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Welcome to The Brief by Kuro House, where we cut through the noise to bring you the most compelling stories shaping the marketing and media landscape. Today, we’ve got everything from a high-stakes legal battle in TV measurement, to DoorDash’s surprising Super Bowl strategy, a bold Hollywood pivot from Gap, Budweiser’s mysterious Super Bowl tease, and a key hire at the intersection of AI and advertising. Let’s dive right in.
First up, a major verdict in the world of TV ad measurement. According to Adweek, a jury has found EDO—co-founded by actor Ed Norton—liable for breaching its contract with iSpot, awarding iSpot $18.3 million in damages. The case centered on allegations that EDO accessed iSpot’s TV advertising measurement platform under the guise of using it solely for film box office analysis. Instead, iSpot claimed, EDO scraped proprietary data from industries it wasn’t authorized to access, exploited iSpot’s dashboard and APIs, and used that information to build a rival TV advertising analytics platform. This new platform launched in 2020, after EDO’s contract with iSpot expired. The jury agreed that EDO breached its contract but rejected iSpot’s claims of trade secret misappropriation, determining the data didn’t qualify as a trade secret. EDO, for its part, called the lawsuit a “desperate attempt” by iSpot to slow down a smaller, more innovative competitor and plans to appeal. There’s more drama in the background, too: EDO previously countersued iSpot, alleging interference with an $80 million investment deal. That case is currently on hold. This verdict highlights just how high the stakes are in the race for accurate TV ad measurement—and how fiercely companies will protect their data assets.
Turning to the Super Bowl, DoorDash is making headlines by sitting out this year’s broadcast, as reported by Adweek. DoorDash has been a regular presence at the Super Bowl, advertising four times in recent years—including last year’s Cannes Lions-winning campaign that gave away products from every brand advertising during the game. But this year, DoorDash is shifting its focus. Gina Igwe, the company’s VP and head of consumer marketing, told Adweek that instead of a pricey TV spot, DoorDash will run a social campaign around the game. The rationale? They want to meet fans where the real-time conversation is happening: on social media, the “second screen.” DoorDash is betting that engagement on platforms like Twitter and Instagram will have more impact than a traditional 30-second TV spot. It’s a notable move, especially since competitors UberEats and Instacart are sticking with Super Bowl ads this year. DoorDash’s decision signals a broader trend: brands are increasingly weighing the cultural value of TV against the immediacy and interactivity of social media.
In a bold move blending retail and entertainment, Gap has announced the hiring of its first-ever Chief Entertainment Officer, Pam Kaufman, as detailed by Adweek. Kaufman, a former Paramount executive, will lead Gap’s new “Fashiontainment” platform, overseeing content and licensing across music, TV, film, sports, gaming, and more. She’ll split her time between LA, New York, and San Francisco, and Gap is even opening an office on Sunset Boulevard this spring. This hire is part of a larger turnaround at Gap, spearheaded by CEO Richard Dickson, who joined in 2023. Under Dickson, Gap has revitalized its iconic dance ads and partnered with celebrities to capture new audiences. Kaufman’s background—spanning media, gaming, hospitality, and retail—positions her to bridge the worlds of fashion and entertainment. Gap’s move follows similar efforts by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Under Armour to create in-house entertainment studios, reflecting a growing belief that the future of brand relevance lies in original content and cultural storytelling, not just traditional ads.
Speaking of iconic brands, Budweiser is back in the Super Bowl spotlight with its 48th national spot—and a mysterious twist. Adweek reports that Budweiser’s teaser, titled “Stable,” features five of its legendary Clydesdale horses in a St. Louis barn, startled by an overturned bucket being pushed by an unseen creature. The spot ends with the cryptic message “Heads Will Turn,” leaving fans guessing until Super Bowl Sunday. This ad is part of Budweiser’s 150th anniversary “Made of America” campaign and coincides with the release of a Heritage Can Series celebrating the brand’s history. Budweiser is known for tugging at heartstrings with its Super Bowl ads—think the 2013 “Brotherhood” spot featuring a foal named Hope, or the 2014 “Puppy Love” with a golden retriever. The brand’s Clydesdales are a staple, but the addition of a “mysterious new friend” has fans and marketers alike buzzing. Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser’s parent company, will also run national ads for Bud Light and Michelob Ultra, cementing its status as a Super Bowl advertising heavyweight.
Finally, there’s a significant development at the intersection of AI and advertising. As reported exclusively by Adweek, Higgsfield, an AI video startup, has hired former Perplexity ad executive Taz Patel as vice president of platform partnerships. Patel’s mandate is to deepen relationships with agencies and brands, moving beyond Higgsfield’s current self-serve business model. With agencies and marketers increasingly experimenting with AI-generated video—often quietly and without established processes—Higgsfield is betting that the next wave of growth will come from building structure and standards around synthetic media. Patel will report directly to CEO Alex Mashrabov and is tasked with making Higgsfield’s AI video tools a go-to resource for enterprise clients. This move underscores how quickly AI is reshaping the creative and media buying landscape, and how startups are racing to become indispensable partners to brands navigating this new terrain.
That’s all for today’s Brief. Whether it’s legal battles over data, bold marketing pivots, or the evolving role of entertainment and AI in branding, these stories remind us that the marketing world never stands still. Thanks for tuning in—stay sharp, stay curious, and we’ll catch you tomorrow with more insights from the frontlines of marketing.
