The Subthread (Page 8)

Adland, It’s Time to Bring the Champagne Again

Marketing scientist Rory Dolan argues that in an AI-saturated industry, the real edge comes from standardizing the science, betting harder on creative bravery, and building internal cultures where taking a risk feels safe enough to lead to genuinely innovative work.

Creativity Marketing

Alex Zeevalkink

Jul 7, 2026 — 4 min read

Building Lore

The attention economy is fading. The next wave of brand building is about presence, mythology, and lore you can’t catch up on secondhand, writes Emma Runevad.

Marketing

Emma Runevad

Jul 6, 2026 — 3 min read

From Playground Kickabouts to Várzea Culture

Entertainment-led storytelling from Arsenal’s partnership with Dirt Is Good shows how sport seeps into culture, community and everyday ritual – taking a laundry brand from North London stadium lights to community pitches in Brazil.

Culture Sport

Rich Hewes

Jul 3, 2026 — 4 min read

AI Adoption is the Real Bottleneck, Not the Technology

Gong CMO Emily He thinks the AI industry has been telling the wrong story – fixated on job cuts and efficiency when the real opportunity is revenue growth.

Tech

Hannah Bowler

Jul 1, 2026 — 4 min read

The Partnership Game with Lynsey Woods, Senior Global Brand Marketing Director at Carlsberg

Lynsey Woods, global brand director at Carlsberg, has spent twelve years inside one of beer's most recognisable brands – and a career before that across FMCG, from healthy snacks to wine to Premier Foods. She's clear on what makes a partnership work, and what doesn't.

The Partnership Game Sport

Rich Hewes

Jul 1, 2026 — 1 min read

Time to Kill Portfolio Sprawl

Brand portfolios ballooned in a growth‑at‑all‑costs era. Now attention and budgets are tight, only the brands that truly earn their place should survive.

Brand Building

Claire Huxley

Jun 29, 2026 — 4 min read

No More Ivory Towers: The Creative Director Asking Brands to Actually Show Up for Fans

The Premier League’s only creative director doesn’t see himself as a sports marketer – and he thinks most clubs are stuck in an outdated idea of fandom.

Sport Culture

Rich Hewes

Jun 26, 2026 — 3 min read

Why Hasn't Anyone Built the AI Ad Machine?

Everyone’s predicting AI will automate advertising. But the companies best placed to prove it keep backing away. That gap, says Charles Swann, tells us something important about what this technology is really good for, and what it isn’t.

Tech

Charles Swann

Jun 25, 2026 — 4 min read