Ad Age Insider

Ad Age Creativity Editor Tim Nudd breaks down this year's Halloween marketing trends: the move from ads to products and experiences, the blend of horror and comedy, nostalgia and IP tie-ins and a wave of brand-to-brand partnerships. He covers Pringles' burial urn, Rivian's Ghostbusters campaign, Twix's Zombie Claus and Cheetos' horror shorts with Blumhouse, plus the horror-parody trope he'd like to retire. Host Parker Herren and Tim also get into what marketers can carry past October: dig into your brand's weirdness, use physical marketing to stand out from the scroll and weigh whether IP will outshine your brand. Follow Ad Age Insider wherever you listen so you don't miss the next episode. See this year's Halloween Marketing Awards winners: ~Hay Day, Haunted Farms (Scariest Ad, runner up) ~McDonald's U.K., Spooky Sauce Face Paints (Best Spooky Product, runner up) ~Pringles, Once You Drop (Best Spooky Product) ~Herb Light, ScareBnB (Most Unique Take, runner up) ~Twix, Zombie Claus (Most Unique Take) ~Rivian, Ghostbusters (Halloween Campaign of the Year)

Bose topped Ad Age's Gen Z brand tracker, ahead of Liberty Mutual, The Farmer's Dog, Electronic Arts and Hollister—what it reveals about humor and nostalgia, in-person experiences, and growing AI skepticism among young consumers. Plus, Dentsu Creative hires Michael Aimette as U.S. chief creative officer; ChatGPT begins running ads alongside AI-generated images; the ANA, 4As and IAB team up on AI, talent and cross-media measurement; 350 Action unveils a life-size gallium statue of Ron DeSantis that melts. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating Gen Z trust, AI skepticism, agency creative leadership and cross-media measurement. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~20 brands catching Gen Z's attention right now and how they are doing it ~Dentsu Creative hires Michael Aimette as US chief creative officer to raise creative ambitions ~Inside OpenAI's pitch to brands for ads alongside AI-generated images in ChatGPT ~Inside ANA, 4As and IAB's closed-door talks on AI, talent development and ad measurement ~Ron DeSantis melts down in striking Florida climate change installation

Novig released a second Sydney Sweeney ad after the first drew criticism and tripled trading volume, and what it reveals about celebrity partnerships. Plus, Vice Media named Shannon Washington president and creative leader of Virtue Worldwide; Apple fixed the Safari change that blocked The Trade Desk's ads; Parke, Reale Actives, and Dairy Boy showed how creator-led brands use social listening and community building; Even Realities debuted a 10-part horror series. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating celebrity risk, platform dependence, agency rebuilds, and creator-led growth. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Novig expands controversial Sydney Sweeney campaign as trading volume triples ~Virtue appoints Shannon Washington president as the Vice-owned agency plots a rebrand ~Apple fixed The Trade Desk's Safari ad problem—but broader ad tech restrictions could be next ~3 strategies marketers can borrow from creator-led brand playbooks ~Even Realities microdrama explores the horrors of smart-glasses surveillance

Agentic shopping is already shaping holiday 2026, even though most consumers aren't ready to let an AI agent use their credit card. Brandon Doerrer, media reporter at Ad Age, explains how AI shopping agents like Muse and ChatGPT Dots handle product discovery and consideration, and why brands that ignore them could vanish from gift searches. He covers where to start with product feeds, inventory details and agent access to your website, plus how agentic commerce overlaps with answer engine optimization (AEO), branded conversations and retail media networks. Host Parker Herren and Doerrer dig into what marketers can act on now including giving agents richer product detail, planning for every agent instead of just one and building on the AEO work you already have. Doerrer also explains why agentic media buying is still more hype than reality. Follow Ad Age Insider so you don't miss the next conversation. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~How brands should prepare for an agentic holiday shopping season ~Amazon launches Branded Conversations at Unboxed 2026—what buyers think ~Media channels are changing rapidly—how to strategize for AI search, social commerce, total TV and IRL ~Enter the 2026 Ad Age CMO Impact Awards ~Listen the the Marketer's Brief podcast

Hertz, Subaru and Liquid Death are building pet-focused campaigns and products to tap into surging pet spending, but marketers warn against forcing the fit. Plus, Chemistry acquires design agency Colossus; Apple's iOS 27 update blocks The Trade Desk's ad tools on Safari; mid-size brands drop follower counts and reconsider linear TV; Herb Light launches ScareBnB, a Halloween contest for cannabis horror stories. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating category entry, independent agency consolidation, identity-free measurement and outdated metrics. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~2030 advertising predictions—tracking potential hits and misses, and what's too early to call ~How brands are winning over dog and cat lovers—even when they don't sell pet products ~Chemistry acquires Colossus in an expansion to Boston, which it sees as ripe for a challenger ~Apple blocks The Trade Desk—what marketers must know about renewed anti-tracking push ~Why mid-size brands are rethinking long-established marketing and media strategies ~Herb Light turns cannabis horror stories into 'ScareBnB' stays for Halloween