In the nearly two years since Elon Musk bought the social media platform X, many major brands have opted to avoid showing their ads on the site altogether. Other advertisers are ending up on the platform without realizing it.

Two advertisers said they were surprised to learn that ads for their businesses were running on X after Marketing Brew saw the ads and reached out to them. The ads ended up on the platform thanks to a partnership between X and Google, announced last fall, that places some Google ads on X’s main feed.

They’re easy to spot—the ads don’t contain the typical Like and Repost options that appear below other posts and advertisements on the platform.

In the span of about 10 days, Marketing Brew saw these types of ads for several companies running within X’s For You feed. Users have said the ads on the platform formerly known as Twitter stick out like a sore thumb—and their placement has caused some confusion from advertisers who aren’t big on the platform.

“We haven’t logged into Twitter in years,” said Derek-Jon Flagge, the son of the owners of Old World Pizza Truck, a catering company based in Connecticut, which had ads show up on X in July. “I totally forgot we even had a Twitter.”

Opting out

Google’s ad tools bid and serve ads based on certain advertiser criteria across platforms, including on X. If advertisers don’t want to run on certain publishers, they have to opt out, according to Google spokesperson Michael Aciman.

“We share where ads appear in an advertiser’s campaign placement reports and we offer a number of ways for advertisers to adjust their preferences, including excluding websites or apps entirely,” Aciman said in an emailed statement.

Continue reading here.—RB

It’s not every day you get a peek behind the curtain of an iconic, global brand. But that day is *checks watch* today.

In monday.com’s on-demand webinar, Greg Hoffman—aka Nike’s former CMO—will share inspo, insights, and lessons from his 28-year tenure at the company.

But the good stuff doesn’t stop there. You can also access a custom (and free) monday.com workspace that was co-created alongside Hoffman.

With these powerhouse resources, you can expect to learn:

• how to fuel campaign creation with creativity (using Hoffman’s real-life learnings from Nike)
• how to foster a culture of operational excellence through effective teamwork
• how to strategize, execute, and iterate on marketing campaigns with Hoffman’s approach

Lace up your sneakers and get ready for a marathon of learning. Take a look at the webinar and the workspace.

Netflix is raking it in: The streamer saw a 166% jump in gross media ad spend in Q2, according to data compiled for Marketing Brew by Guideline, which measures ad agency media investment using data of both direct and third-party DSP revenue when applicable, from Standard Media Index.

Overall, digital video gross media ad spend grew 14% YoY, while linear TV gross media ad spend dropped 12% YoY.

The heightened investment in digital video comes amid continued efforts by streamers to court ad-supported subscribers through price hikes and password sharing crackdowns, as well as major subscriber and ad revenue bleed within linear TV.

You win some, you lose some: Disney+ closely followed Netflix in YoY gross media ad spend gains with a 140% boost, according to Guideline.

• TikTok grew 57%, while YouTube Select and YouTube TV online video ads grew 29%.
• Advertisers also spent 19% more on Amazon Ads and Fire TV OTT ads and 27% more on Amazon Ads and Fire TV online video ads.
• Peacock saw the smallest bump, at 16%.

Others didn’t fare so well: YouTube Select and YouTube TV OTT ads and Hulu ads dropped 2% and 5% respectively, and Roku saw the biggest decline of all, at 14%.

Continue reading here.—JS

Winning isn’t for everyone, Nike proclaims in its latest ad campaign—but Nike just won a gold medal.

The “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” campaign—voiced by Willem Dafoe and featuring Olympic gold medalists including LeBron James, Sophia Smith, and A’ja Wilson—topped USA Today’s first Olympics Ad Meter, a spinoff of its Super Bowl Ad Meter.

• Dick’s Sporting Goods and Volkswagen took the silver and bronze medals, which were decided by a panel of 10 USA Today editorial employees based on factors like creativity, storytelling, messaging, and production value.

Going for gold: “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” topped the podium because it’s “visually compelling” and “highlights Nike’s mission,” according to USA Today. The 90-second spot shows Olympians competing while Dafoe asks “Am I a bad person?” and lists traits that can be seen as negative while also being associated with elite athletes, like being “single-minded,” “deceptive,” and “obsessive.”

Despite winning the Olympics Ad Meter, the campaign has gotten mixed reviews, with some in the ad industry questioning its message.

“I thought it was a great ad,” Ad Meter editor Rick Suter said. “You have Willem Dafoe, who could voice-over a grocery list and I would be like, ‘That’s amazing.’ He’s got that charisma that can come through even in a voiceover, and just the way it was shot, the editing and everything, I think is really good.”

Continue reading here.—AM

Join us at the Marketing Brew Summit on September 12 and hear from Bri Reynolds, Lyft’s Social Media Manager! She’ll reveal how to elevate your social media strategy and engage audiences like a pro. Don’t miss this chance to boost your marketing insights and network with industry leaders.

Stories we’re jealous of.

• The New York Times wrote about the TikTok meme that added “demure” to everyone’s vocabulary.
• Business Insider wrote about how some people are increasingly skeptical of AI and what that means for marketers eager to talk about it.
• The Wall Street Journal wrote about the Starbucks CEO shakeup and why the brand brought on Chipotle’s chairman, CEO, and former CMO to steer the ship.