Ad Age Tech Reporter Asa Hiken chronicles the evolution of generative AI use in major brands' advertising, the common mistakes that upset viewers and the checklist every marketer needs to know if they plan to scale generative AI use.

Plus, why agencies are rushing to get their clients on ChatGPT, including the benefits they predict will come from being a first mover. And Raymour & Flanigan's new media agency.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Subscribe to Ad Age's Emerging Tech newsletter

~See AI generated work from Coca-Cola, Google, Progressive, Svedka, McDonald's and Kalshi

~Register for Ad Age's AI-focused Editor's Roundtable

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Ad Age reporters and editors share their top Super Bowl takeaways that indicate elements of winning Big-Game strategies. From the downfall of celebrity slop to the best uses of social media and the risks brands take when they play it safe, take notes on what hit and missed last Sunday so that your brand can get ahead on its 2027 plan.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Ad Age's Super Bowl ad review

~How brands plan for the Monday after the Super Bowl

~Agency winners from Super Bowl LX

~Ad Age's Super Bowl diversity report

~Super Bowl advertisers fall behind on Hispanic representation

The countdown to Super Bowl Sunday is on. Creativity Editor Tim Nudd and Senior Marketing Reporter Jon Springer discuss the formula for a timeless Super Bowl ad, how marketers are approaching televised events amid political and cultural upheaval, emerging trends across Olympics and Big Game campaigns and whether AI slop has infiltrated the industry's biggest night.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Track all of this year's Super Bowl ads

~Watch Olympics ads from Visa and Hershey's

~Watch Super Bowl ads from Grubhub, Squarespace, Instacart, Budweiser, Bud Light, Pringles and Svedka

~Throwback to sports marketing work from P&G, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Nike, Tide, Coinbase, CeraVe, E-Trade, Budweiser and Coors Light

~How advertisers are handling political upheaval at the Super Bowl

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Ad Age's Gillian Follett redefines going viral for 2026, from how to pivot marketing strategies to the new metrics measuring social media success and emerging platforms brands should dig into. Plus, how to win with subcultures, manage fractured virality and avoid cringe.

And the chaos behind the scenes of TikTok's ownership transition, why auto brands are skipping the Super Bowl and Home Depot's agency shakeup.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Universal viral moments are over—what brands need to know

~Inside social trends: Jet2 holiday, 2016 throwback, Brat Summer, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

~Lessons from Taylor Swift's viral engagement

~Buy tickets for the Ad Age NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Creativity and media innovation reporter Brandon Doerrer breaks down the recent surge of long-form marketing and how brands are tapping into the microdrama surge. From measurement and performance, to platform strategy and this see-what-sticks mentality, learn what branded entertainment means for media strategy, and takeaways for marketers, even if they don't have a Hollywood budget.

Also, OpenAI has begun testing ads in ChatGPT. Hear Ad Age's reporting on how much it costs to be first to market and strategy takeaways. Plus, how to win the Gen Z 2016 social trend.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Inside brands' long-form ad experimentation

~Watch long-form work from Maybelline, Gushers and Doritos

~Buy tickets for Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

After attending CES and NRF's Big Show, Ad Age News Editor E.J. Schultz and Senior Marketing Reporter Adrianne Pasquarelli decipher what industry leaders are saying on stages versus the anxieties they face as the CMO role continues to fundamentally change. From the increasing complexity of AI innovation to how agencies are struggling to differentiate innovation and consumers' hunger for simplicity, hear how 2026 predictions are actually taking shape.

Also, what Google's new agentic commerce framework means for brands and lessons on how to get the most out of TikTok Shop.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Top marketing takeaways from CES 2026

~Trending topics at NRF's Big Show 2026

~5 tips for selling on TikTok Shop

~Track 2026 Super Bowl ads

~Buy tickets for Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

On Ad Age Insider's first episode of 2026, reporters from across the Ad Age newsroom share the most and least surprising takes from their predictions reporting, and what it all means for the industry. From how changes in the media landscape might impact brands' agency rosters to how consumer crazes around protein and weight loss drugs will influence marketing trends and plenty of AI, hear how this year's trending topics will impact your work and the industry.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Media buying and strategy predictions

~100 creativity predictions

~2026 influencer marketing shifts

~AI marketing predictions for 2026

~100 ad leaders predict 2026 marketing trends

~Food and beverage marketing trends to watch

~The future of retail in 2026

~Enter Ad Age's 2026 Tech Power List

~Listen to the Ad Age Marketer's Brief

Senior Agency Reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse breaks down ad industry instability and why agencies are undergoing heavy waves of layoffs, including from the recent Omnicom acquisition of IPG. She provides guidance on what to do when impacted by agency layoffs, how to prepare for the sparse job market and when to consider alternative job paths.

Plus, the campaign Ad Age readers voted the best of 2025 versus creativity editor Tim Nudd's top picks from the year.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~What to know if you've been laid off

~The latest industry employment stats

~Listen: Why the Omnicom-IPG deal matters for all advertisers

~Agency layoff warning signs

~How agencies are changing their strategies for the AI era

~How AI is changing ad jobs

~Listen: the state of entry-level ad careers

Ad Age News Editor E.J. Schultz and Senior Marketing Reporter Adrianne Pasquarelli go behind the scenes of Ad Age's annual Marketer of the Year list. They share tips on how brands can increase their odds for next year's competition as well as a rundown of takeaways from this year's group of brands that might be useful for your 2026 marketing strategy.

Plus, a look inside the Kansas City Chiefs' play to become the top Christmas NFL team, with key strategy takeaways from CMO Lara Krug. And the latest on Warner Bros. Discovery's sale saga.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Garage Beer is Ad Age's 2025 Marketer of the Year

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

~Vote for 2025's biggest brand fail

~Vote for the best ad campaign of 2025

~Share your 2026 ad industry predictions with Ad Age