TeaTalk: The Louis Vuitton Olympics

1. 🎥 Skydance and RedBird Capital Partners have succeeded in taking over Paramount Global — the home of Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, and many other brands — in an $8 billion deal.

2. 📺 TV heavyweights: Season 3 of Hulu’s The Bear was the biggest scripted TV debut for the streamer (5.4 billion views in four days), while the latest episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon hit a series-high viewership of 8.1 million viewers.

3. 🧙‍♀️ With Gladiator II and Wicked: Part 1 opening on November 22, Gladiator star Paul Mescal said it would be “amazing” if the two films could spark another “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. I’m already getting my tickets.

4. 💰 Investors poured a whopping $27.1 billion into AI startups last quarter, half of all startup investments in the US. AI, so hot right now.

5. 🏅 Louis Vuitton is going to be all over the Paris Olympics next month, making branded trays for the medals and designing uniforms for the medal-bearers.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity just ended, and I had a blast! Here are some highlights from the week:

• The transformative impact of AI was a huge theme, especially how it will play a role in the future of marketing.

• This year, there was a massive presence of creators (like myself) and a huge focus on influencer marketing. Grace Kao, head of business marketing at Spotify, summed up the vibe best: “For brands, creators represent a direct line into new and engaged audiences and a chance to ride the wave of our ever-evolving culture.”

• Sports are influencing the advertising industry more than ever. A huge takeaway for brands was the connection between sports and culture, primarily in women’s sports, and the untapped potential. 

Can’t wait to go again next year!