Weekly Report: Planters hires Mr. Peanut a fixer without a pitch, and why character-driven branding is back

Planters named Martin, the agency behind the Geico Gecko, its creative agency of record without running a formal review, betting on character-driven branding to sharpen Mr. Peanut's point of view. Plus, Callaway ended its Good Good Golf partnership after a controversial ad, exposing gaps in how brands vet creator-made content; The Trade Desk overhauled Kokai with more visibility into automated ad buying OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft and Google are marketing AI to two audiences at once, exposing a marketing dilemma; and new sunscreen brand Pasty Man is targeting men with a an elderly dancer's backside. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating agency hiring strategy, creator content oversight, ad tech transparency and AI trust building. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~Planters hires Martin to help Mr. Peanut win the protein wars ~Callaway controversy reveals gaps in how brands review creator ads ~The Trade Desk is overhauling its ad-buying platform—here's what marketers need to know ~Why AI CMOs have a problem that goes beyond advertising ~Pasty Man uses a 90-year-old butt to make its case for sunscreen