- Microsoft should change its Copilot advertising, says watchdogMicrosoft’s Copilot advertising has been criticized by an industry watchdog for its productivity claims and confusing use of Copilot branding. The Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division (NAD) has reviewed Microsoft’s ... read more
- The Atlantic is making a big push into games
- Dentsu Begins Using Bots To Synthesize People For Planning & BuyingThe holdco has begun incorporating "synthetic audiences" into its vaunted CCS media planning and buying system as part of "next gen planning for the Algorithmic Era." ... read more
- OpenAI awarded $200 million US defense contractThe contract is estimated to complete in July 2026. OpenAI is officially on the Pentagon’s payroll. The Department of Defence announced a $200 million contract with OpenAI to provide the US government ... read more
- Amazon Prime Day stretches to four days of deals this yearAmazon has announced the dates when its annual Prime Day deal extravaganza will kick off, and it’s happening for much longer than usual. It starts Tuesday, July 8th, at 3AM Eastern ... read more
- Cannes Briefing: The Croisette class of the outpacedTo receive this daily Cannes briefing over email, please subscribe here. For a brief moment, it felt like the old Cannes was back. Olympic icon Michael Johnson was spotted over at Dentsu beach. Sir Martin ... read more
- Publishers refine Reddit strategies to tap into targeted referral trafficReddit is quietly becoming a more important source of referral channel for some news publishers. While the traffic Reddit is sending to publishers’ sites is still very small and isn’t going to replace declining search ... read more
- Ad Tech Briefing: The CMA tosses Google’s Privacy Sandbox a lifeline, as many declare it DOAThe U.K. Competition and Markets Authority has opened a consultation on potentially releasing Google from Privacy Sandbox commitments imposed in 2022. Some are concerned this represents ‘a W’ for corporate conjury. The move, announced June ... read more
- Disney adds Amazon to its DRAX partnership rosterRelated Insights The Programmatic Publisher Disney is rolling out DRAX Direct, a direct integration with the industry’s largest DSPs Read More On the second official day of the ... read more
- Digiday Podcast at Cannes: Ad networks take center stage at Cannes — are buyers buying in?Subscribe: Apple Podcasts • Spotify If there was any doubt that everything is an ad network, this year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity proves otherwise. Ad networks, retail media networks and the bevy of ... read more
- Omnicom partners with Amazon and Meta to build on live content and live shoppingOmnicom this week is in the midst of announcing several of what it says are first-mover partnerships with major platforms, having just unveiled ones with Disney and Walmart yesterday. The mission is to build expertise ... read more
- The DOJ faces growing calls to coordinate Google antitrust remedy efforts Lobby group Movement for an Open Web has issued fresh calls for the Justice Department to coordinate its proposed remedies to address Google’s monopolies in the ongoing separate search and ad tech cases. Related ... read more
- Tinder now lets you go on double datesTinder is no longer just a platform for solo dates. The company has announced a new “Double Date” feature rolling out in the US that will let you invite a friend ... read more
- INMA Debuts AI-Driven Answer Engine For Media ProsBuilt on the OpenAI LLM, the new tool allows users to access INMA's vast content archive. ... read more
- Justin Sun takes crypto company public — reportedly with help from Eric TrumpLast year, Justin Sun was facing a federal investigation into his crypto empire, to the point that he avoided entering the US. Now, his company is going to be publicly listed ... read more
- McDonald's Settles $10B Lawsuit With Byron AllenIt's unclear if the settlement incorporates any larger changes to McDonald's media buying practices, notes "Variety." ... read more
- McDonald's Settles $10B Lawsuit With Bryon AllenIt's unclear if the settlement incorporates any larger changes to McDonald's media buying practices, notes "Variety." ... read more
- Roku and Amazon Join Forces to Expand Reach of Streaming Ads Across U.S. HouseholdsAmazon Ads and Roku have joined forces in an exclusive new partnership that integrates Amazon’s demand-side platform with Roku’s advertising inventory, unlocking what the companies claim is the largest authenticated connected TV footprint in the ... read more
- President Unveils American-Made 'Trump' Mobile PhoneTrump's family business is licensing the president's name to a mobile phone service that later this year will release a series of gold smartphones, according to the Trump Ventures website. Trump Mobile will offer 5G ... read more
- Meta To Roll Out Ads In WhatsApp Updates TabAfter 11 years, Meta is finally bringing ads to its encrypted messaging platform, WhatsApp. ... read more
- Claims Against Meta Over Mass Shooting Draw Attention At SCOTUSThe Supreme Court has asked Meta to respond to a request to revive claims over a 2015 racially motivated mass shooting. ... read more
- Google Unplugging The Internet Is No Longer An OptionIn a status report, the company blamed the occurrence on an "invalid automated quota update to our API management system which was distributed globally, causing external API requests to be rejected." ... read more
- PC modding repository Nexus Mods has a new ownerThere are more than 100,000 mods on Nexus Mods for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition. Nexus Mods, a website known for hosting mods for thousands of PC games, has ... read more
- Charge your Apple Watch on this tiny iMac G3 replicaThe iMac G3 resurrected for your Apple Watch. | Image: Spigen Previous additions to Spigen’s Classic C1 series of Apple accessories include iPhone and AirPods cases inspired by the iMac G3’s bright ... read more
- Adobe Gains Visibility Into AI-Driven TrafficFeatures introduced Monday at Cannes enable businesses to monitor AI-driven traffic and benchmark brand visibility to websites. The SEO tool can project web traffic, provide insights and recommendations for future media purchases, and provide teams ... read more
- 3.know: Shelly Sets The Stage For All The AI Talk Fit For CannesIn this pre-festival interview, Shelly Palmer sets the stage for what will be hyped -- or as the case may be -- under-hyped about AI at this year's festival. ... read more
- Threads will let you hide spoilers in your postsThreads is rolling out a test that will let you hide images or text that contain spoilers, according to a post from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. With the test, you’ll be ... read more
- WFA, Advertisers Want Musk's Ad Boycott Suit Sent To New YorkEssenceMediacom, Mindshare Media, Universal McCann and other likely witnesses are based in NY, the WFA and advertisers argue in a motion to transfer Elon Musk's ad boycott suit. ... read more
- Ford’s new modified Mustang Mach-E is ready to fly up Pikes PeakThe Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a racing event that's been going on since 1916. It's a 12.42-mile run that climbs 4,720 feet and serves as a proving ground for ... read more
- ChatGPT And Me: When 'Human Error' Goes Too FarWhat's especially maddening about ChatGPT is that it volunteers to do things it can't actually do. ... read more
- Is It Time For A New Channel-Planning Discipline?Two recent stories suggest an approach to channel-thinking or channel-planning that goes beyond classic campaign-thinking -- one that understands and can impact the social diffusion of ideas. ... read more
- Reddit will help advertisers turn ‘positive’ posts into adsReddit is launching a new feature for advertisers that slots positive posts from Reddit users right under their ads. The new alpha feature, called Conversation Summary Add-ons, “dynamically integrates positive content ... read more
- Patreon is raising its fees for new creators soonPatreon has announced an update to its pricing, consolidating its Pro and Premium plans into a single offering starting August 5th. The new plan will take 10 percent of creators’ earnings, ... read more
- Trump Mobile is a bad dealTrump Mobile launched this morning with a single prepaid wireless plan and the promise of nationwide coverage for $47.45 per month. For that price, you get unlimited talk and texting, international ... read more
- Sir Martin Sorrell: AI, Geopolitics and Efficiency Are Reshaping Advertising’s Future
CANNES — In a wide-ranging interview during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Sir Martin Sorrell, executive chairman of digital advertising and marketing ... read more
- Ad Flexibility, Contextual Targeting have Reinvented the Upfront: Warner Bros. Discovery’s Jill Steinhauser
NEW YORK – Warner Bros. Discovery is reimagining the traditional upfront by offering a flexible, cross-platform model that prioritizes cultural relevance, audience targeting and ... read more
- TV Reality Alert: Google AI Ad Dunks Big On NBA FinalsWhile text-to-video AI models have been around for a while, the difference here is that Veo 3 can place realistic looking, lip-synced spoken dialogue onto people and around high-profile cinematic video. ... read more
- A handy charger for every Switch Joy-Con you own is just $20It works with Switch and Switch 2 Joy-Con. | Image: The Verge A company named Fastsnail has won the race when it comes to making a Joy-Con charging accessory that’s better than ... read more
- Interactive Ads Outperform Traditional Spots As TV Streamers Demand Relevance, ActionInteractive video ads deliver a 58% stronger unaided brand recall than standard video spots. ... read more
- Comscore Reveals Differences Between Mythical, Possible ProgrammaticAdvertisers are chasing questions that prompt change. Can they rely on trust and quality in the same campaign? Will consumers accept synthetic visuals in messaging? ... read more
- Microsoft’s Windows Hello facial recognition no longer works in the darkMicrosoft’s Windows Hello face unlock feature no longer works in dark rooms, and it’s not a bug. Microsoft quietly made the change to Windows Hello in April, in order to fix ... read more
- The Trump Mobile T1 Phone looks both bad and impossibleHave you seen this phone before? No, really, I need to know. Here is a roughly complete list of all the things we know for sure about the first phone made for ... read more
- Dentsu, Criteo Team To Power Commerce Media PerformanceThe companies are consolidating retail audience data within Dentsu Connect. ... read more
- The Case For Neurodiversity In Advertising: It's 'Messy'"If marketers are not communicating with them and driving their business, they're going to lose out on $12 trillion of buying power," Havas Donna Murphy says of Gen Z's neurodiverse consumer marketplace. ... read more
- Amazon's Jassy Wins Cannes 'Media Person Of The Year' AwardThe award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact on the creative communications industry and who stands out as an influential figure within the global media landscape. ... read more
- WhatsApp is officially getting adsMeta is also adding sponsored channels and subscriptions. WhatsApp is rolling out ads. In an update on Monday, Meta announced that it will now show ads from businesses through its Stories-like status ... read more
- Stagwell Unveils News-Focused Private MarketplaceThe PMP includes Newsweek, The Washington Post, AP and others. The firm is unveiling new research at Cannes that reinforces the value of advertising in news as part of a brand's media mix. ... read more
- Nintendo announces a Donkey Kong Bananza DirectNintendo will offer an early look at Donkey Kong Bananza during a livestream on Wednesday, June 18th at 9AM ET. The company announced the upcoming Direct event through its Nintendo Today ... read more
- Amazon Ads Launches Live Signals In CloudAmazon Live signals in Amazon Marketing Cloud has launched to give advertisers more information on impressions, views, and clicks into live shopping campaigns. ... read more
- PMG To Brands: Now There's An App For ThatCANNES, France -- It's called "Alli Marketplace" and it's akin to a consumer app store model, enabling clients to seamlessly integrate new and emerging technologies into their martech stack, PMG announced here this morning. The ... read more
- ABC Fired Moran For X Posts, But Was Trump A Factor?How much were Disney/ABC execs thinking not only of Moran's breach of the company's journalistic standards, but how Trump may have retaliated if they didn't dismiss Moran? ... read more
- Roku/Amazon Ad Deal: Streaming Powerhouses Join ForcesThe two big streaming businesses say the streaming ad-inventory integration will allow advertisers to reach more than 80% of U.S. CTV households. ... read more
- Dentsu Expands Sports & Entertainment, Appoints Ise To Lead ItThe expansion includes the international launch of Dentsu anime solutions, the expansion of Dentsu Sports Analytics into MENA, and the growth of dentsu Sports & Entertainment hubs. ... read more
- OnePlus announces the Nord 5 and four more productsOnePlus has announced five new products, including a new phone from its popular Nord lineup, which will launch in Europe and India next month. The company will release two phones, a ... read more
- WPP Integrates TikTok's Symphony Content Tools Into WPP OpenIt's not an exclusive arrangement but for now, WPP said the collaboration gives its teams early access to the social media company's content-focused AI-driven tool set. ... read more
- Microsoft accidentally swapped Windows 11’s startup sound with Vista’sIf you’ve been having flashbacks to 2007 while using your PC over the past few days, you’re not alone. Microsoft has mistakenly replaced Windows 11’s boot sound — in test versions ... read more
- Your next phone could run on Trump MobileDonald Trump might be planning to launch a mobile network and a Trump-branded phone. DTTM Operations LLC, the company Trump uses to manage his trademarks, has applied to use both “Trump” ... read more
- Here comes the AI sponconSocial media is filled with an endless supply of people selling things, from Shein try-on hauls to health supplement and gadget product placements. Influencer marketing disrupted traditional advertising, creating an army ... read more
- ‘It’s a big meeting week’: Kimberly-Clark’s Patricia Corsi on the AI hype, Cannes jargonSubscribe: Apple Podcasts • Spotify If you’re looking for Patricia Corsi, Kimberly-Clark’s chief growth officer, along the French Riviera during this year’s Cannes Lions Festival, don’t expect to find her sipping rosé. While Cannes ... read more
- Cannes Briefing: A sunburned reckoningTo receive this daily Cannes briefing over email, please subscribe here. Cannes has always thrived on the blur: part conference, part fever dream, part reputation management exercise with a rosé chaser. But this year, before ... read more
- The Shorts play: YouTube steps up creator monetizationYouTube is expanding its internal brand partnership tools and its relationships with third-party creator monetization vendors — all part of a broader effort to create new revenue streams for Shorts creators. In recent months, YouTube ... read more
- Outfront brings its XLabs to Cannes for the first time, hoping to draw a broader ad baseCannes Lions used to be the place to see and be seen for creative excellence. But for the last 15 years or so, media companies and platforms have steadily muscled their way onto the beaches ... read more
- Meet the man behind Cannes Lions’ most exclusive partiesUnik Ernest doesn’t exactly fit the mold of Cannes’ archetypal power broker. Tall, reserved, more listener than talker — he doesn’t shout status. But on the Croisette some call him the fixer. Spend five minutes ... read more
- Amazon and Roku kick of Cannes Lions with DSP tie-up Related Insights Member Exclusive Future of TV Briefing: A Q&A with Roku’s Sarah Harms about streaming ad measurement Subscribe To Read Read More Amazon Ads and Roku have ... read more
- Omnicom strikes partnerships at Cannes Lions with Disney and Walmart around harnessing liveCannes Lions is officially underway, and holding company Omnicom is wasting little time forging ahead with unveiling partnerships with major publishers and platforms as it digs deeply into harnessing the power of ‘live’ — be ... read more
- Media Buying Briefing: How Acadia is winning over creative work as well as mediaThere’s a threat to the creative side of the agency business, and it’s called generative AI. News announcements in the past few weeks have drilled that home, as Meta and other publishers announce ways to ... read more
- 'How To Train Your Dragon' Roars And Soars With $84M OpeningThe live-action movie adaptation of the animated original rocketed to a series best $83.7 million in domestic box-office revenue business, and $197.8 million globally, ... read more
- Anker’s Soundcore Sleep earbuds finally feature active noise cancelingBattery life is reduced, but Anker’s sleep buds could now be even better at blocking disturbing sounds at night. | Image: Anker Anker has announced a new version of its wireless sleep ... read more
- Magna Revises Global Ad Outlook Down SlightlyThe IPG Mediabrands forecasting unit also boosted its U.S. ad growth outlook slightly form its last quarterly update in March. ... read more
- In Cannes, Lions Escape The Palais Walls In Search of CEOs, Record AttendanceThe world’s largest advertising festival is getting even larger, with record attendance, partnerships, and award entries marking a significant evolution in how the event engages with the French Riviera city that hosts it. No longer ... read more
- How Progressive Government Set the Stage for the L.A. RiotsThe city’s failed policies on crime, economics and schools hurt immigrants more than anyone else. ... read more
- Norbauer Seneca review: a $3,600 luxury keyboard for the keyboard obsessedThe best, and most expensive, thing I’ve ever typed on. | Photo by Nathan Edwards / The Verge Some people can tell great wine from okay wine. They go on wine tastings, ... read more
- How to build the best keyboard in the worldRyan Norbauer in his garage / workshop. | Photo: Taeha Kim / Norbauer & Co. The term "endgame," among keyboard enthusiasts, is sort of a running gag. Endgame is when you finally ... read more
- Would you switch browsers for a chatbot?Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 87, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, happy It's Officially Too Hot Now Week, and ... read more
- Digitas’ John Kahn on the Future of Trust, Tech and Retail Media: ‘It Starts with Brand Truth’
- Tanks, guns and face-paintingOf all the jarring things I've witnessed on the National Mall, nothing will beat the image of the first thing I saw after I cleared security at the Army festival: a ... read more
- No Kings: protests in the eye of the stormDemonstrators in Los Angeles marched alongside an inflatable Donald Trump baby dressed in a diaper. As President Donald Trump kicked off a birthday military parade on the streets of Washington, DC, what's ... read more
- Sony’s noise-canceling WH-1000XM6 are already on sale with a $30 gift card
- Answering the Nintendo Switch 2’s lingering accessibility questionsOne of the biggest surprises of the Nintendo Switch 2's reveal was its proposed accessibility. For years, Nintendo has been known for accidentally stumbling on accessibility solutions while stubbornly refusing to ... read more
- Nintendo Switch 2 review: exactly good enoughThe first Switch was such a hit that Nintendo decided not to mess with a good thing. Instead of releasing a successor that feels like a generational leap or a pivot ... read more
- Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s AI hiring spree
- Anne Wojcicki is taking back control of 23andMe23andMe co-founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki is set to buy back the company after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year. On Friday, 23andMe and TTAM Research ... read more
- Instagram Stokes Creative Energy Via Film Series And Emerging Artist ProgramInstagram will begin highlighting the creative journeys of Tyler, The Creator, Rosalia and other major artists through a series of in-app mini-films, while also launching "Drafts," a new way for the platform to invest in ... read more
- Gamefam Brings FIFA's 2025 'Club World Cup' To RobloxGamefam has announced a playable Roblox launch dedicated to FIFA's upcoming Club World Cup tournament - a U.S.-based competition among 32 men's club soccer teams with a $1 billion pot. ... read more
- Mel Brooks is returning for Spaceballs 2Spaceballs, which was first released nearly 40 years ago, is getting a sequel in 2027 from Amazon MGM Studios. A Spaceballs 2 announcement trailer posted Thursday doesn’t have any solid details ... read more
- Yelp Renews Bid To Block Texas Suit Over 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers'Yelp says Texas AG brought bad-faith lawsuit over warning labels on so-called "crisis pregnancy centers." ... read more
- The Switch 2 gives Splatoon 3 a fantastically fresh coat of paintSplatoon 3 already looked phenomenal on the original Switch, in a way that seemed to defy the console's hardware limitations. The game's paint-slicked visuals were gorgeous, and its chaotic battles were ... read more
- Belkin’s 3-in-1 Qi2 wireless charger is the cheapest it’s been in monthsBelkin’s Qi2-ready BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 wireless charger is $30 off. If you’re looking to declutter the cables on your desk or nightstand and keep all of your devices charged, Belkin’s Qi2-ready BoostCharge ... read more
- Google’s test turns search results into an AI-generated podcastThe option to generate an Audio Overview appears beneath the “People also ask” module. Google is rolling out a test that puts its AI-powered Audio Overviews on the first page of search ... read more
- Anbernic’s sliding screen handheld might be too chunky and heavy for your pocketsAnbernic hasn’t officially released or even put its new RG Slide handheld up for preorder yet, but a handful of reviewers have recently shared their first impressions of the new console. ... read more
- Minnesota Passes Bill Requiring Social Media WarningsMinnesota lawmakers have passed a bill requiring social media platforms to post "conspicuous" notices warning users of potential risks to their mental health. ... read more
- Kwikset’s newest smart lock gets almost everything rightKwikset’s Halo Select smart lock. Legacy lock maker Kwikset has been producing innovative smart locks since 2013, when it released the first touch-to-open lock, the Kwikset Kevo. The company followed that up ... read more
- Dbrand’s Killswitch is the best all-around Switch 2 caseThe transparent front cover is included with the $80 Travel tier, and it includes a tray that holds 10 cartridges. | Image: Cameron Faulkner/The Verge I've been checking out a lot of ... read more
- Google’s Gemini AI will summarize PDFs for you when you open themGoogle is rolling out new Gemini AI features for Workspace users that make it easier to find information in PDFs and form responses. The Gemini-powered file summarization capabilities in Google Drive ... read more
- Pixar is heading back to Italy for its next big filmThough Disney and Pixar are about to start getting everyone hyped for Toy Story 5, the studios are already working hard on another feature. While Disney and Pixar opened their Annecy ... read more
- USDOT wants more self-driving cars without pedals or steering wheelsThe US Department of Transportation wants to make it easier for automakers and tech companies to deploy self-driving cars without traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals. In a letter sent ... read more
- Steam is finally adding native support for Macs with Apple SiliconSteam will soon fully support Macs equipped with Apple’s in-house chips. In the latest Steam client beta spotted by 9to5Mac, Valve says the “Steam Client and Steam Helper apps now run ... read more
- The new Pebble watch’s mobile app will also work with some old Pebble watchesCore Devices is ready to ship 200 of its Core 2 Duo smartwatches to preorder customers in its beta test program. | Photo: Eric Migicovsky / Core Devices On his personal blog, ... read more
- Meta AI Personal Chats Appearing In Public Search FeedSecurity and financial experts have noted that Meta AI makes private conversations public when users try to post messages to its social feed without understanding exactly how the platform works. The conversations are searchable, which ... read more
- Switch, Xbox, and the portable future of gamesThe Switch 2 is a hit (and a supply chain success story). Microsoft is starting to show off its plan for the future of Xbox. And everywhere you look, there are ... read more
