swanson, who was Storti’s first hire, serves as WTA Ventures chief brand officer and spent nearly a decade with the National Football League (NFL) League as it implemented a “helmets off” marketing strategy to help fans get to better know its players. When the new branding gets its first test of the Hologic, Inc. WTA Tour at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on March 2, she said it will only be after numerous talks with players—including a photoshoot at the Australian Open in which 70 to 80 players discussed what the WTA brand meant to them. “People don’t fall in love with leagues: They fall in love with athletes and teams if you’re a team sport,” Swanson said. “If you’re going to try to market and promote and drive fandom for a sport, you have to lean into your athletes… that was the intention from the very beginning." Story: https://lnkd.in/gNj4ffEB

On this episode of Marketing Vanguard, we welcome Kate (Vuturo) Wik, CMO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - LVCVA! Here are some key takeaways from the show: 🌟 From agency life to CMO: Kate shares her journey to becoming the marketing voice of Las Vegas 💡 "Vegas is known for constant evolution" - Learn how the city keeps reinventing itself 🏆 Discover how Las Vegas is transforming from the Entertainment Capital to the Sports & Entertainment Capital of the World 🎯 Get an insider's view on managing one of the world's most dynamic destination brands Listen Now: Apple: https://lnkd.in/e4B5ZMGY Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eXYSBjsZ

The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards stream live on Netflix on Sunday night as the 2025 Oscar race enters its final week. ADWEEK has the exclusive first look at what's inside the gift bags that nominees like Demi Moore, Kieran Culkin, and Cynthia Erivo will be taking home--along with a potential SAG statue, of course. We also round up the new and returning sponsors for this year's ceremony, from Audi to United Airlines. Read more below and tune into the SAG Awards on Sunday night at 8 p.m. on Netflix. https://lnkd.in/eVjJzJAb

NBC News Group is planning to launch a video-centric subscription product in the fourth quarter, according to NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde. The forthcoming platform, which Conde mentioned on stage at Semafor’s Innovating to Restore Trust in News Summit on Feb. 27, does not have a name or price point. But it will be a mobile-first platform featuring short- and long-form video, as well as original video programming and podcasts from across the NBC News Group. https://adweek.it/41zoupM

Katherine Heigl candidly discusses postpartum body changes in a new Poise ad called "Whisper." The 30-second spot addresses bladder leaks affecting 50% of women and will premiere during the 97th Academy Awards, marking Poise's first appearance in the program in 15 years. https://adweek.it/43ioEDl

The Walt Disney Company Advertising announced that it has once again sold out its Academy Awards ad inventory ahead of the show’s 97th edition on March 2. The ceremony will air live on ABC and also stream live on digital platforms, including Hulu, Fubo, and AT&T TV, for the first time in its history. https://adweek.it/43bKfNL

Netflix’s crime thriller The Night Agent made it two weeks in a row as the most-watched streaming title, taking the honor for the final week of January, according to Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings. https://adweek.it/4igxdmk