We track our steps. Our streaks. Our heart rate. Our recovery. Our readiness. Somewhere along the way, even going to sleep became something else we could apparently fail at. Hatch would like us to knock it off. The sleep company has teamed with Olivia Munn for “Life of Scores,” a new campaign that takes aim at wellness culture’s obsession with turning nearly every part of our lives into a number.

SuperBloom House has named Sean Daly Director of Growth and New Business, marking the Los Angeles-based creative company’s first full-time hire dedicated specifically to new business. In the newly created role, Daly will help expand SuperBloom’s relationships with startups and emerging brands while bringing together the company’s strategy, creative, entertainment, media and production capabilities. He will also help grow access to…

RJ Mitte, the actor best known for playing Walter White Jr. on AMC’s landmark drama Breaking Bad and a prominent advocate for disability representation, has died at 34. Mitte’s representatives confirmed his death Monday, saying he died in Brownsville, Texas. No official cause of death has been released, and local authorities said the investigation remains ongoing. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” his representatives said in a statement.

The fall box office continues to show some welcome signs of life. Universal’s supernatural horror film Other Mommy opened at No. 1 with $27.5 million, knocking last weekend’s champ Verity into second place and helping push the total domestic box office to $85.2 million for the weekend of October 9-11. That marks the fourth consecutive weekend in which 2026 has outperformed the comparable frame from 2025.

Novig is doubling down on its provocative Sydney Sweeney campaign, rolling out a second spot as the sports prediction platform reports a sharp increase in trading volume, app downloads and new users following the first wave of creative. The new ad, “No BS,” continues the stripped-down visual style introduced in September’s “Just Sports” spot, once again putting Sweeney front and center while pushing harder on Novig’s point of difference: unlike broader prediction platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, Novig focuses exclusively on sports.

Get ready for a broken internet. Megan Fox is taking control of her image, her audience, and her business. The Jennifer’s Body and Transformers star has launched an exclusive paid-content page on Subs.com, but there's a bigger twist. She's also becoming a co-owner of the platform, joining forces with OnlyFans co-founder Tim Stokely. The 40-year-old actress officially debuted her page on October 9, offering subscribers exclusive photos, videos, and posts they won't find on her traditional social media channels.

SPOILER ALERT: This review contains major spoilers for all eight episodes of Prime Video’s Carrie. When Prime Video announced another adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, my first reaction was probably the same as a lot of people’s: Why? Brian De Palma’s 1976 film is still iconic. Sissy Spacek’s Carrie White and Piper Laurie’s Margaret remain burned into pop culture.

Milk & Honey Films has signed Los Angeles-based director, photographer and writer Karsu Nalbantoglu for global commercial representation, adding a multidisciplinary filmmaker whose work blends documentary instinct with bold, carefully crafted visual storytelling. Nalbantoglu moves between commercial filmmaking, documentary, photography and narrative work, but curiosity about people remains a constant. Her approach combines spontaneous encounters and observational filmmaking with strong composition, color and constructed visual worlds without losing the humanity underneath them.

The road back to Gotham has hit another speed bump. Production on Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II has been temporarily paused while the filmmaker steps away to deal with a family matter, adding another complication to a sequel that has already endured several delays on its way to theaters. DC Studios confirmed the production stoppage this week, saying Reeves has the studio’s full support and that it expects to resume work on the film soon.

Prime Video is taking “home game” very literally. Ahead of the second season of NBA on Prime, the streamer has launched a new campaign featuring Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero and Tyrese Maxey turning an ordinary living room into a full-blown NBA court. Created by Prime Video and DLP and directed by Max Gutierrez…

Pandora is putting a little sparkle into spooky season, partnering with AMC’s FearFest for an original branded-content campaign built around vampires, friendship, and one very late-night jewelry run. Developed with AMC Global Media’s Content Room and Carat, the campaign stars Malia Pyles, who leads a coven of vampires into a Pandora store to find something that can symbolize their eternal friendship.

TBWA\Chiat\Day has named Lea Mastroberti U.S. CEO, bringing its American teams under one leader as the agency looks to connect talent and specialist capabilities more closely around client needs. Mastroberti will officially join the agency on October 19, reporting to Erin Riley, Global CEO of TBWA\Worldwide, and will be based in New York. The move is designed to make it easier for TBWA\Chiat\Day to assemble the right mix of talent and expertise across its U.S.

And just like that, September summers are gone, and fall has officially arrived. The temperatures are dropping. The leaves are changing. Football is everywhere. Pumpkin spice has once again infiltrated every available food group. And across America, perfectly normal front lawns have been overtaken by twelve-foot skeletons like this is something we all collectively agreed was reasonable. October is that magical time of year when horror movies become comfort viewing, adults spend alarming amounts of money figuring out what they’re going to be for Halloween, and brands suddenly discover they have a darker side.

Noom is leaning into Halloween with a darker chapter of its “Lose for Keeps” campaign, using haunted smart-home devices to address a question many GLP-1 users eventually face: what happens after the medication stops? The new PSA-style spot, “Weight Regain Doesn’t Care,” follows the campaign’s earlier work featuring Noom Chief Wellness Ambassador Rebel Wilson. While “Training Wheels” and “Mute Button” positioned GLP-1 medication as a way to jump-start weight loss while healthier habits are developed, the latest installment shifts the focus to maintaining results after someone discontinues medication.

Fred & Farid New York and AAA Club Alliance are teaming up again, this time taking on one of advertising’s most familiar categories: insurance. The new integrated campaign marks Fred & Farid New York’s first insurance work for AAA Club Alliance and expands the brand’s “The Start of Something Good” platform into home and auto coverage. Rather than leaning on mascots, exaggerated characters, or fear-based scenarios, the work focuses on life moments people are actually excited about — buying a first home, welcoming a baby, teaching a teenager to drive, and preparing for retirement.

Ryobi and McCann Birmingham are extending one of the year’s stranger brand campaigns into documentary territory. The pair have released the first trailer for Swifty for Mayor, a film chronicling the real-world campaign in which Swifty, a Ryobi spot cleaner, stood as an independent candidate in local elections in Staines, 17 miles west of London. The campaign, titled “Taking Care of Staines,” turned the usual political playbook on its head.

Emerging from the Shadows: Rediscovering the Legacies of Weinberg & Korngold, the music documentary directed by U.S.-German filmmaker Veronika Emily Pohl, has been named an Official Selection of the 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival. The film will screen Oct. 18 at 3:30 p.m. at The Triangle in Costa Mesa as part of this year’s festival program. Produced by Bernhard Fleischer Moving Images GmbH, …

Rethink has promoted Nicole Rajesky to Partner and Head of Strategy for New York, making her the first person to hold the role in the agency’s expanding New York office. Rajesky, previously Partner and Group Strategy Director, will report to Sean McDonald, Partner and Global Chief Strategy Officer. In the new role, she will lead the New York strategy department, oversee its continued growth and development, and work across clients including Kraft Heinz, WhatsApp, Meta, KAYAK and Netflix.

Sixty percent of Americans live in rural communities, those with a population of 50,000 or fewer. This data point, which can be found by digging into the US Census, is very important for our country. When you think about it, it explains a lot. Specifically in advertising, it’s a reminder that if we craft campaigns and ideas only in big cities, with people from only big cities, we risk producing output that doesn't connect with a broad enough audience.

Spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Lanterns. There’s a frustrating contradiction at the center of HBO’s Lanterns: I liked it. Quite a bit, actually. As an HBO prestige drama, Lanterns works. It’s atmospheric, well-acted, deliberately paced, and built around a genuinely compelling mystery. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are excellent together. The cinematography is handsome. Their performances have weight.

Tom Cruise may still be one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, but even star power couldn’t save Digger this weekend. Warner Bros.’ R-rated dark comedy opened to just $8 million domestically, landing in fifth place and delivering one of the weekend’s biggest disappointments. The film earned $20 million worldwide against a reported $125 million production budget, putting it on a difficult path toward profitability.

Spirit Halloween has spoken, and according to the seasonal retail giant, 2026 costumes will be driven by blockbuster fandoms, gaming, mythology, horror and the kind of internet-fueled chaos that turns into a meme before Halloween night is over. The company released its annual trend forecast this week, laying out the looks it expects to dominate stores, parties and social feeds this spooky season.

Ray-Ban Meta is giving ComplexCon attendees an early listen - and an early look. Meta is partnering with Complex to create an interactive Ray-Ban Meta listening lounge at ComplexCon in Los Angeles this weekend, offering fans the chance to experience the new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses before they officially hit shelves Oct. 13. The activation, running Oct. 3-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, centers on Grammy-winning artist…

Taylor Swift made an unexpected appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend, popping up during Dakota Johnson’s opening monologue for a quick joke about their friendship — and Johnson’s dating history. Johnson, hosting the Oct. 3 episode, joked about having friends who “don’t judge me for dating these men” before introducing someone she described as her “literal therapist.” Cue Swift.

One of advertising’s most influential creative partnerships is entering a new chapter. Rich Silverstein, the co-founder and co-chairman of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, will step away from day-to-day operations at the end of 2026 after 43 years at the San Francisco agency he built with Jeff Goodby. Silverstein will transition to Founder and Chairman Emeritus. Silverstein and Goodby founded GS&P in 1983 after meeting at Ogilvy & Mather in San Francisco.

Paul McCartney has shared a new detail from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding, revealing that Swift personally asked him to perform one of The Beatles’ most romantic songs during the July 3 ceremony at Madison Square Garden. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, McCartney said Swift chose I Want to Hold Your Hand” for him to perform at the wedding.

Kathleen Turner is taking Michael Douglas’ long-delayed admission about their romance in stride. Douglas reveals in his upcoming memoir, One Helluva Ride, that he and Turner became lovers while making the 1984 adventure-comedy Romancing the Stone in Mexico, ending decades of public denials about whether their famous onscreen chemistry ever became something more. Turner, now 72, responded briefly to…

Liquid Death and goodwipes are taking their unlikely bathroom collaboration into round two with a new video that treats flushable wipes like a luxury beauty product. The latest spot for the brands’ limited-edition sCREAM Soda wipes parodies the ultra-polished language of prestige skincare advertising, complete with slow-motion beauty shots, macro photography, water droplets, ingredient close-ups, and a perfectly serious voiceover detailing the product’s skin-friendly benefits.

Garage Beer is giving football season a Halloween twist with a new campaign that turns some of tailgating’s most recognizable characters into collectible monsters. Created in partnership with Kingsford, “Terrors of the Tailgate” leans into ’90s sports marketing and monster-card nostalgia, reimagining game-day rituals as a lineup of larger-than-life creatures. Leading the pack is Garage Beer co-owner Jason Kelce as the “King of the Tailgate.”

WPP has announced a major leadership transition at VML, with longtime Global CEO Jon Cook set to leave the company in March 2027 and Eric Campbell named as his successor. Cook, who also serves as CEO of WPP Creative, will remain in both roles through March to help manage the transition. He has spent roughly three decades helping build VML from a Kansas City digital agency into a global creative network operating across more than 55 markets.

Reese’s is turning neighborhood Halloween bragging rights into a national competition. The Hershey-owned brand has launched a search for the “Reese’s Trick-or-Treatiest Street in America,” recruiting Christina Ricci, Kathy Najimy and a trio of creators to help decide which block goes hardest for Halloween. The campaign is built around the idea that certain streets become destinations in their own right every October — the ones where nearly every house participates, decorations go over the top and trick-or-treating becomes more of an event than a quick candy run.

As Paramount and Warner Bros. move toward becoming part of the newly branded Skydance, one of the biggest questions hanging over DC Studios is what happens to Superman - and specifically David Corenswet. For now, the signals are increasingly positive. A new report from Jeff Sneider cites a source claiming that regardless of what happens to DC Studios following the Paramount-Warner Bros.

Well, who better to solve erectile dysfunction than sultry Megan Fox? The actress stars in a new campaign for Ro Sparks, the telehealth company’s prescription ED treatment that combines sildenafil and tadalafil, the active ingredients used in medications such as Viagra and Cialis. According to Ro, the treatment dissolves under the tongue for faster absorption, with the company saying it can begin working in about 15 minutes and last up to 36 hours.

Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery are preparing to come together under a new corporate identity: Skydance. The name will sit above the combined company once the proposed merger is completed, giving David Ellison’s media empire a single umbrella while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. to retain their individual studio identities. Ellison framed the move as an effort to preserve the equity of both brands rather than replace them.

The executive picture at the newly combined Paramount-Warner Bros. is coming into focus, and all signs point to current Paramount Motion Picture co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg taking control of the merged film operation. According to multiple sources cited by Deadline, Greenstein and Goldberg are expected to run the combined motion picture unit under the newly branded Skydance banner. That would likely leave current Warner Bros.

Zendaya is back with On, and this time the campaign drops her into a stylish, kung fu-inspired chase. The actor stars in a new action-driven film launching the second co-created Zendaya x On collection, designed with longtime collaborator Law Roach. Directed by Argentinian trio Pantera through SMUGGLER, the campaign borrows from the heightened movement, hand-to-hand combat and visual language of classic martial arts movies while keeping the focus squarely on the clothes.

Tidy Cats is treating bad litter like a criminal offense. The Purina brand has launched “Special Litter Unit,” a three-part social series starring Kumail Nanjiani as the lead agent of an elite team tasked with investigating cat owners’ most serious litter-box problems. Content creator Jordan Howlett joins him as the unit’s rookie officer. The campaign leans into the conventions of a crime procedural, turning familiar litter complaints - odor, weak clumps, and tracking - into repeat offenses pursued by the S.L.U.

Buffalo Wild Wings is leaning hard into Halloween with a new garlic-loaded menu built around one simple idea: if vampires hate garlic, B-Dubs might be the safest place in town. The chain has launched its Fright Feast Menu, a limited-time lineup centered on a new Black Garlic Glaze and supported by a digital spot starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, bringing a little Buffy-adjacent vampire-fighting credibility to the campaign.

Greencard Pictures has signed Los Angeles-based director and photographer Ben Pier for U.S. commercial still photography and directing projects, adding a filmmaker whose work blends spontaneity, youth culture, music, and cinematic storytelling. Pier’s style is rooted in real people and natural environments, with an emphasis on movement, energy and candid moments. Rather than defining youth culture by age, he approaches it as a state of mind and avoids work that feels overly staged or polished.

Polymarket is turning prediction markets into a full-blown sports spectacle with a new campaign led by LeBron James and a deep bench of celebrity talent. Created by Stagwell agency today on the moon and directed by Peter Berg, the campaign introduces Polymarket’s new “Squads” brand platform through a fictional Polymarket headquarters where sports, trading and entertainment collide. James serves as the central figure and narrator in the hero film, “Welcome to Polymarket HQ,” joined by an unusually stacked cast that includes…

For The Roots founder and executive producer Ariel León Isacovitch, producing has always been less about logistics than partnership - finding the people, places, and solutions that allow ambitious ideas to become real without sanding down what made them ambitious in the first place. That philosophy is showing up in two major milestones for The Roots: Isacovitch’s work as a producer on Werner Herzog’s…

Taylor Swift used one of the biggest moments of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards to honor one of music’s most enduring icons. After winning Video of the Year for The Fate of Ophelia, Swift dedicated the award to Dolly Parton, calling the late country legend “the ultimate showgirl.” “I want to thank and dedicate this award to one person without whom this wouldn’t be happening, and that person is the ultimate showgirl, Dolly Parton,” …

Nirvana received the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear accepting the honor and reflecting on the band’s lasting impact. Taking the stage Sunday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Novoselic said the reason Nirvana still connects with listeners is relatively simple. “Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity or something real, something uncompromising,” he said.

Madison Beer is the latest music star to make the jump into Fortnite. The singer has joined Epic Games’ ever-expanding roster of celebrity collaborations with a new in-game character skin, bringing her look and persona into one of gaming’s biggest entertainment platforms. The crossover continues Fortnite’s long-running strategy of blending gaming with music, fashion, film and celebrity culture. Over the years, the game has increasingly functioned as more than a battle royale, becoming a destination for virtual performances, branded experiences and character collaborations tied to major names across entertainment.

Nike is launching Caitlin Clark’s first signature shoe with a campaign built around one joke: apparently, nothing about her is special. Created by Wieden+Kennedy, “Nothing Special to See Here*” leans into Clark’s very ordinary habit of casually draining threes from absurd distances, treating one of basketball’s most recognizable players like she’s simply another Iowa kid going about her day.

More than four decades after one of the most notorious performances in MTV history, Madonna returned to the VMAs with a very different ending. The 68-year-old pop icon won Artist of the Year at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, beating a field that included Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Morgan Wallen…

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards belonged to two generations of pop royalty. Taylor Swift took home Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” while Madonna claimed Artist of the Year, capping a night when both artists dominated the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and reminded everyone how much of MTV’s visual history runs through them. Hosted by Snoop Dogg, Sunday night’s ceremony saw Swift win Video of the Year and Best Direction for “Opalite,” and become the first recipient of MTV’s new Artist Director Honor, recognizing her work behind the camera.

Seven and a half years after its original blockbuster run, Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame is back on top of the domestic box office. The special Endgame Encore re-release opened with $26 million domestically and $86 million worldwide, helping push the overall weekend box office to $124 million. That was 66% higher than the comparable weekend last year and marked the second straight weekend in which 2026 outpaced 2025.

Apparently, my daughter has become my unofficial cultural correspondent. When I told her that I was interviewing Mallory Gray from Skydeo about Grand Theft Auto VI, she sent me a meme: “We got Trump Arcade before GTA 6.” It was one of countless variations on a joke that has been circulating online for years: We got ___ before GTA 6.

Beats is turning customization into a casting gag for the launch of its new Beats 360 headphones, with Kendall Jenner playing seemingly every version of herself. Created by Uncommon Creative Studio and directed by Ariel Fisher through Magna Studios, the campaign runs under the line “One headphone. Every version of you.” The film places Jenner in a slightly surreal world where familiar faces keep turning into...