The 10 things in advertising you need to know today

pulse

March 17, 2017 9:57 AM

Google summoned to appear before the UK government, Adidas stopping TV advertising, and Google Home ads which aren't really ads.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Good morning. Here's everything you need to know in the world of advertising today.

1. Google has been summoned to appear before the UK government. The British government wants to know why taxpayer funded ads keep appearing next to extremist content on YouTube. The UK government has also pulled all its Google advertising.

2. The Guardian pulled all advertising from Google. The newspaper also found its ads for its membership scheme was appearing next to extremist content. Other brands that have suspended campaigns include Channel 4 and L'Oreal.

3. Adidas is going to stop advertising on TV. The CEO of the sports apparel company said he wants to grow ecommerce revenues and use digital channels to get there.

4. R/GA wants to take on management consultants. The creative agency is growing its consulting practice and taking a new approach to the job.

5. A potential successor to WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell said Google needs to fix online advertising. Founder of The&Partnership Johnny Hornby said the search giant should be given a deadline to fix ad fraud and brand safety issues, or else brands should club together to pull spend.

6. Google said the voice ads on Google Home aren't really ads. The company said a promotion of "Beauty and the Beast" was part of a "My Day" feature in the voice controlled speaker — and the movie studio didn't pay for it.

7. McDonald's said its Twitter was hacked before sending tweet about Trump. The tweet, which called Trump "disgusting" with "tiny hands," was retweeted over 600 times.

8. Snapchat is creating 30 "Our Stories" around March Madness, as part of a deal with Turner, Adweek reported. The stories – previously called Live Stories — are curated photos and videos as they are taken by users.

9. Skull Island appeared on Google Maps as part of a promotional stunt. To promote the movie "Kong: Skull Island," a listing was created for the fictional island, complete with photos and nearly 8,000 user reviews.

10. Vietnam wants companies to stop advertising on Facebook and YouTube. The country wants to stop the spread of "toxic" anti-government information on social media. The local operations of Unilever, Ford, and Yamaha have committed to suspend their YouTube ads.

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