TODAY'S EDITION 04/27/2026

Latest

The Information

How owned media has evolved into a must-have strategy for brands

As paid media costs soar and audience attention fragments, brands increasingly rely on owned media to control their narrative and deepen customer relationships.

2026 Women Leading Change Awards shortlist is out

Meet the inspiring women and companies driving progress and redefining leadership across the region.

Bottle It Back turns AI’s vast water use into clean water support

A new initiative from TBWA\SMP Manila and Planet Water Foundation is turning AI prompts into water donations, spotlighting the environmental cost of chatbot use.

The Information

Hitachi selects agency for global campaign

Appointment was made through a competitive pitch process.

Netflix to double ads business, introduce vertical video and lose chairman

The streaming platform has been busy, teasing new ad offerings and introducing a big mobile app update.

After Labubu, China’s IP boom is facing its first real test

As Labubu's demand and resale show signs of cooling, here's a look at the next phase of scalable IPs and what separates lasting franchises from fleeting hype.

Creative Minds: The ECD with 11 cats, two dogs and no shortage of ideas

A funny Ericsson ad sparked Nutchanun Chiaphanumas’ path into advertising. Today, the We Are Social Thailand creative looks to people, stories and plenty of animals for ideas.

‘If the world only remembers we sponsored the World Cup, we've failed’: Lenovo’s FIFA play

Jeff Shafer, Lenovo's global exec, on why the tech major doesn't treat FIFA as a media buy. Yes, it’s invested in the most valuable brand real estate on Earth but being just another logo on the pitch would miss the point.

The Information

Holdcos aren't cutting jobs because of AI. They're cutting jobs because Wall Street told them to

Omnicom doubled its cost-synergy target overnight and its share price jumped 13%. WPP has already cut 7,000 roles. Ian Whittaker writes on the financial logic that is quietly tearing the agency industry apart, and why Publicis is the only one that can say no.

Stagwell backs The Trade Desk's addition of AI agents to media planning and buying

Network’s backing follows recent pushback from other holdcos.

Agency Performance Review 2026: We graded 22 agency networks

The grades are in for Campaign Asia's 23rd annual evaluation of APAC agency networks. Knowledge subscribers get early access.

The Work


Telstra turns up the volume on e-waste

In a world producing 7kg of e-waste per person, Telstra promises to give every second device a second life by 2030.

Watch


OPINIONS

3 marketing lessons from the Coachella 2026 post-mortem

Why ‘method branding’ and fan service defined the festival’s most-searched year yet.

Can culture be decoded, or does it have to be felt?

Publicis’ Rish Gopal has spent eight years in Japan watching brands get culture wrong. He says the problem isn’t data but a lack of patience, and that the long game is the only one that works.

If you want your campaign to go to market quickly, the best thing you can do is slow down

Rushing the brief doesn’t save time; it just moves it to the most expensive part of the process, says Pieter-Paul von Weiler, co-founder of BetterBriefs.

The Publicis-Microsoft partnership and the rise of a closed-loop economy

In a closed-loop economy, the stakes are higher and the margin for error thinner. Microsoft’s choice of Publicis challenges the idea that tech will make agencies obsolete.

Culture isn’t a campaign anymore and brands can’t just be guests

Audiences aren’t waiting to be told stories; they’re busy reshaping them. Brands now need to give them something to do, writes Virtue's Huiwen Tow.

The Information

Everyone needs partners in era of tech hyperscalers

Coming age of agentic AI is forcing more collaboration between “frenemies” across the advertising and tech ecosystem.

Nobody wants to unlock their potential, they want to feel better now

The lipstick effect is mainstream, and brands selling aspiration and transformation are missing the point, writes Ominicom Media's Daisy Huang.

Woolley Marketing: Why adland is trading magic for a faster milk cart

Allowing new AI technology to become the dominant consideration in choosing a partner means you value ‘more and faster’ over capability and performance.


loading...