You’ve heard of celebrity meet and greets. Welcome to the era of the creator meet and greet.

In the last year, creators across industries have taken it upon themselves to get out into the world and engage with their fandoms IRL, ranging from podcast tapings to book tours and run clubs.

“It feels like it has grown exponentially, the amount of creators wanting to put on these events,” Sophie Crowther, global talent partnerships director for creator agency Billion Dollar Boy, told us.

For creators, in-person events open up the opportunity to diversify and meet their audiences in a more controlled, less algorithmically dependent environment—and potentially create a new revenue stream. Attendees, meanwhile, get the opportunity to not only engage with their favorite creators, but also with fellow fans who share common interests.

As the internet grows more saturated and, at times, overwhelming, and as creators and fans alike seek offline interactions, marketers said creator-led IRL events may only continue to grow in popularity in 2026.

“The early pioneers in the market are very much seriously thinking about what this looks like in the next year,” John Hu, CEO and co-founder of creator platform Stan, told us.

Continue reading here.—KH

With less than a week to go until the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship, the ad sales team at Disney, which holds the exclusive media rights to the CFP, is “damn close” to selling out, according to Jim Minnich, SVP of revenue and yield management.

Even in a calendar period jam-packed with events like the Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the Super Bowl, demand and prices for college football are on the rise, Minnich told us late last week, a trend driven by multiyear partners, increased spend from returning advertisers, and new advertiser categories like AI.

“Brands are spending more because they’re seeing results,” Minnich told Marketing Brew. “There’s a different opportunity with college football than there is [for] other football properties.”

The CFP welcomed 40 new advertisers to its lineup this season, including two AI clients, OpenAI and Anthropic, Minnich said. Liberty Mutual and Zoom are also among the biggest new advertisers. There are several movie studios and media companies among the new cohort—such as A24, Peacock, Sony Pictures, and FX—as well as fast-food restaurants like Arby’s and KFC and tech companies like Meta and LinkedIn.

The CFP also has a number of long-term and returning advertisers, including AT&T, Mercedes-Benz, and Vrbo. Of those returning advertisers, more than half increased their spend this season compared to last, according to Disney Advertising.

Read more here.—AM

Each week, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Vanessa Chin is SVP of marketing at System1, a UK-based market research platform that measures creative effectiveness. She was previously marketing director and in-house studio lead at Aldi US, and she has also worked at agencies including Leo Burnett, Marc USA, and BBDO.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? One of the most powerful campaigns in recent years is Always’s “Like a Girl.” As both a woman and a mother to a four-year-old daughter, I deeply appreciate how Always leveraged its platform to challenge stereotypes and empower young girls. This campaign shed light on the real impact that dismissive phrases like “throwing like a girl” have on self-esteem during formative years.

Beyond Always, this ad has inspired a wave of similarly powerful messaging. In the past year, brands like e.l.f., Dove, and even the NFL have followed suit, addressing crucial topics such as women’s confidence and social bias in their advertising. Dove’s “These Legs” Super Bowl ad tackled the role puberty and societal stereotypes play in undermining young girls’ self-confidence. Nike’s “So Win” and the NFL’s Flag 50 campaign took center stage during last year’s Super Bowl, championing the same message through the lens of athletes and bringing women’s flag football to all 50 states. I was thrilled to see the NFL recently release their purpose spot called “Inspire Change,” continuing their social justice initiative from last year’s “Somebody.” While sports are just one avenue for these discussions, it’s inspiring to see brands using major cultural moments like the Super Bowl to drive awareness and spark conversations.

Continue reading here.

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Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• TikTok and FIFA inked a deal for TikTok to become the “preferred platform” of the 2026 World Cup, marking the debut of the designation.
• Google and Walmart are working together on integrating AI into retail experiences.
• Liquid Death and e.l.f. Cosmetics are collaborating again, this time on a line of lip balms.
• Almond Breeze’s latest campaign features the Jonas Brothers poking fun at AI slop.
• Pizza Hut tapped Tom Brady as its latest spokesperson.
• Every Man Jack, the personal-care brand, teamed up with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield for a one-year partnership.