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The first wave of social media platforms—MySpace, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat—created the landscape we all now live, work, communicate and play in. But more and more platforms have been popping up in recent years, outpacing their more established competitors in relevance and challenging the nature of how we experience social media. Another platform quickly gaining speed is Whatnot, the community marketplace app geared toward fans and collectors. “I think the rise of Whatnot is a great example of how culture is reciprocal—Whatnot is basically eBay livestreamed,” said John Higgins, CEO and chief creative officer at OS Studios. He explains that apps like Whatnot were created for mainstream culture to gain access into niche culture—rather than platforms that simply allow niche culture to connect, like YouTube and Twitch. “To that end, I think we are going to see how social media starts to trend into other realms, like the metaverse,” Higgins said. “In a few years, it will be normal to metaphysically explore someone’s timeline via headset or smart device.”

Advertising Week and Warner Bros. Discovery are thrilled to reveal the women of this year’s Future is Female Awards judging panel. Our 23 hand-picked judges come from a colorful scape of experience and backgrounds and represent the core values of the Future is Female Program. The panel includes Sharon Napier, Executive Chair & Founder, Partners + Napier.

Marketing and ad agency Motive, a member of the Project Worldwide agency network, welcomes Lixaida Lorenzo as the new VP Group Creative Director out of Motive’s LA office. The new hire serves as a catalyst for the agency’s business growth, offering current and future clients new perspectives on creative solutions that are in tune with what is happening in culture while remaining true to their brand.

In just 77 days from idea to execution, Destination Canada and Praytell brought one of the Great White North’s most iconic cold-weather experiences—the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights—to New York City. The immersive experience gave visitors the perspective of walking through the northern lights, thanks to a floor-to-ceiling mirrored light display that incorporated interactive visuals to emulate the mesmerizing beauty of the northern lights. The limited-time exhibit also honored the deep connection between the northern lights and the Indigenous population of Canada through native storytelling and an audio partnership with Inuit throat singing group, Tarniriik. A targeted local ad buy, social media campaign and win-a-trip sweepstakes complimented the immersive experience so New Yorkers couldn’t miss it.

Darkhorse co-founder and executive creative director Liam Taylor joined the podcast Today FM to discuss all the creative work they're doing in Australia and New Zealand.

Zoe Watson, Australia lead and vice president of global strategy at Praytell, shares how companies can set themselves up for success when growing their businesses in new markets.

Project agencies Praytell and Wondersauce are quoted within the lifestyle outlet InsideHook. Digital strategists Nate Jaffee and Casey Null provide examples on how brands can get involved with Web 3.0 and where the platform is headed.

Partners + Napier, a leading integrated creative and media company, was awarded three Effies across three different categories at the 2022 North American Effie Awards event on June 14th. The Effies celebrate the most effective marketing work and are lauded as one of the industry’s highest honors.

The winding path to advertising: “I started as a NCAA basketball coach. Then I did quality assurance at a tech company. During these brief stints, I was always creating and developing my technical skill as an artist. When the time came for a pivot, I was ready to make the transition and run with it.”