Hey everyone, this is Sabrina Sanchez, creative editor at Campaign US, popping in virtually and IRL to Newfronts presentations as media companies make their annual sales pitches to advertisers looking for the next frontier. If you see me, say hi! I don’t bite. But first… 

In this week’s edition: 

• Newfronts 2023: Diverse media owners lean into FAST networks and tout loyal audiences
• Tubi unveils satirical short films about advertisers ahead of upfronts
• U.S. agency billings soar as Samsung and Boehringer Ingelheim change hands
• Clarks will showcase Afrobeats talent in a metaverse concert 

Editor's pick

Just briefly: Ad campaigns usually target the everyday consumer, but in its latest upfront campaign, Tubi is reaching out directly to advertisers to prove the point that they are consumers, too. 

Behind the scenes: The streaming platform tapped its AOR Mischief @ No Fixed Address to create a series of satirical, five-minute films, spanning romance, true crime and mystery and appealing to themes familiar to all advertisers. Each video takes a humorous, entertainment-led approach to topics such as understanding Gen Z, accidentally distributing the wrong assets or serving ads to a specific target audience. 

The campaign comes as the Fox-owned video-on-demand service attempts to boost its visibility ahead of the upfronts, where Tubi will face off against TV behemoths to secure ad dollars for the year ahead. 

The message: The campaign takes a fun and lighthearted approach by turning the mirror back on advertisers to remind them what creativity is all about — entertaining the viewer. 

Hot topic

As generative AI becomes more sophisticated and prevalent, creatives, artists, journalists and other creative professionals are getting spooked. This week, Axios and the New York Times reported that AI has emerged as a key issue among screenwriters negotiating contracts with Hollywood producers. Negotiations led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) started with conditions that aim to limit the use of AI-generated dialogues or scenes. However, other concerns soon came to light, such as AI capabilities threatening actors who make a living dubbing movies into other languages, recording audiobooks or designing costumes. While the issue has arisen in the context of Hollywood studios, the concerns beg the question: What are the implications of widespread AI usage for agency and marketing copywriters? Email us your thoughts and we may include them in the next newsletter!

Ad Nut

What we're reading

• DoorDash proves McDonald’s food is iconic — even in motion (Marketing Dive)

• How smart is ChatGPT? (Visual Capitalist) 

• Brew Dog: Why fetch pet insurance is getting into the beer business (Adweek)

• 4 things for PR pros to know about Bluesky (Campaign US)

Campaigns we love

• The world’s top athletes all have one thing in common: greatness. Gatorade likes to think it's behind that. That’s the argument it makes in a campaign, created with BBDO Argentina, that uses real images of athletes in action sticking out Gatorade-dyed tongues to show that the drink is integral in historic moments of sporting greatness. The campaign launched on Instagram and in print media in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. See one of the images here.

• The Ad Council has released a PSA and original song featuring Elmo and other Sesame Street characters for Mental Health Awareness Month. As part of the Sound It Out campaign, Me and My Grown-Up features Sesame Street street characters singing about the important role adults play in supporting the emotional well being of children. The film encourages parents, caregivers and providers to visit Sesame.org/MentalHealth to access new bilingual resources and tools to nurture these relationships. Watch the film here.

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