Amazon Ads is not only officially on the map; it is actively recreating the map of media, entertainment and advertising. That was the verdict this week at the Amazon Ads conference in Austin, Texas. Throughout the conference, Amazon flexed its muscles as a studio entertainment giant – something neither Google nor Meta could boast – and as a native element of the enterprise cloud infrastructure.

Politics are inherently controversial, and during an election season, viewers get fatigued and frustrated by the ceaseless parade of combative political ads. This causes some brands to halt brand product launches or reduce brand spending during contentious election years. It’s a potentially riskier time to advertise, says Karen Daboll, analyst of ad creative effectiveness at iSpot.

But what does the new research suggest?

As more TV viewers watch free streaming services with ads, their preference for lower-cost subscriptions with ads rather than ad-free streaming is growing. So finds Hub Entertainment Research in its latest analysis of the topic.

During Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial reelection run in 2022, his media team leaned heavily into streaming and online video advertising, directing $20 million of the overall $70 million budget into those channels. The strategy became a resounding success. DeSantis overwhelmingly won his reelection campaign, landing the largest margin of victory in a Florida gubernatorial election since 1982.

It’s always worth taking a look at your key partners to make sure that you are getting what you need from your relationships. Now, more than ever, you need partners that you can trust to work with you, to be invested in your success, and are willing to go beyond their stated scope to help you grow your business.

Dove just released a new campaign where it vows against the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its advertising. In line with its 20th anniversary, the beauty brand has launched "The Code," a two-minute short film that shows the detrimental effects AI can impose on one's self-image and perception of beauty.

The Walt Disney Co. telegraphed the degree to which it is committed to women’s sports earlier this year when it signed off on an eight-year, $920 million extension of its NCAA rights agreement. At the time the deal was finalized, NCAA president Charlie Baker said the women’s basketball tournament alone was worth $65 million per year, or around 57% of Disney’s total annual payment of $115 million.

Recently, I read an article about the “abandonment of comedy in advertising.” Whether it’s fear of offending or pushing to be more “purposeful,” humor is on a downward trend. This article got me thinking. Not only because I’m a supporter of laughter (we need it), but also two of my favorite ads we created in 2023 were humorous.

A couple of things are certain every election year: your favorite candidate will ignore the debate moderators, and your TV screen will be blitzed with more political ads than you thought possible. Are you ready for it?

I walked into the Apple Store the other day with a mission: to experience the Apple Vision Pro for myself. Of course, I’d heard a lot about it, this cutting-edge device with the potential to transform how we work, collaborate, connect, relive memories and yes, enjoy entertainment.

Netflix is following in the footsteps of other streamers and saying “Bonjour” to a retail media collaboration. The company is testing a partnership with French retailer Carrefour that includes some Netflix ad subscribers getting 10 percent off Carrefour products.

A new sports-focused streaming platform could anger pay-TV distributors and sports leagues.

Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox announced their new jointly owned venture Tuesday.

Here’s what industry execs really think about the new streamer.

Mark your calendar: On Jan. 29, Amazon will unleash what one top advertising executive calls a “tornado” that will “upend” the streaming video landscape. The company will flip a switch and turn on ads for all of its Prime Video viewers. Users will have the option to pay $3 a month to remove the ads, but as the executive quips: “Almost no one will do that, are you kidding me?”