The current cultural obsession with all things AI may have caused a boomerang effect—a true appreciation for something real.

Filmmakers Luke Barnett and Noam Kroll recognized it last month when they rolled out a spec ad for Pepsi. The spot, which they initially shared on X shortly after Coca-Cola released its second AI-generated holiday ad and was reshared this week after McDonald’s Netherlands unveiled its own controversial AI-generated holiday spot. It serves as a meta commentary on the questionable realism of commercials today: The camera slowly pushes in on Barnett, who wonders to someone on the other end of a phone call whether or not he’s real—before taking a sip of a very-real Pepsi. Over the course of 60 seconds, he says the word “real” six times, driving the point home.

“Because AI has dominated so much of the conversation in recent months, for better or worse, it’s definitely made audiences and industry people more excited about anything practical, anything real,” Barnett, whose spec has attracted more than 332,000 views on X, told Marketing Brew. “If anything, the rise in people trying out AI for commercials has just made people more excited for reality.”

While Barnett’s Pepsi ad is just a spec, brands like Apple and A24 are officially leaning into the idea of showing off what’s real, while other brands, like Polaroid and Heineken, are emphasizing the power of the real world and its real connections in their marketing materials.

However they can, marketers are finding ways to nod to the public’s desire for reality checks, which some experts say could help them stand out with consumers searching for authenticity.

“In an increasingly more digital, artificial world…humans are gravitating more to that human connection,” Eunice Shin, founder and CEO of brand consultancy The Elume Group, told Marketing Brew.

Continue reading here.—KM

Is Formula 1 fueling fandom for all kinds of motorsports in the US?

For MotoGP, the motorcycle racing series that’s primarily popular in European countries like Spain, Italy, and France, the appetite for racing stateside seems to extend to vehicles on two wheels. Fandom has been on the rise, up 37% in the US and 10% in the UK from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025, according to data from Nielsen, and MotoGP has been in the midst of an effort to further boost awareness in the US and UK, Kelly Brittain, MotoGP’s managing director of global marketing, told Marketing Brew.

As the series’ popularity has grown, it has experienced growth in attendance, TV viewership, and social engagement this year, Brittain added—but it’s not quite F1-level popular yet.

“The sport is having a bit of a moment,” Brittain told Marketing Brew. “I still think that there is obviously so much headroom, because awareness isn’t where we want it to be. We’re not part of those top-of-mind conversations when you talk about sport in a lot of our markets yet.”

In 2026, Brittain said her team will aim to continue building the cultural relevance of MotoGP in target countries through partnerships with influencers, other sports properties, and brands from categories that aren’t yet associated with motorcycle racing.

Read more here.—AM

Think AI-generated content is prevalent on social media? It could soon start popping up more on bigger screens.

Throughout 2025, a number of AI-powered ad platforms designed to help create CTV ads have hit the market. Some of those newer offerings include Comcast’s Universal Ads, which hit adland in January at CES, and the self-serve ad platform Mntn’s QuickFrame AI,which debuted last month. The offerings add to existing platforms like Waymark, a technology company that has for several years given local and regional advertisers with networks like Fox and Charter the ability to use AI tools to generate TV creative, and they are also geared toward small- and medium-sized businesses.

CTV ad spend continues to grow, and is expected to hit almost $46 billion by 2028, exceeding linear TV ad spend, according to eMarketer, and executives say they hope offering advertisers the ability to create AI-generated ads will help attract advertising dollars beyond the traditional big spenders.

“Connected TV is now the fastest-growing segment in all of advertising, and it’s not slowing down,” Mark Douglas, president and CEO at Mntn, said on the company’s Q3 earnings call last month. “Yet despite that growth, CTV remains undermonetized because most of the spend still comes from a small number of large brands.”

Read more here.—JS

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• NA Broad Market & Customer Activation Manager at Henkel
• Marketing Director at ARCO
• Marketing Director at Master Builders Solutions
• Vice President of Healthcare Communications at FleishmanHillard
• Senior Trade Marketing Manager, Tangle Teezer at BIC Corporation

Stories we’re jealous of.

• The New York Times wrote about the increase of AI-generated travel influencers from major travel brands and tourism boards.
• The Verge wrote about the rebranding of the term “smart glasses” now that tech companies are focused on AI.
• Glossy wrote about the success of Aritzia’s new mobile app, which has cleared 1 million downloads since debuting in late October.