BBC vs ITV

AI firms hire designers to train their own replacement

An opinion piece by brand designer Sophie O'Connor warns that AI companies are approaching creatives under the guise of paid freelance design briefs, but the real purpose is to harvest their expertise and design judgment to train AI models. O'Connor describes receiving LinkedIn messages and emails praising her taste, only to discover the 'big picture' paragraph mentioning that projects would help frontier AI systems understand aesthetics and creative quality. She criticizes the misleading nature of these approaches, noting that designers may not realize they are teaching AI to eventually replace them. O'Connor also mentions another AI company paying creatives to explain their design decisions, pricing based on how difficult the task is for AI to replicate. She calls for clearer disclosure and discussions about the ethical implications, highlighting concerns from fellow designers like Liz McCracken about the need for regulation.

• AI companies are approaching designers via LinkedIn and email with paid briefs, but the real purpose is to train AI models.
• Sophie O'Connor discovered that the work would help 'frontier AI systems better understand taste, aesthetics, usability, and creative quality.'
• Another AI company offers to pay creatives to submit existing work and walk through the brief, judgment calls, and iterations behind it.

Center Parcs CMO Prioritizes Customer Experience Over Paid Media

At The Drum Live, Center Parcs CMO Sarah Holt discussed her marketing philosophy, emphasizing that customer experience is more important than paid media. She stated that given an extra £10m, she would invest it in guest experience before advertising. Center Parcs spent nearly £150m on guest experience last financial year versus a £20m marketing budget. Holt highlighted the 'We build better worlds' purpose, driven by insights from guests and employees. She cited examples like adding Apple Pay to the app, which boosted revenue. She also discussed cultural relevance, referencing a past tone-deaf campaign at Merlin's London Dungeon and a successful sensory library initiative at Center Parcs. Holt stressed the importance of marketers being financially literate and building strong relationships with CFOs to prove marketing ROI.

• Center Parcs CMO Sarah Holt stated she would invest an extra £10m in guest experience before paid media.
• Center Parcs spent nearly £150m on guest experience last financial year.
• Center Parcs marketing budget is around £20m.

BBC Tops Social News; Netflix Short-Form; Meta IVT Peak

This week's charts from VideoWeek highlight key media trends. Ofcom's 'News Report 2026' shows BBC remains the most-seen UK news source across social media, with news influencer content rivaling traditional outlets on TikTok and Snapchat. Omdia data reveals older US viewers increasingly use phones while watching TV, with simultaneous media use rising significantly among 45-64 age groups. Ampere Analysis notes Netflix's short-form content share in its US TV catalogue grew from 8% to 13% following partnerships with publishers like Condé Nast and BuzzFeed. Lunio's 'Invalid Traffic Impact Report: Retail' identifies Meta as having the highest IVT peak across tracked platforms. Stock movements include Havas rising on share buybacks, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount reacting to merger settlement news, and PubMatic and Magnite jumping after Google's ad tech monopoly remedies were revealed.

• Ofcom's 'News Report 2026' finds BBC is the most-seen UK news source across major social media platforms.
• Omdia reports 73% of US adults aged 45-54 use phones while watching TV, up from 62% in 2023.
• Netflix's short-form content share in US TV catalogue rose from 8% to 13% after publisher partnerships.

GVTLabs launches AskGVT to make video content searchable

GVTLabs, founded by InfoSum's Nick Halstead, has emerged from stealth with AskGVT, an AI product that makes video content searchable. The tool allows users to query a creator's video feed and receive text-based answers along with relevant video clips. It differentiates itself by sourcing answers solely from the creator's own videos, preserving their voice and expertise. Creators can offer access to their AskPage via day, week, or monthly passes, control which videos are searchable, and use a Studio for content planning. Enterprise products include GVTLabs Studio, Roster, and Channels for media companies and rights holders to mine their archives for insights or campaign planning. The company has appointed Rhys McLachlan, formerly ITV's Director of Addressable Advertising, as Head of Media Partnerships.

• GVTLabs launched AskGVT, an AI product for searching video content.
• AskGVT allows users to query a creator's video feed and receive text answers with video clips.
• Creators can monetize access to their AskPage via day, week, or monthly passes.

RTL Ad Alliance Expands to Spain

RTL AdAlliance, the international sales house owned by RTL Group, has formally launched in Spain by opening its first office in the country. The expansion is part of its 'Total Video' strategy, offering advertisers a single access point to premium European video inventory from broadcasters such as RTL, ITV, M6, Rai, and France Télévisions. The new office, led by VP of International Sales Artur Kobryn and a dedicated team, will sell TV and online video inventory. To support its growth, RTL AdAlliance has formed a strategic alliance with local broadcaster Atresmedia Publicidad. This move aims to compete for international advertising budgets that might otherwise go to US tech giants, capitalizing on Spain's fast-growing digital video advertising market. The initiative is part of a broader European expansion strategy led by CEO Stéphane Coruble.

• RTL AdAlliance has opened its first Spanish office and formally launched in Spain.
• The company formed a strategic alliance with Atresmedia Publicidad to support its growth.
• The office will sell TV/video inventory for European broadcasters including RTL, ITV, M6, Rai, and France Télévisions.

Transaction in Own Shares

ITV announces a transaction in own shares dated 17/08/2026.