It’s TUESDAY ☀️
Instagram now lets creators drop short, text-only endorsements on sponsored ads, giving brands a new (yet subtle) way to highlight a trusted recommendation.
X’s AI-generated ads may not win brands back
X is doubling down on AI-driven advertising, rolling out two new ad automation tools alongside its Grok 3 AI model—but will brands care?
The new AI ad features:
Prefill with Grok – Enter a URL, and AI generates ad copy, imagery, and calls to action instantly.
Analyze campaign with Grok – Provides AI-powered performance insights to optimize campaigns on the fly.
What’s at stake:
🚀 Faster ad creation – Less manual work, more automated scaling.
📉 Winning back brands – X’s ad revenue dropped 28% in 2024, and big advertisers like Apple and Disney remain skeptical.
⚠️ Brand safety concerns – Many brands left over X’s content moderation policies. AI-generated ads won’t fix that.
Other platforms—Google, Meta, and TikTok—already offer similar AI-powered ad tools, but the real challenge for X isn’t automation. It’s convincing advertisers it’s a safe and effective place to spend their budgets.
Fact: Nailin' that creator-brand alignment is the secret to high-performing UGC and influencer partnerships
Problem: But how to find these perfectly matched creators?
Solution: Insense
You need Insense’s carefully vetted marketplace of 60,000+ UGC creators and micro-influencers in the USA and Canada and 20+ countries across Europe, APAC, and Latin America.
Dermatologists for your skincare brand? Watch collectors? LGBTQ+ creators? They’ve got it!
2,000+ eComm brands are using Insense to find their perfect niche creators and run diverse collaborations from product seeding to TikTok Shop and whitelisted ads.
Quip saw an 85% influencer activation rate with product seeding
Revolut partnered with 140+ creators, for 350+ UGC assets
Matys Health saw 12x increased reach through TikTok Spark Ads
The evolution of celebrity brand partnerships
The days of simple celebrity endorsements are fading. In a fragmented media landscape, brands are rethinking how they collaborate with stars, shifting from one-off deals to deeper, strategic partnerships.
Nike’s recent move to team up with Kim Kardashian on NikeSkims is a prime example. While she’s not an athlete, Kardashian has mastered modern brand-building, taking an “audience-first” approach to Skims, which hit a $4 billion valuation in 2023. Nike’s move signals a shift in influence—prioritizing cultural capital over traditional sports endorsements.
Marketers are also gravitating toward celebrities with their own successful brands. These figures bring built-in fan bases and business acumen, making them more attractive partners. But today’s consumers are savvy—random celebrity deals don’t cut it. Instead, partnerships need to feel authentic, with brands and talent aligning on values.
“There’s dramatically more use of celebrities today,” said Nick Miaritis, chief client officer at VaynerMedia. “It’s about cutting through a noisy market.”
From appointing A$AP Rocky as creative director at Ray-Ban to State Farm weaving itself into the Severance universe with Apple, brands are getting more creative with partnerships. And with 2025 already packed with celebrity-driven Super Bowl ads, expect even more brands to double down on culture-driven collaborations.
Barbie playbook → Superman moment?
Warner Bros. is taking a page from its Barbie marketing playbook to turn Superman into a cultural event. The strategy? A full-company push, leveraging every asset across Warner Bros. Discovery, just like it did with Barbie, which became its highest-grossing film ever at $1.44 billion.
This presents a major opportunity for brands looking to drive awareness at scale. The Barbie campaign proved that multi-channel, culture-driven marketing—spanning everything from Food Network integrations to retail collaborations—can turn a film into a movement. Superman looks poised to follow suit, and brands should be watching closely.
Key takeaways for brands:
✅ Go beyond traditional marketing – Barbie wasn’t just a movie; it was a moment. Brands from Crocs to Airbnb capitalized on its reach. Superman could create similar opportunities.
✅ Leverage every touchpoint – Warner Bros. Discovery is integrating Superman across its entire portfolio, showing the power of using all available channels.
✅ Turn IP into an experience – Whether it’s themed merchandise, activations, or partnerships, the best marketing campaigns don’t just sell a product; they immerse audiences in a world.
With Superman set to dominate summer 2025, brands that tap into the moment early—like they did with Barbie—could see massive returns.
Retail media networks are betting big on creators
Retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target are integrating creators into their retail media networks (RMNs) to capture more brand marketing dollars. With U.S. influencer marketing spend projected to hit $9.29 billion this year, RMNs see creators as a key growth driver.
How it works: Brands use retailers' first-party data to boost influencer posts, either through in-house creator networks (e.g., Walmart Creator) or influencer marketing agencies.
Beyond targeting: Advertisers are repurposing influencer content for CTV and other channels, while retailers are actively recruiting creators to drive engagement.
RMNs have nailed audience strategy—now they’re doubling down on creative, making creators a crucial part of their ad business expansion.
