• Publicis Groupe SA’s shares plummeted more than 13 percent after it lowered its financial forecast for the second time this year, saying that it expected organic revenue to fall 2.5 percent in 2019. In its previous forecast in July, the company had said it expected organic revenue to stay “broadly stable.” (The Wall Street Journal) 

• Dallas-based TM Advertising, known for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.’s “Life Comes At You Fast” campaign, is shutting down after 85 years, with CEO Becca Weigman saying that three of the company’s largest clients “reduced their fees tremendously.” Weigman did not disclose how many employees would lose their jobs or the identities of the clients. (Adweek)

• James Murdoch’s investment company, Lupa Systems, has acquired a small stake in Vice Media Group, according to two people briefed on the transaction, though the exact figure was not known. People familiar with the matter said the investment values the media company at about $4 billion. (Financial Times)

From critic to believer: How Martin Sorrell changed his tune on Google and Facebook
Seb Joseph, Digiday

Martin Sorrell was one of the most vocal critics of Google when he ran WPP.

NBCU Cable Networks Refuse to Air Trump Campaign Ad Aimed at Joe Biden
Suzanne Vranica and Jeff Horwitz, The Wall Street Journal

Commercial, rejected by CNN last week, alleges Democratic candidate promised Ukraine $1 billion to fire prosecutor.

The latest trend in ad tech fraud: Faking GDPR consent strings
Jessica Davies, Digiday

The digital ad industry has been on tenterhooks since the Information Commissioner’s Office released its warning report to ad tech in June, which stated the current way data is used for real-time bidding isn’t legal under the General Data Protection Regulation.

Netflix Goes All Out to Wow Children as Streaming Wars Intensify
Brooks Barnes, The New York Times

Walk the halls of Netflix Animation, spread across three buildings in the heart of Hollywood, and a cheeky question may cross your mind: Is anyone left at Disney Channel headquarters?

Splinter, a Politics Site for Millennials, Is Shuttered
Katie Robertson, The New York Times

The news website, once owned by Fusion Media, will cease publication immediately.

LadBible looks to further shed bro image with revamped women’s site Tyla
Lucinda Southern, Digiday

LadBible made its name with Facebook fare of prank-meets-entertainment videos, like this guy getting squirted in the face with pepper spray and this on America’s fattest bear.

“Jesus, Are We Doing This Again?”: At Today, A “Wound Being Reopened” As Ronan Farrow Takes Aim At Lauer, NBC Management
Joe Pompeo, Vanity Fair

With Matt Lauer accused of anal rape and the disgraced morning host firing back in a stunning open letter, Today’s #MeToo crisis has metastasized.

A Breaking Bad Pop-Up Is Coming to LA as Follow-Up Movie El Camino Hits Netflix
Kelsey Sutton, Adweek

The Breaking Bad Experience will open Oct. 16 and run through year’s end.

Political Campaigns Know Where You’ve Been. They’re Tracking Your Phone.
Sam Schechner et al., The Wall Street Journal

Voter targeting has grown more invasive with location data that apps can transmit from cellphones.

Google pulls Hong Kong protester role-playing app
Elizabeth Culliford, Reuters

Alphabet Inc’s Google has suspended a role-playing app associated with the Hong Kong protests due to a policy that prohibits developers capitalizing on ongoing conflicts, the company said on Thursday.

President Trump Launches Channel on Amazon’s Twitch Streaming Platform
Sarah E. Needleman, The Wall Street Journal

Sen. Bernie Sanders also has page on service popular among videogame players.

Houston Rockets Nike merchandise disappears from China stores
Ryan Woo and David Stanway, Reuters

Houston Rockets sneakers and other merchandise were pulled from several Nike (NKE.N) stores in major Chinese cities amid the furor surrounding a tweet from the team’s general manager in support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Frito-Lay Names Rachel Ferdinando as New CMO
Shoshana Wodinsky, Adweek

Jennifer Saenz will be promoted to president of PepsiCo Global Foods.

There’s a ‘revolving door’ at Amazon, where company insiders are ditching the retail behemoth to expose its inner workings and make a fortune
Rachel Premack, Business Insider

Brands large and small don’t understand how to navigate Amazon, which is America’s largest online retailer. 

Walmart’s U.S. Stores Chief to Quit Retailer
Sarah Nassauer, The Wall Street Journal

Greg Foran, who oversaw turnaround, will be CEO at Air New Zealand.

Victoria’s Secret, Under Siege, Lays Off Employees at Headquarters
Sapna Maheshwari et al, The New York Times

Victoria’s Secret is laying off about 15 percent of the brand’s employees at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters as the beleaguered lingerie chain struggles to reshape its image and the chief executive of its parent company remains under scrutiny for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.  

These Nike ‘Jesus Shoes’ Filled with Holy Water Are Already Sold Out
Bettina Makalintal, Vice

Literally blessed.

Nike’s Elite Running Group Folded After Suspension of Coach Alberto Salazar
Rachel Bachman, The Wall Street Journal

CEO Parker says Nike supports Salazar but ‘situation is a distraction for many of the athletes.’

Barneys, Racing to Avoid Liquidation, Now at Odds With Lenders
Soma Biswas, The Wall Street Journal

A dispute between the bankrupt retailer and its lenders broke out ahead of a Friday deadline to produce bids.

Starbucks launches a new happy hour promotion on Thursday — and baristas are already freaking out online
Kate Taylor, Business Insider

Starbucks launches a revamped happy hour deal on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Once a cult fashion blog, Man Repeller is now building out a brand consultancy
Katie Deighton, The Drum

Man Repeller, the independent media platform famed for its irreverent take on fashion and women’s lifestyle, has begun to serve its brand partners beyond advertising and branded content: its commercial team has begun to build out a brand strategy offering.

Marketers feel growing pains as in-house agencies become a necessity
Kristina Monllos, Digiday

In-house ad agencies aren’t really a choice anymore: Major marketers, from Procter & Gamble to Anheuser-Busch now see in-housing as a necessity.

WeWork chases new financing as cash crunch looms
James Fontanella-Khan and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, Financial Times

JPMorgan Chase leads race to complete deal before end of November.

The world’s biggest brands have a garbage problem. This man can help
Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN

The world’s largest consumer goods companies have a big problem: The plastic waste that piles up in landfills and oceans has their corporate logos all over it.

A Message from the Public Affairs Council:

Poll: Americans Still Tuning Out Trump’s Tweets

A new Public Affairs Council poll conducted by Morning Consult finds that only 15% of the public read President Trump’s tweets very often, the same percentage as 2018. 63% percent say they rarely or never pay attention to his tweets, up from 60% in 2018. When the president tweets criticisms of specific companies, 80% of Americans don’t change their opinions. Only 11% say they have a less favorable opinion of the company.

Is Amazon Unstoppable?
Charles Duhigg, The New Yorker

Politicians want to rein in the retail giant. But Jeff Bezos, the master of cutthroat capitalism, is ready to fight back.

Are ‘Closet Accounts’ the Future of Fashion Journalism?
Taylor Lorenz, The New York Times

Teenagers are racing each other to break celebrity style news on Instagram. Adults in the industry are in awe.

How America Lost Dinner
Amanda Mull, The Atlantic

People want to cook and eat together. Modern life has other plans.