• Thirteen top advertising, public relations and influencer agencies signed a pledge with the ​​International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, which represents global alcohol companies, to abide by a new set of standards for using influencers to promote alcohol. Under the agreement, the agencies — which include McCann London, Publicis Groupe SA, Havas SA, and Dentsu Inc. — pledge to do due diligence on influencers, be transparent about sponsored content and use age-affirming technology to prevent alcohol-related content from reaching minors. (Ad Age)
• In a lawsuit filed Monday, digital marketing strategist Christine Martinez alleged that Pinterest Inc. founders Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra used her ideas and marketing plans to create and launch the platform but never paid her for her work. Martinez, who has 5 million followers on Pinterest, said in the court filing that Silbermann asked for her help to “salvage a failed shopping app.” (Bloomberg)
• Financial services company Intuit Inc. is buying email marketing company Mailchimp in a $12 billion cash and stock deal, the companies announced. The acquisition of Mailchimp, Intuit’s largest thus far, will be geared toward helping the company’s small business clients grow. (CNBC)
• Fox Corp. said it purchased TMZ from AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia, a move designed to help Fox expand its digital media and unscripted content. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that TMZ would be valued anywhere from $100 million to $125 million, but people familiar with the matter said the celebrity news platform was valued at less than $50 million in the deal. (The Wall Street Journal)

Brands That Ignore Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Have a Lot to Lose

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The New York Times’ ‘Truth Is’ Campaign Moves To TikTok, Turns The Spotlight On Journalists

Ann-Christine Diaz, Ad Age

Latest film created with Droga5, as well as four ads for the social video platform, put the focus on the Times’ 1,700+ reporters.

 

TD Bank Hires Ogilvy And David As Lead Creative North America Agencies

Brian Bonilla and Judann Pollack, Ad Age

The incumbent for the U.S business was TBWAChiatDay.

 

Amazon’s New TV Is Igniting A Connected TV Ad Scramble

Garett Sloane, Ad Age

LG Ads announces new TV software as manufacturers look to retain control of the living room screen.

 

CPG Manufacturers Are Spending Less on National TV Ads

Paul Hiebert, Adweek

A new report shows impressions are dropping, too.

 

Rent The Runway Boosts Marketing Amid Sweatpants Fatigue

Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age

Consumers are over sweatpants, and Rent the Runway has noticed. After more than 18 months of elastic-waist leisure-wear, Americans are starting to diversify their closets, and the clothing rental service is this week debuting a brand campaign designed to capture their attention.

Brian Robbins Officially Tapped to Lead Paramount

Brent Lang, Variety

Brian Robbins has officially been named president and CEO of Paramount Pictures, replacing Jim Gianopulos as head of the studio behind the “Mission: Impossible” and “Transformers” franchises, and setting up a new era in the oversight of one of Hollywood’s big movie studios.

 

Barstool Sports has signed up thousands of student-athletes for NIL deals, but some colleges are pushing back

Dan Whateley and Ashley Rodriguez, Insider Premium

Some colleges are wary of the brand, saying it doesn’t have permission to use their trademarks. The University of Louisville barred students outright from working with Barstool on NIL activities.

Facebook Says Its Rules Apply to All. Company Documents Reveal a Secret Elite That’s Exempt.

Jeff Horwitz, The Wall Street Journal

A program known as XCheck has given millions of celebrities, politicians and other high-profile users special treatment, a privilege many abuse.

 

Capital One Testing Buy-Now, Pay-Later Option to Battle Affirm

Jennifer Surane, Bloomberg

Capital One Financial Corp. will test a new buy-now, pay-later service as consumers flock to the options that let them split up a purchase and pay it off over time. 

 

How ‘Influencers’ Became ‘Creators’ And What It Means For Brands

Ilyse Liffreing, Ad Age

The term “influencer” no longer applies to many of today’s social media stars.

Phony Walmart News Release Signals a Crypto Pump-and-Dump Scheme

Matthew Goldstein et al., The New York Times

Digital currencies briefly jumped in value after a fake release said the retailer would start accepting the little-used Litecoin.

 

Harris veterans launch firm to protect CEOs from being canceled

Hans Nichols, Axios

A group of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign veterans is launching a strategy firm to help CEOs avoid getting “canceled” and to advise companies how to respond to changing cultural norms before they’re faced with a crisis.

 

Companies have questions for President Biden about vaccine mandates.

Lauren Hirsch, The New York Times

A trade group representing some 2,000 consumer brands sent a letter to President Biden on Monday asking for clarification about his announcement last week that all companies with more than 100 employees will soon need to require vaccination or weekly testing.

 

Deloitte Sees Holiday Sales Up 7% to 9% on Hospitality Rebound

Jordyn Holman, Bloomberg

The Christmas shopping season could see 7% to 9% growth as Americans are poised to spend more on travel and dining out, according to a forecast from Deloitte released on Tuesday.

 

Mastercard Sees Holiday Spending Reaching Record on 7.4% Growth

Jordyn Holman, Bloomberg

U.S. retail sales are poised to reach a record high this holiday season, according to a forecast from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which projects a sizable jump both from last year and from 2019 — before the pandemic upended consumer behavior. 

 

It’s especially important to get your holiday shopping done early this year

Nicolás Rivero, Quartz

The annual holiday shopping surge promises to strain already overburdened ports, factories, and shipping routes. That will only worsen today’s shipping delays, stockouts, and higher prices as people place last-minute gift orders.

 

Welcome to Dunkin’ World

Lora Kelley, GQ

With streetwear-style drops and a shrewd embrace of social media, New England’s favorite purveyor of extremely normal coffee has turned itself into a lifestyle brand.

 

Geico’s ‘Scoop, There It Is’ Just Became an Ice Cream Flavor

David Griner, Adweek

Only 325 pints are up for grab by fans of Tag Team’s insurance ad.

 

The Crazy Story Behind Cult ‘Simpsons’ and ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ T-Shirts

Jacob Gallagher, The Wall Street Journal

The late actor Stanley DeSantis, who appeared in “The Aviator,” “Entourage” and “Alf,” also managed to operate a massive business producing memorabilia T-shirts, many of which are still coveted today.

 

What Brands Should Know About Gen Alpha—And How COVID Has Shifted Marketing Priorities

Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age

Marketers like Headspace and Mattel are rolling out new products for the group.

 

Fake meat companies are hungry for meat-lovers

Erica Pandey, Axios

Plant-based meat firms aren’t just going after vegans and vegetarians anymore. They’re betting that closely mimicking the taste of meat will let them chip away at the meat-eating market too.

 

What the delta variant is doing to the US restaurant industry

Michelle Cheng, Quartz

As Covid-19 restrictions eased this summer, US restaurants were starting to thrive. Sales were back to pre-pandemic levels, as diners were eager to go out and eat. But now the delta variant of Covid-19 is causing restaurants to unravel again.

 

Hostels, Havens for the Thrifty, Fight to Survive the Pandemic

Alexandra E. Petri, The New York Times

This summer, prompted by vaccine rollouts, budget travelers began wading back into hostel life. But the challenges are far from over.

 

A consulting firm backed by mega-law firm Dentons is offering an unusual perk to lure top talent from public relations heavyweights like Edelman and FTI

Sean Czarnecki and Jack Newsham, Insider Premium

Dentons Global Advisors is poaching talent from public relations agencies like Edelman and FTI Consulting. The consulting unit is offering equity to prospective hires to sweeten the deal. DGA made two acquisitions since its launch to build out its offering.

 

Walmart’s healthcare team is shaking up its leadership amid a slow rollout of health clinics

Shelby Livingston, Insider Premium

Two top executives in Walmart’s healthcare business are moving into new roles amid an ongoing leadership shakeup.