What you need to know in advertising today
With both Facebook and Snap making AR ads an increasing priority, ad agencies have started cranking up their efforts to master the format and are scrambling to figure out where it fits in the digital advertising landscape.
Currently, agencies including BBDO, OMD, Wavemaker, Glow and Avatarlabs are trying everything from building dedicated AR teams, to conducting internal demos, to dedicated Slack channels focused on AR ad craft. Some are even hosting happy hours to get employees and clients better acquainted with AR concepts.
To read more about how agencies are trying to figure out AR ads, click here.
In other news:
Comcast bests Fox with a $34 billion offer in the ongoing bidding war for Sky. Comcast has bid £14.75 a share for the British broadcaster Sky.
YouTube's TV streaming service experienced a massive outage at the worst possible time - and customers were not happy. The outage happened at the worst possible time for World Cup fans: during the crucial semifinals game between England and Croatia.
Speaking of the World Cup, Fox is expected to lose money on this year's tournament, the Wall Street Journal reports. With the US not qualifying, ad executives say Fox hasn't been able to deliver the audiences it guaranteed for their deals, forcing it to offer make-goods as compensation.
John Schnatter has resigned as Papa John's chairman. The move came after a Forbes report revealed that he used a racial slur and violent imagery on a May conference call with marketing agency Laundry Service, after which Casey Wasserman, the owner of Laundry Service, terminated the agency's contract with Papa John's.
US Army will restrict its marketing efforts after an audit has found millions in wasteful spending, Adweek reports. While the US Army's agency McCann declined to comment, internal emails accuse it of overcharging.