Sunday, 25 October 2026Made in Tāmaki Makaurau · 201 stories this week
What's happening in marketing, right now.
Marketing news from the trade press, campaigns checked against their sources, and short lessons. For marketing students and anyone who wants to stay in the loop.
Read the newsLive from the trade press
Mumbrella · Latest
Publisher's summary: Media agency Big Splash Media has expanded into out-of-home advertising through a partnership with the Port Authority of NSW. The initiative targets the growing audience at Sydney’s cruise terminals, which are expected to see nearly one million passengers in…
Muse by Clio·
Muse by Clio·
Awards
Muse by Clio·
Search Engine Journal·
SEO: search engine optimisation
Search & GEO
Muse by Clio·
AI & tech
Search Engine Journal·
GEO: generative engine optimisation
AI & tech · Search & GEO
Muse by Clio·
Muse by Clio·
This week by topic
GEO: generative engine optimisation
Tagged automatically from headlines, so counts are a guide.
Checked against sources
We only call a campaign a success when a source publishes results, awards or sales. Most new work hasn't got there yet, and we say so.
Food & restaurants
Domino's · Global (19 markets, led by the US)
According to details Domino's shared with Marketing Dive, the chain is launching a tie-up with the video game 'Minecraft Dungeons II' on 26 October across 19 global markets (timing and details vary by market), built around its new Detroit-style personal pizza, the Domino, whose rectangular shape the brand says fits Minecraft's block-based world. Domino's Rewards members who buy a Domino online can unlock an in-game avatar skin, a cape and a 'Cheesy Cube Pet' companion, described as the first co-branded partner pet in the game. The tie-in also includes six collectible packaging designs featuring game characters, a giveaway of 2,000 'Minecraft Dungeons II' game tokens a day from 26 October to 4 November for anyone who buys a Domino and submits proof of purchase on a microsite, a game-themed redesign of the Domino's Tracker 'soon', and content from creators Merrick Hanna, Daphne Le, JoshVFX and the Macfarlane Brothers, including a 15-second TV spot built around the Macfarlane Brothers' content.
No performance data published yet.
Our take
Read the breakdown →
Also new this week · straight from the trade press, not yet checked by us
Retail Dive·
Activations
Adweek·
Campaigns
Marketing Dive·
Campaigns
Mumbrella·
Activations
Adweek·
Campaigns
StopPress·
Campaigns · Media & ad tech · Awards
Campaign Brief·
Campaigns
B&T·
Campaigns
Patterns across the week's reporting
New technology in marketing
Amazon Ads
Announced at unBoxed: one AI interface for planning through measurement, and campaigns that combine sponsored, display, video and streaming TV while Amazon's AI decides execution.
Why it matters
Runway
An AI agent that makes ad variations, localises them, publishes human-approved versions to Meta, Google and TikTok, and feeds performance back into the next round.
Why it matters
Latest AI stories
Muse by Clio·
AI & tech
Search Engine Journal·
GEO: generative engine optimisation
AI & tech · Search & GEO
Retail Dive·
AI & tech
Search Engine Journal·
AI & tech · Search & GEO
Success with evidence
Recently announced winners from D&AD and the London International Awards (LIA). An award is public recognition by an industry jury. It isn't the same as commercial results.
| Work | Brand | Agency | Award | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your Way Out | Coinbase | Isle of Any | D&AD (Design and Art Direction) Black Pencil ×2 (Visual Effects; Production Design) | Creative Review · 25 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| The Periodic Fable | The Ordinary | Uncommon Creative Studio | D&AD Black Pencil (Art Direction) | Creative Review · 25 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| Three Words | AXA | Publicis Conseil | D&AD Black Pencil (Impact) | Creative Review · 25 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| Unsponsored | Levi Strauss & Co. | BETC Paris, AKQA | Grand LIA (London International Awards): Ambient & Activation | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| The Pub That Refused To Die | Heineken | LePub Milan | Grand LIA: Creative Strategy | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| Heinz Ketchup billboards (“Look Familiar?”) | Heinz | Rethink Toronto | Grand LIA: Billboard | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| Sosegá | Cervezas Alhambra | LLYC Madrid | Grand LIA: Music & Sound | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| Expensive Sh*t | Huggies | McCann New Zealand | LIA Gold: Ambient & Activation | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| Lump Lottery | Testicular Cancer NZ | Colenso BBDO | LIA Gold + Silver: Creative Strategy | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
| No Place to Grow | We Are Mobilise | Droga5 ANZ | LIA Silver: Ambient & Activation | Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026 ↗ |
Our own thinking · hypothetical
These are not real campaigns. They're our own ideas for how this week's mechanics could work for well-known brands, and the brands named aren't involved.
Idea for Spotify
A live-streamed, long-form game show where the most obsessive fans of one artist compete using their listening data.
Mechanic: Fans opt in with their stats; top listeners qualify; the artist hosts the final.
See the full plan →
Inspired by: KFC's superfan game show (Adweek)
Idea for Red Bull
A month-long skate/run/ride challenge where each suburb's tracked activity lights up live DOOH (digital out-of-home) boards, ending in a street event in the winning suburb.
Mechanic: App or Strava tracking → live DOOH leaderboard → finale event.
See the full plan →
Inspired by: Hoka's Strava-to-DOOH marathon build-up (Digiday)
Idea for IKEA
Players donate unused in-game furniture from home-building games; each donation unlocks a real-world contribution to a housing charity.
Mechanic: In-game donation → public tally → matched real donation.
See the full plan →
Inspired by: Kirkens Korshær's Secondhand Skins (Creative Review)
Got a brand in mind? Build an idea for it →
