Nearly a year ago, the marketing team at Max began working on plans to promote the second season of And Just Like That…,the spinoff of the popular HBO series Sex and the City.

And then they realized…there was an anniversary to celebrate first. The 25-year anniversary of the first episode of Sex and the City, to be exact.

“When we discovered that the anniversary was falling directly in the promotional window, we were like, truly, there’s no better opportunity,” Dana Flax, VP of HBO Max Originals marketing, told Marketing Brew. “We could celebrate everything that has meant so much to fans about the original series, and give them that sneak peek of the new season.”

The resulting campaign, which began rolling out this month ahead of today’s premiere of And Just Like That…’s second season, has included an extensive presence throughout New York, including a full-page ad in the New York Times, ads and voice-overs in the New York City subway system, and a recreation of the series’ most iconic locations and looks inside a SoHo pop-up.

Beyond the city limits, Flax spearheaded a full-scale digital and social campaign, out-of-home ads in malls across the country, and a linear TV presence, like a sponsored Sex and the City marathon on E!

Continue reading here.—KS

As AI technology advances, it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish AI-made assets from their human-made counterparts. See for yourself with Frontify’s Real or Not Real? Quiz, where you decide which brand assets are real…and which aren’t.

Spotting the difference between fake partnerships and real ones is tougher than you think. With AI so readily available (and with such high-quality results), balancing the creativity enabled by AI with the need for control over your brand is priority #1 for marketers exploring automation.

Frontify’s research found that brands (and, more importantly, CMOs) are open to experimenting with AI. A whopping 61% plan to invest in AI-enabled marketing this year, so it’s time to brush up on those AI ID’ing skills.

Test your AI radar.

Consumers are seeking more visible and meaningful representation of the LGBTQ+ community in advertisements, but advertisers are still falling short, according to a joint report from GLAAD and Kantar.

The report, which reviewed and scored more than 400 national linear TV ads that the top 10 global advertisers ran in 2022, found that LGBTQ+ people and stories received just 1.42% of total screen time. The total size of the US LGBTQ+ population, for comparison, is 7.2%, according to a recent Gallup poll.

“Our community is nearly invisible in mainstream advertising, with room to grow both in scale and in quality,” Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO, said in the report. Advertising should “accurately reflect the American people, who are strongly supportive of LGBTQ” rights, Ellis added.

The report also surveyed 1,000 adults on their perception of LGBTQ+ representation in ads. Keep reading here.—JS

Day three is done and my wrists are stacked like it’s the 2004 rubber-wristband craze all over again.

According to just about everyone I’ve spoken with, the craziness has peaked, and Thursday/Friday are when things start to wind down. People have transitioned from talking about when they got in to when they’re flying out. Or how events need more food. Please, no more canapés. We’re starving.

Yesterday I popped by Google Beach, which is surprisingly quiet this year and mostly closed to non-clients, where I caught up with Vidhya Srinivasan, VP and general manager of ads.

Panels yesterday ranged from Mr. Mike White Lotus himself talking about mental health, to Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, and Liz Gough, co-founder and COO of Puck, talking about influencer journalism and the business of media. Gough touted the value of a subscription business because of the reader data it provides, and said that has helped hesitant advertisers come around.

The talk of the town was Spotify’s second concert, headlined by the Foo Fighters. Attendance was high both inside and outside the venue. A$AP Rocky was scheduled to play first, but went second, probably much to the Gen Xers’ delight (though I’ll be honest, most of them seemed to make it out later than I did).

Rihanna was in the house, but I didn’t hang long enough to see her. Note to self: Bring orthopedic shoes next year. We also heard that Paris Hilton was DJing an SNL party at the same time. Sad I couldn’t see her a third time, but the week’s not over yet.—KH

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

You won’t believe: Research from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) found that advertisers are still spending billions on clickbait.

Q&A: A founder turned fractional CMO shares what she’s learned along the way.

Spread the word: Reddit has released a report on “how community recommendations drive collective influence.”

Unplanned expense? That’s where emergency funds come in—your secret weapon to proactive financial planning and avoiding debt.

You’re invited: Brave Search gets 20m+ queries per day—and now it’s ad supported. Reach untapped audiences and kick-start your SEM strategy. Launch your first campaign with Brave Search Ads today.*

Retail radar: In a market dominated by economic curveballs, retailers have to stay on top of consumer trends. Fortunately, Marigold surveyed 10k+ consumers to give you a clear picture of the future. Read the report.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}