📈Spectrum Reach's AI, Vogue's AI‐model, & Reddit’s AI ad boom

In today’s email:

Spectrum’s new AI powered, Architect platform, built on performance data from thousands of campaigns and first‑party viewing data, has gone full‑market after six months in pilot. It promises bespoke ad plans across TV, digital and streaming with real‑time optimisation. Marketers get automated frequency and budget suggestions tailored to local audience patterns. Local advertisers report better campaign clarity and ROI. The system refines itself continuously as more data flows in.

Why it matters: Media planners now have AI assistants rather than spreadsheets boosting agility and precision in cross‑channel campaigns.📰 TV Technology

Guess’s Vogue ad featuring an AI‑created model by Seraphinne Vallora has sparked controversy over ethics and inclusivity. The agency used real photo references and human input, but critics say AI displaces real creatives and reinforces narrow beauty standards. The limitations around size diversity and image ownership rights added fuel to the fire. Defenders argue this expands opportunity for models with digital twins.

Why it matters: Marketers must tread carefully with AI modelling. Diversity and transparency are no longer optional.📰 PC Gamer

Reddit sees Q3 revenue reaching $535–545 million, far above forecasts, thanks to its new AI‑enhanced ad features and global translation tools TechRadar . Daily active visitors climbed 21% in Q2 to 110m. Its AI ad formats, optimised for conversation styles, are resonating with advertisers. Engagement-driven growth shows AI can supercharge ad platforms outside Big Tech.

Why it matters: Reddit isn’t just a quirky forum - it’s a data-rich tech giant sitting on a goldmine of conversational intent. Its surge shows that AI-powered ad innovation isn't limited to Google or Meta. With smart deployment, platforms with unique user behaviour can outpace legacy players. 📰 TechRadar

Publicis has invested €600m already and plans another €300m in 2025 to snap up AI‑led marketing startups like Persado, Superscale.AI, Akkio, Prescient AI, and Cassandra Business Insider . The aim: faster integration of emotional messaging, predictive ROI, campaign planning agents, and mix modelling into their Core AI ecosystem.

Why it matters: Agencies are no longer just service providers, they’re becoming AI engineering firms.📰 Business Insider

Unilever is leveraging Nvidia’s Omniverse and Gen AI Content Studios to create influencer visuals at scale, notably boosting a Dove line campaign to 3.5 billion impressions and a 52% new customer increase. AI enables rapid generation of visual assets for multiple platforms. While human influencers still front the campaigns, Unilever hints AI‑generated influencers may come later.

Why it matters: Brands can now scale influencer content faster and cheaper, but authenticity will remain key. 📰 Business Insider

Advertisers, you might want to sit down for this… Google is now weaving ad placements into their AI‑generated search summaries, AI Overviews and AI Mode, fuelled by Gemini tech and Smart Bidding tools.

These summaries are powered by Gemini and appear prominently at the top of search results, often replacing the need to scroll or click further. The new ad placements aren’t sold separately; instead, they draw from existing campaigns running through Search, Performance Max, and Shopping. Google says advertisers can’t explicitly target the Overviews, but early data suggests they could become the most high-impact real estate on the SERP.

The changes follow the launch of “AI Mode” in Google Ads, a Gemini-powered interface that automates everything from keyword research to asset generation. Brands now provide inputs like URLs and product data, and Gemini spins out full campaign creatives -headlines, descriptions, images, and even video—faster than ever. Meanwhile, Google’s Veo and Imagen tools are being rolled out to advertisers who want to auto-generate short-form video ads optimised for YouTube and Shorts. Combined, it’s the most sweeping overhaul of Google Ads since Smart Bidding.

Search marketers are already raising concerns about visibility and attribution. AI Overviews are inherently zero-click experiences, meaning users get answers without needing to visit external websites. This challenges the old performance model where marketers could track conversions from click to sale. As generative AI reshapes how consumers interact with search, the path to purchase becomes blurrier, and so does the marketer’s ability to prove ROI.

Some see opportunity: AI-generated summaries could increase dwell time and position brands as helpful authorities. Others see a risk that Google becomes the destination, not the guide. Either way, the ground is shifting…and fast.

Our Takeaway: Google isn’t just changing the way ads are placed, it’s changing what a “search result” even means. For two decades, SEO and paid search relied on a clear exchange: user intent, followed by a click, then a measurable outcome. AI Overviews disrupt that model by placing the entire journey - question, answer, and ad - within a single frame. For marketers, that means fewer clicks but potentially deeper influence. It also means surrendering some control to Google’s black-box AI systems, which now decide not only where your ad shows up, but whether a user ever needs to visit your site. It’s a wake-up call: the rules of the game have changed, and your old KPIs may no longer apply. 📖 Read the more on Business Insider.

Stephan Pretorius, WPP’s CTO, dives into how generative AI is transforming agency workflows, creative production and campaign strategy. The video explores shifting industry structures and emerging AI roles. Why it matters: Offers insider insight into how agencies like WPP are rearchitecting around machine‑driven creativity. Watch it here.

DMEXCO is widely recognised as Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech trade fair, attracting marketers, agency decision‑makers, and adtech innovators. The two-day event spans digital content, performance marketing, social media, AI and targeting, affiliate and email marketing, and emerging VR/AR strategies. It's essential for marketing professionals looking to stay hands-on with the latest tools and trends, from campaign automation to programmatic and data-driven creative.

Three new roles we think are perfect if you’re ready to upgrade your title and your tech stack:

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