The Ad Industry Has a Trust Problem... and It’s Getting Harder to Ignore

Sponsored by Tatari, this series brings together CMOs, agency leaders, strategists, and marketing scientists to explore how modern TV advertising actually works today.

Across these episodes, industry experts discuss how brands are navigating the shift from traditional linear TV to streaming and convergent TV, how agencies are rethinking video strategy, and why measurement, creativity, and media planning are evolving alongside new technology.

Topics covered in this series include:

Featuring leaders from companies including Tatari, LiftLab, Butler/Till, Pete & Gerry’s Organics, and Colle McVoy, these discussions offer a practical look at how TV advertising is being rebuilt for the streaming era.

Publicis is telling some clients to avoid The Trade Desk after an audit raised red flags around fees and transparency. In a leaked memo, the agency said a third-party review found the DSP applied its fees to additional services without clear approval and couldn’t provide enough detail to confirm that media and data costs were passed through without markup. Publicis said it escalated the issue to senior leadership but couldn’t resolve it, so it no longer recommends the platform. The Trade Desk pushed back, saying it didn’t fail the audit and that some of the requested data would have violated confidentiality agreements.

This comes after Dentsu and WPP also backed away from OpenPath, adding to a growing sense across the industry that things feel off and that Jeff Green might be starting to lose the room.

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Independent agency Butler/Till has wrapped one of the first real-world trials of agentic media buying, running a campaign for Geloso Beverage Group using AI agents. The results were hard to ignore. Supply chain costs dropped by 82%, impressions increased by 40%, and CPMs fell by 30%, all while maintaining strong quality metrics like a 98% video completion rate and low fraud levels.

The setup relied on AI agents to handle planning and execution, with humans stepping in at key checkpoints. It also dramatically reduced the time needed to launch a campaign. As agencies and platforms continue testing different approaches like AdCP and MCP, this early case shows that agentic buying can deliver real efficiency gains without sacrificing performance. At the same time, it raises bigger questions about how much of the current ad tech supply chain is actually needed going forward.

Read Digiday

YouTube has struck a deal with FIFA that will let broadcasters stream parts of World Cup matches directly on the platform, including the first 10 minutes of games and some full matches. The goal is to pull in younger viewers who spend more time on digital platforms, then guide them to traditional broadcasts. FIFA will also upload classic matches and memorable moments, opening up more of its archive to a global audience.

The partnership comes ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, where YouTube creators will get expanded behind-the-scenes access. Even if soccer has not always been a major focus for American audiences, this is a big moment, especially as the World Cup leans further into digital distribution and younger fans.

Read AP News

If you know me, you know I love ads. That’s a big reason we bought AdLand.tv. I don’t really watch the Oscars, but as an advertising enthusiast, this is the kind of stuff I pay attention to.

And honestly, the ad breaks delivered.

This year’s spots leaned heavily into storytelling and transformation. Coinbase played with the idea of breaking out of the system, Burger King poked fun at itself while handing control to customers, and Mazda went all in with a cinematic, multi-genre campaign. Disney Cruise Line brought the emotion with a generational story, while Panera and Credit One focused on everyday ambition and accessibility. Even L’Oréal got in on it with a pop culture moment tied to The Devil Wears Prada 2.

The Oscars might be Hollywood’s biggest night, but the ads held their own.

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For the third straight year, Marketecture Media is heading back to POSSIBLE, and we’re showing up bigger, louder, and more dialed in than ever.

We’re coming to capture the moments that matter by filming powerful conversations and creating the kind of content that keeps the industry talking long after the Miami sun sets. 

This year we’re recording high-impact interviews on site, hosting curated gatherings with the right people in the room, and yes, the AdTechGod event is back!

If you want to plug into the energy and partner with us at POSSIBLE, drop your info in the form in the comments.