The Drum

Same data. Same models. Same results? AI is rewriting marketing – but amid all the noise, who’s actually asking what’s real? We caught up with GUT’s Sarang Paraskar at AWNY to discuss the big topics surrounding AI ahead of the launch of The AI Marketing Pulse – our flagship quarterly pulse for tracking sentiment, surfacing tensions and uncovering the truths behind AI adoption. Check out the full interview and stay tuned for the AI Marketing Pulse launch – coming soon on The Drum 🔜 https://lnkd.in/eR8jDUGD #AI #Sponsored

Is the McCann brand safe after IPG merges with Omnicom? What are Omnicom’s plans for the agency? How will my teams benefit from the biggest merger in advertising history? You would think these are the questions keeping chief creative officer Javier Campopiano up at night. Especially after this week’s news on DDB. And maybe they are. But when I sat down with him for the latest installment of The Big Interview, he had an admirable poker face. He tells me that he prefers to stay blinkered to rumors and speculation, knowing all too well that “uncertainty is the enemy of creativity.” In fact, he has been so determined to ensure his team remains focused on the work at hand that he has had staff wear sweatshirts bearing the slogan ‘Don’t Get Distracted.’ Beyond the mega-merger, we also get into how he's taken McCann's long-running motto, ‘Truth Well Told’, and turned it into a creative “engine”, the influence of AI on his process and his long-held thoughts on why the agency commercial model needs to change to reflect the value of big ideas. Read it here. https://lnkd.in/ekmdSkDG

Are we too busy to be creative? 🤔 Marketers are drowning in tabs, tools and to-do lists. Research from Dropbox shows less than half of us have enough time for creative work. The paradox? We’re working harder, not smarter. Dropbox Dash cuts through the noise by connecting the tools that matter and freeing up space for what really counts: ideas. Find out how the next productivity shift is about focus, not more tech. https://lnkd.in/eSrdH-Gu #sponsored

I’m hearing from senior staff within Omnicom that much of what they know about DDB’s future is coming from LinkedIn and the trade press, with little direct communication from upper management 😬 Several have shared that it became clear something was changing when their email domains recently switched to omc.com Thanks to everyone who has got in touch anonymously in my DMs. I know this is a sensitive topic for many people. My inbox is open [email protected] #DDB #Omnicom #Agency The Drum

By now, we’ve all seen the reports that the DDB brand is allegedly being retired as part of the Omnicom–IPG merger. This morning, I reached out to Omnicom to confirm this, and although they have responded, they have not confirmed it at this time. Omnicom's statement to me reads as follows: “As regulatory approvals are still pending and until the transaction is closed, we are still operating as two independent companies. However, we can share that, as it relates to our brands, we are undertaking a rigorous and considered process to ensure we have the very best solutions for the future for us and for our clients. This sentiment is informing everything we do in our go-forward plans. Once they are finalized and ready to be shared, communicating them to our clients and our people will be our priority. We will then make that information available publicly. We look forward to the close of our transaction and to moving forward as a combined company.” Currently, I’m looking to speak with current or former staff within Omnicom and the DDB network to gain insight into how this is impacting teams on the ground. This is a developing story, and full anonymity can be respected for anyone who wishes to share their perspective. My DMs are open, or you can reach me directly at [email protected] #DDB #Omnicom #IPG #Agency

To build something truly new, you have to let go of what you know 🔥 Skylar Jessen, Senior Product Strategist at Instrument, shares how Vibe Sprint challenged comfort zones, redefined collaboration, and proved that creative intelligence is the future of agency work. AI isn’t replacing creativity - it’s amplifying it. Watch the full episode here 🎥 https://lnkd.in/et2FdXY4

GymNation has just built the HEAVIEST billboard in the world 🏋️🏋️♀️🏋️♂️ Weighing-in at a staggering ONE TONNE, the billboard was created using forty weight plates joined together.

“We want a strategic partner who’s looking at that wider, holistic media planning perspective, is building in connected TV as part of that, and looking at what that means in the total AV landscape with maturity frameworks to try and push that forward.” Hear more from Nestlé’s Emma Magliocchi alongside Brainlabs’ Alex Glover and Google’s Anthony Yuen, on how marketers are transforming the complexities of modern TV viewing into a strategic opportunity. https://lnkd.in/exuPXgtd

For more of this, join us and Henry Hayes at B2B World Fest next week: https://lnkd.in/eJpP9Hdt 🥁

Word on the street is that marketers are rediscovering a channel that delivers an 82% ad recall rate. It’s out-of-home. But this time, it’s digital, dynamic, and data-driven. Find out how digital out-of-home (DOOH) is reshaping creative storytelling, audience engagement, and measurable brand performance in Vistar Media’s ultimate guide. And discover why DOOH isn’t just a format: it’s a force. 👉 Download your copy here: https://lnkd.in/evwx8Cyz #DigitalOutofHome #AdTech #MarketingInnovation #Sponsored