Crain Communications vs Marketing Dive

Agency Reviews Move Beyond CMO's Office

An opinion piece by Robyn Freye published on August 19, 2026, observes that agency-of-record (AOR) reviews are increasingly led by non-marketing stakeholders. The author notes that in recent pitches the person running the room was not the chief marketing officer, reflecting an expanding C-suite decision tree. The article frames this as a structural shift in who controls agency selection and review processes, with implications for how agencies interact with broader corporate stakeholders during pitches.

• Robyn Freye authored an opinion article titled 'The AOR review has left the CMO’s office'.
• The article was published on Ad Age on 2026-08-19.
• The author reports that in her last four pitches the person running the room was not the chief marketing officer.

What Gen Z Wants From Brands Amid Self-Management

An Ad Age opinion piece by Reid Litman argues that to remain relevant with Gen Z, brands should build ecosystems — experiences, communities, rituals and moments — that help this cohort manage constant self-management pressures. The article highlights Gen Z tensions such as financial anxiety, large shopping habits, and simultaneous AI adoption and distrust, and suggests brands should design offerings people genuinely want to join. The piece appears on Ad Age (Crain Communications) and was published on August 6, 2026.

• Article published on Ad Age on 2026-08-06.
• Author: Reid Litman.
• Argument: Brands should create ecosystems (experiences, communities, rituals, moments) that Gen Z wants to join.

TBWA Refreshes Global Visual Identity, Emphasizes Human Touch

TBWA unveiled a refreshed global visual identity on Aug. 4, 2026, centered on handcrafted designs and a stronger “human touch.” The rollout comes eight months after TBWA was named one of Omnicom’s three major networks following Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group. The article announcing the rebrand was written by Tim Nudd and published on Ad Age (Crain Communications) on Aug. 4, 2026. The change positions TBWA’s creative identity around artisanal visual elements rather than signaling any operational or organizational update beyond its earlier emergence within Omnicom’s network structure.

• TBWA unveiled a refreshed global visual identity on Aug. 4, 2026.
• The new identity is centered on handcrafted designs and emphasizes a human touch.
• The refresh follows TBWA emerging as one of Omnicom’s three major networks eight months earlier, after Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group.

ViralGains Wins Fierce AI Innovation Award for Programmatic Marketing

New press releases added to Marketing Dive's press release page, including ViralGains, FouAnalytics, MERGE, and more.

Gap launches fall denim campaign starring Inde Navarrette

Gap launched a fall campaign called “Denim on your own” that pairs actor Inde Navarrette with singer-songwriter Malcolm Todd. The spot, directed by Tanu Muiño with creative direction by Gap’s Calvin Leung, features Todd’s cover of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” and was rolled out across Gap’s digital and social channels, email, stores and out-of-home placements (including billboards in Times Square and on Sunset Boulevard). Paid media elements will run on major social/video platforms and via creator partnerships. The campaign highlights Gap’s continued focus on music-and-movement-driven marketing and follows recent celebrity collaborations that have helped revive Gen Z relevance and improved comparable sales.

• Gap launched a fall campaign titled “Denim on your own” starring Inde Navarrette and Malcolm Todd.
• Malcolm Todd recorded a cover of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” specifically for the campaign.
• The campaign rolled out across Gap’s digital and social channels, email, in-store, out-of-home (including Times Square and Sunset Boulevard billboards) and includes paid media and creator partnerships.

Express launches Y2K-inspired 'Too Easy' campaign

Express launched a fall marketing campaign titled "Too Easy to Look This Good," starring musician Tinashe and NFL player Tee Higgins. A 30-second hero video—directed by Colin Tilley, choreographed by JaQuel Knight and produced by London Alley—spotlights a Y2K-inspired denim-led collection and will run across streaming video, digital, social, print, in-store and online channels. The effort builds on Express’s "Dress to Express" brand platform (launched February 2025) and uses a social-first creator community called The Expressionists to extend the campaign. Chief Marketing Officer Joe Berean framed the push as part of the retailer’s brand-rebuilding strategy following its April 2024 Chapter 11 and subsequent acquisition by a Phoenix Retail joint venture.

• Express launched the fall campaign 'Too Easy to Look This Good' featuring Tinashe and Tee Higgins.
• A 30-second hero video was directed by Colin Tilley, choreographed by JaQuel Knight, and produced by London Alley.
• The campaign will run across streaming video, digital, social, print, in-store and online channels.