Indie Bombshells, Empty Auctions, and a Stanchion Pad With Opinions
Indie Spin: The one with the Cannes villa takeover, ChatGPT’s wide-open ad auction, and a butter sommelier on the payroll.
A Glacier You Can Play, a Fish You Can Mourn, and a Museum of Everything Left in Ubers
Indie Spin: The one with the ice vinyl, the Lizzo jingle, and 23 awards in China.
They Say That Indies Can’t Help Brands Scale. That’s a Bunch of Horse Kicks
Conagra calls on Cornett for its in-house media reboot across Slim Jim, Banquet, Marie Callender’s and more iconic brands.
One Show Pencils, a Whisky With No Tasting Notes, and a Coalition Heading to Cannes
Indie Spin: The one with Rethink’s 29 Pencils, Willem Dafoe picking whisky on feeling alone, and Indie at Large launching with a stacked roster.
When Indie Agencies Sweep Awards Season, Then Send LEGOLAND Coaster Reactions to the Edge of Space
Indie Spin: The one with a Grand Clio for Grindr, Lionel Messi in six months, and a Jeep origin story.
Venus Has a Frequency, Heinz Has a Napkin Gag, and Boring Ads Have a $228 Billion Bill
Indie Spin: The one with a Madden mod that simulates concussions, an agency born from an organ-donor soccer campaign, and why your logo is not your brand.
Horse-Powered Travel Planners and Other Reasons the Indie World Doesn’t Do Boring
Indie Spin: The one with predictive creator math, a Kentucky Fried three-peat, and a zombie game announcement nobody saw coming.
37% of Consumers Now Start With AI, Not Google
Indie Spin: The one with search’s quiet revolution, beer made from rescued bread, and the performance enhancers Canadian athletes actually need.
Fan-Made Jingles and Other Reminders That Creativity Still Comes From Anywhere
Indie Spin: The one with brands learning to get out of the way, creatives proving their worth, and a treadmill that doubles as a lawn mower
Bacon-Scented Scratch Tickets and the Collective Search for Realness
Indie Spin: The one with anti-trends, scam-prevention pies, and why the commission model keeps getting called out.
Measurement That Moves the Needle (And Other Things That Shouldn’t Be This Hard)
Indie Spin: The one with conviction metrics, swicy culture, and the surprising ROI of treating different brands differently
How Bad Bunny Generated $713 Million with Zero Flashy Promos
Indie Spin: The one with community-first cultural strategy, AI agents that work like colleagues, and the economics of authentic connection.
The Toronto Report: A Big Week at Ad Age Small Agency
Ad Age’s Small Agency Conference wrapped up in Toronto with IAN members claiming 40% of all awards
When 8 Slices of Pizza Beat 8 Slices of Burger (And Other Indie Math That Adds Up)
Indie Spin: The one with Domino’s dismembering burgers, indies calling BS on sacred cows, and 400 million people learning about clean water
Receipts, Badges, and the 60% Reality
Indie Spin: The one with platform certifications, AI percentages, and very specific career advice
When Bad Bunny Wears Your Brand and Colonels Stop Smiling
Indie Spin: The one with serious chicken, fake crises, and lemur-safe AI