News

Unity Technologies has agreed to sell its advertising and monetization business, including Unity Ads and mediation platform, to AppLovin for $2.8 billion in cash. The transaction consolidates mobile gaming ad tech under AppLovin while allowing Unity to refocus on its core game development engine business.

Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission released new guidance clarifying how advertisers and ad tech companies can collect and use data in a cookie-less environment. The guidance addresses contextual targeting, first-party data usage, and cohort-based advertising approaches while emphasizing user consent requirements.

Dunkin’s Super Bowl spot rejected the night’s earnest tone in favor of a loud, nostalgia-soaked sitcom parody—prompting creatives to debate whether its maximalist celebrity overload was a smart swing or too much indulgence.

Perplexity AI announced the launch of its advertising platform, introducing sponsored follow-up questions and paid media placements within its AI-powered search interface. Initial brand partners include Indeed, Whole Foods, Universal McCann, and PMG, marking a significant entry of AI search engines into the advertising marketplace.

Australia's competition regulator filed legal action against Meta, alleging the company failed to prevent scam advertisements featuring fake celebrity endorsements from appearing on Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit seeks penalties and injunctions requiring Meta to implement stronger ad verification systems.

Reddit reported fourth-quarter revenue of $385 million, up 68% year-over-year, driven by significant improvements to its advertising platform and machine learning-based ad targeting. The company highlighted growth in its self-serve ad platform and expansion of advertiser demand across multiple verticals.

Havas Media Group unveiled Converged, an AI-powered media planning platform that integrates first-party data, market intelligence, and predictive analytics to optimize cross-channel media investments. The tool aims to streamline planning processes and improve ROI measurement across digital and traditional channels.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed new regulations that would require political advertisers to disclose when campaign ads contain AI-generated content, including synthetic voices, deepfakes, or algorithmically created imagery. The rules would apply to broadcast, cable, and satellite providers, with potential implications for digital platforms.

Microsoft zooms in on technical use cases for Copilot, but misses the opportunity to define its brand in more grounded terms.

Albertsons Companies announced its retail media network, Albertsons Media Collective, surpassed $1.5 billion in annual advertising revenue, representing 85% year-over-year growth. The company attributed success to expanded off-site advertising capabilities, enhanced measurement tools, and integration with major demand-side platforms.

Meta launched Advantage+ Creative, an AI-powered tool that automatically optimizes ad creative elements including images, video, text, and calls-to-action based on performance data. The platform uses machine learning to test variations and personalize creative for different audience segments at scale.

Yahoo announced the acquisition of Artifact, the AI-powered news aggregation app founded by Instagram co-founders, for an undisclosed sum. Yahoo plans to integrate Artifact's personalization technology into its content platforms and leverage the app's engagement data to enhance ad targeting capabilities.

The enterprise giant turned its Big Game spot into a $1 million puzzle, betting on participation.

Red Bull sticks to its signature playful animation style during the biggest ad event of the year.

Dentsu and Microsoft formed a strategic partnership to develop AI-powered media planning and optimization tools using Microsoft's Azure AI platform. The collaboration will integrate Microsoft's AI capabilities into Dentsu's media buying platforms across its global network.

Snap Inc. announced it will lay off approximately 500 employees, representing 10% of its workforce, with significant cuts to its advertising sales organization. The company is shifting focus to automated ad buying and AI-powered campaign tools.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority opened a formal investigation into Google's dominance in ad tech, examining whether the company's control of multiple parts of the ad tech stack harms competition. The probe could result in forced divestiture of Google's ad server or exchange.

Instacart announced expansion of its advertising platform to non-endemic brands like automotive and financial services, leveraging grocery shopping data for targeting. The company introduced new contextual targeting options based on basket composition and shopping occasions.

TikTok launched a privacy-preserving data clean room allowing advertisers to match their first-party data with TikTok's user data for measurement and targeting. The tool addresses privacy concerns while enabling more sophisticated campaign optimization.

GroupM released its latest advertising expenditure forecast predicting global ad spend will reach $1.1 trillion in 2025, with digital advertising accounting for 72% of total spend. Retail media is expected to grow 25% while traditional media continues to decline.

Pinterest introduced Performance+, an AI-powered campaign creation tool that automates ad creative, targeting, and budget optimization. The platform uses machine learning to analyze user intent signals and automatically adjust campaigns in real-time.

Walmart's advertising business, Walmart Connect, reached over $5 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the fastest-growing retail media networks. The company reported 30% year-over-year growth driven by expanded off-site advertising capabilities.

The European Commission unveiled draft legislation requiring platforms to provide users with detailed information about how their data is used for ad targeting. The proposal includes mandatory disclosures about data brokers and real-time bidding practices.

Publicis Groupe announced the acquisition of Influential, one of the largest influencer marketing platforms, for approximately $500 million. The deal strengthens Publicis's data-driven marketing capabilities and adds AI-powered influencer matching technology to its portfolio.