There is a structural shift occurring in how creative and marketing teams work, and the line between “freelancer” and “staff” is blurring.
Amid this changing market, longtime freelancers and a recruiter shared their advice for those entering a turbulent space and what it takes to make it work.
After 20 years in this industry and more than a decade in executive leadership, Megan Malli thought she understood change. But stepping into the CEO seat at AnswerLab was different. This wasn’t about advising transformation; it was about owning it.
“AI slop" has sparked backlash among many consumers, but the current state of AI-generated content is more nuanced.
Not all of it is perceived as slop, and some of it may actually benefit the brands advertising next to it, according to a new study from OM Media Trials.
Jeff Green, CEO of The Trade Desk, bought about $148M of company stock March 2–4 at roughly $23–$25 a share, a rare open-market purchase.
A recent video of McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski looking uncomfortable tasting the new Big Arch sparked quick clapbacks from rivals.
Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer returned for Season 4 and led Nielsen’s Top 10 Overall Streaming chart for the week of Feb. 2 with 2 billion viewing minutes across 10 new episodes, which made up 81% of its watch time.
Advertising luminary Dame Annette King has died at 57, with her husband, Henry Stevens, sharing: “On Wednesday, we said goodbye to our Annette, my AK, Dame Annette. A deeply loved and loving wife, mother, friend, and peer to so many of you.”
Read more on her life and legacy 👉 https://bit.ly/4aSYf2q
Ford and Wieden+Kennedy NY have launched “Every Ground Is Our Proving Ground,” a “micro-docuseries” that will air on Apple TV, where Ford is the official sponsor of F1’s qualifying and practice rounds. https://bit.ly/4aUBuLr
DoorDash CMO Kofi Amoo-Gottfried will step down at the end of May after seven years with the company, saying in a LinkedIn post that he wants to spend more time with his kids before they leave for college and calling the move a “step into the great unknown.” https://bit.ly/4resWno
DoorDash chief marketer Kofi Amoo-Gottfried will step down in May after seven years in the role.
Amoo-Gottfried announced the decision in a LinkedIn post, expressing his desire to spend more time with his kids before they leave for college. https://bit.ly/4resWno
Beehiiv hired former Calendly growth exec Darren Chait as its first CMO to lead positioning, demand gen, and marketing ops as it expands beyond newsletters into the creator economy. https://bit.ly/4udxIEm
After more than a month, authorities are still pursuing all leads in the search for Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie’s mother.
The Super Bowl still matters, but the real impact is measured after the game through what it drives next. Celebrity can help, but authenticity wins, and live sports’ emotion creates a deeper audience connection.
Brands and agencies have plenty of AI creative tools, but little cohesion. Luma AI, founded in 2021, says its new end-to-end “creative agents” will unify and execute work across text, image, video and audio, building on its 3D, image and video models to become a core enterprise workflow tool.
Manifest in Chicago has hired agency vet Betsy Ross as chief client officer. https://bit.ly/46EZpMp
NBCUniversal is partnering with HyphaMetrics to license its UNIeVista Panel for next-gen, single-household measurement across every screen, with data from 5,000 homes expected by mid-2026—HyphaMetrics’ first new product in seven years after it was cleared in a Nielsen patent case last August.
EXCLUSIVE | WPP has named Nancy Hall CEO of WPP Media U.S. following a months-long search for a leader of the division helmed by WPP Media global CEO Brian Lesser. https://bit.ly/40bUD5n
comedian and television writer Alex Edelman; creator and fashion influencer TyLynn Nguyen; model, entrepreneur, and athlete Nick Arrington; and advocate, model, and director Bethann Hardison.
Photographed by Coliena Rentmeester, the campaign is fronted by a range of generations and disciplines, including actor Leslie Bibb; creator and fashion entrepreneur Nick Wooster;
The campaign articulates a “lifestyle-meets-heritage” mindset, offering a modern take on traditional fashion that crosses genders and generations. Suits can be his and hers. Classic is bold, not boring. Timeless style can be personal and adaptable.
Brooks Brothers is back with a sleek, preppy style and a new brand positioning titled “Make It Yours."
Breaking: X will suspend creators from its revenue-sharing program for failing to disclose when war videos are AI-generated. For @adweek.bsky.social: www.adweek.com/media/x-war-...
Netflix is bringing Amazon’s retail-style audience data to its ad inventory: starting in Q2 in the U.S., brands buying through Amazon DSP can target Netflix viewers using Amazon Audiences based on shopping and browsing signals, pushing the streamer further into performance advertising.
A+E Global Media is getting an early start on upfront season, returning a year after its rebrand with one of the first pitches via a virtual client presentation that spotlighted a new brand creative studio.
Using coding assistants like Anthropic’s Claude Code, teams are building bespoke applications that analyze how brands appear in AI-generated responses, track competitors and, in some cases, package those tools into products sold to clients.
ADWEEK's inaugural Commerce All-Stars recognizes the most innovative and successful executives shaping the future of the commerce and retail media ecosystem.
To submit a nominee, use the entry form below. The final deadline to submit is Friday, April 3, 2026 at 11:59pm PST.
Mr. Clean recently announced his "retirement," only to return after two weeks with a major product overhaul, including the biggest upgrade to the Magic Eraser in 20 years, a new shower and tub scrubber, and new scents for the multi-purpose cleaner lineup.
Streaming numbers are in for the week of January 26 and if you forgot, it was a VERY cold few days.
As you'd expect, streaming numbers skyrocketed with six titles surpassing a billion viewing minutes on Nielsen’s Top 10 Overall Streaming chart, including Netflix's Bridgerton.
EXCLUSIVE | Havas Media Network North America has appointed Sharona Sankar-King as chief data and product officer.
Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4smkOlI
