July 8, 2025
The recent Fourth of July holiday gave marketers a rare moment to unwind and reflect on a year that so far has been anything but short on incident. Tariffs and global conflict kept decision-makers on their toes for the first six months of 2025 while the continued push for innovation and agility, including around generative artificial intelligence, dominated gatherings like Cannes Lions. A need to keep pace with bleeding-edge tech and fast-shifting consumer habits comes as many CMOs are contending with stagnant budgets, analysts say.
Despite the familiar morass of uncertainty, brands found ways to break through. In this newsletter, Marketing Dive has curated a list of stories that examine the highs and lows of H1 2025, including a breakdown of the best campaigns and marketing activations, a look inside the minds of top marketers navigating the turbulence and data-driven analysis of the biggest industry trends. Understanding what worked in H1 could be key to unlocking the right strategy as H2 planning and execution get underway.
As always, thanks for reading.
Peter Adams
Senior Reporter, Marketing Dive
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H1 NEWS AND TRENDS
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Credit: State Farm
As marketers rushed to respond to new tariffs, outside-the-box brand refreshes, classic TV ads and other tactics helped set them apart.
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Already beleaguered CMOs are being forced to be more agile than ever in the face of a new round of challenges like trade wars and artificial intelligence.
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As CMOs struggle to plan for the future, digital video may provide hope.
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Nike’s first big game ad in 27 years and other purpose-driven spots won the night, while ads built on celebrities, humor and politics had an uneven showing.
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The fast emergence of disruptors like DeepSeek could cater to marketers’ desire for tech that produces concrete outcomes at lower costs.
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The decision to not move forward with an opt-out option arose out of an “evolution” of the industry and regulatory environments, said a Google official.
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Expectations are high that the two synergistic and growing channels can deliver on the promise of full-funnel, data-driven digital marketing.
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