Adweek October 11, 2021

gotta hand it to ’em

Advancements in technology often make the customer experience more convenient, such as buy online, pick up in store and the pay-by-palm technology Amazon One—which has just expanded to entertainment venues like Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. When consumers enroll in the program, Amazon captures images of their palms, including subcutaneous features like veins. These palm vein scans are arguably a superior biometric because they are bigger than fingerprints and more accurate than face or iris scans, which must be conducted from a distance. It’s not entirely clear what data Amazon can glean from these scans—medical conditions are possible, but the ecommerce giant is predictably mum on the subject. What is clearer is the potential for palm vein scans to replace our wallets entirely. While it is true a customer’s palm would be harder to…

creativity

The growing urgency around global warming will take center stage at the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference. In advance, a campaign involving 20 green organizations has begun calling for a ban on the advertising and promotion of fossil fuel brands through an EU law. “The advertising industry needs to stand on the right side of history,” said Georgia Whitaker of Greenpeace’s Fossil Free Revolution campaign. “Greenwashing is the new climate denial, and it’s delaying the climate action we so desperately need.”…

redefining wealth

A Fortune 500 executive or a high school teacher: Who would most likely be considered the successful one? If the definition of success relies on income or job title, the executive would easily win. But subjective concepts like success and even wealth aren’t strictly defined by money or status. To shift this narrative, Glenfiddich whisky and agency If-Then Company created the #Richest25 list honoring influential authors, creators, filmmakers and community builders. “We acknowledge Scotch whisky, as a category, has long perpetuated wealth as the primary status symbol, which is a cycle we intend on breaking,” said Michael Giardina of Glenfiddich.…

simone s. oliver

The New York Times’ Instagram account now has nearly 14 million followers, but 10 years ago it was little more than a glint in the eye of Simone S. Oliver, then a journalist at The Times’ Style section. Along with a cadre of other reporters, Oliver helped submit the 90-page innovation report that urged The Times to embrace the nascent photo-sharing platform. At the time, she had no way of knowing how big a role Instagram would play in her life. Oliver is part of a generation of journalists whose professional arc coincided with, and was in many ways shaped by, the digital transformation. But rather than build her career in reaction to the shifting technological landscape, Oliver used the entropy of the last decade as a ladder, combining her penchant for…

place your bets

Gambling has enjoyed a handsome makeover in recent years—and marketers have taken notice of it. In the three years since a Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal law prohibiting sports betting, sports publishers—including Barstool Sports, Sports Illustrated and Gannett—have inked multiyear partnerships with casino operators and sportsbooks. Brands and the media buyers that represent them have largely welcomed their new business partners, and brand safety concerns posed by the influx of gambling content have mostly melted away, multiple sources told Adweek. The legalization of the industry, combined with its ability to attract millions of fixated eyeballs, has warmed brands to advertising alongside editorial content laced with references to lines, odds and splits. “There is already a clear association between sports and sports betting in most instances, so it’s more a question of…

a hard sell on 5g

When the iPhone 12—Apple’s first device to offer 5G compatibility—hit markets last fall, it was heralded as a turning point for mainstream awareness of the next generation of wireless coverage. But the year since has seen little change in consumer enthusiasm for the new service, various polls and other data show. What’s more, this year, some reviews of the latest iPhone 13 mentioned 5G only to note its drain on battery life. The slower-than-expected adoption speaks to 5G’s current state in limbo. While major carriers have rolled out some form of 5G to most of the U.S. at this point, the service still remains a long way from the 10 to 100 times faster speeds experts promised. Meanwhile, carriers are still in search of major consumer use cases compelling enough to…