Welcome to The Refresh, your weekly download of what actually matters in advertising. Brought to you by Marketecture Media and written by AdTechGod. Every Thursday, we bring you the latest news, commentary, and memes that speak the truth about this industry. If it's happening in AdTech, media, or marketing and it’s interesting, it’ll be here.
Want faster updates and sharper takes on what’s happening in advertising, media, and AdTech? Follow me on LinkedIn for the latest news, insights, and commentary as it happens.
Google Pulls The Plug On Topics, PAAPI And Other Major Privacy Sandbox APIs (As The CMA Says ‘Cheerio’) (AdExchanger)
Omnicom Expects to Close IPG Takeover in November (Adweek)
Sam’s Club shows how in-store retail media should really work (The Drum)
Meta Withdraws From MRC Brand Safety Audits, Loses Accreditation Just Months After It Was Issued (Adweek)
Big creative agency changes at Yum Brands—Deutsch gets a smaller role with Taco Bell and VML wins Pizza Hut (Ad Age)
Warner Bros. Discovery officially hangs a ‘for sale’ sign around company (LA Times)
OpenAI launches AI browser Atlas in latest challenge to Google (Reuters)
Legacy Brands, Digital Futures: Brittany Scott on Brand Safety and AI in Advertising
Brittany shares her unique journey from working at major brands like Kellogg and SC Johnson to transitioning into the ad tech space at Meta and now Zefr. The conversation delves into the importance of brand safety and suitability in advertising, the impact of legacy brands on current strategies, and the challenges of navigating brand reputation in digital advertising.
Unlocking the Power of Live Events with Katie Johnson
Katie Johnson, Senior Programmatic Director at New Engen, discusses the impact of live events and programmatic advertising. She highlights the importance of live sports and events for brands, the role of data in targeting audiences, and how Freewheel is helping clients navigate the complexities of connected television.
Just a party sizzle
A massive thank you to our incredible sponsors who brought Madison Ave Returns to life: AdRoll, Affinity Answers, Basis, Bright Mountain, OpenX, Mod Op, and Perion. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Big shoutout to the agencies and brands who came ready to connect and celebrate: Barclays, Butler/Till, Capital One, dentsu, Digitas North America, EssenceMediacom, Estée Lauder, Havas, Initiative, M+C Saatchi Group, WPP Media, Mastercard, OMD, Omnicom, Pfizer, Publicis Groupe, PepsiCo, Publicis Sapient, Spark Foundry, T-Mobile, VaynerMedia, and so many more. You made the night unforgettable.
Thank you for a great evening!
❤️AdTechGod ®️
Examining The Trade Desk’s Response to Prebid’s Transaction ID Update
At the October 2025 Prebid Summit, The Trade Desk (TTD) unveiled OpenAds, a fork of Prebid’s open-source framework restoring a single transaction ID per impression. The system integrates with OpenPath for direct DSP-publisher connections and includes PubDesk, a free analytics tool offering publishers real-time auction insights. TTD positions OpenAds as a transparent, fraud-resistant alternative to Prebid’s new flexible ID model, which it says enables duplication and gaming.
This strengthens TTD’s influence over the open-internet supply chain but risks tension with sell-side partners. For publishers, OpenAds offers access to premium demand and better yield visibility; for SSPs, it’s a choice between adopting TTD’s transparency standards or risking exclusion. The launch marks the start of the industry’s “wrapper wars.”
I’m not gonna say “I told you so,” but I had the scoop two weeks ago! LinkedIn post as proof.
Ad Tech Leaders Launch Ad Context Protocol to Standardize AI Agent Communication
A coalition of ad tech and AI companies including Triton Digital, Yahoo!, PubMatic, Scope3, Optable, and Swivel has launched the Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) to create standards for how AI advertising agents communicate and transact across the supply chain.
The initiative aims to enable agentic systems to plan and execute ad campaigns through direct machine-to-machine negotiation while maintaining a “human in the loop.”
If you want to learn more about this, I highly suggest you join the AdTechGod Slack Community. There have been some active discussions. Join here.
MMA Global Rebrands as the Marketing + Media Alliance, Signaling a Broader Future Focus
MMA Global has rebranded as the Marketing + Media Alliance to reflect its broader focus on AI and data-driven marketing. The group, which includes major CMOs and media leaders like GM’s Norm de Greve, has conducted more than two dozen AI personalization experiments, achieving performance lifts up to 272%. Backed by a $20 million windfall from selling its stake in the POSSIBLE conferences, MMA aims to accelerate innovation and collaboration across marketing and media.
The rebrand solidifies its shift from mobile origins toward advancing modern marketing through AI experimentation and frameworks that double campaign impact. In short: changing times, changing focus.
The Trade Desk’s Ventura OS Aims to Free TV From Big Tech — But Where Is It Now?
The Trade Desk’s Ventura OS was meant to reshape connected TV with an open, ad-supported smart TV operating system free from Big Tech influence. Led by Matthew Henick, Ventura promised neutrality by avoiding content ownership and exclusive ad deals, appealing to hardware makers and publishers seeking control of their data and inventory.
Despite early momentum, including talks with DirecTV and several manufacturers, the project lost its initial hardware partner, Sonos, and has since gone quiet. With little public progress since early 2025, it’s fair to ask: Whatever happened to Ventura?
Marketecture Live: The Age of Outcomes
Less than 4 days left until our second Marketecture Live conference! We’d love to see you, but as of this moment, we are sold out. Let us know if you’d like to be added to the waitlist. Go here to check out the agenda.
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