“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
It has been almost 50 years since US astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. The anniversary of the moon landing gave brands an opportunity to celebrate mankind’s greatest achievement. Google’s Doodle was one of the best yet and Spotify took the opportunity to celebrate music’s place in space. The euphoria was only tempered by a recent study that found that kids would now rather be YouTubers than Astronauts.
Will you be using Pinterest’s new emotional health exercises and resources?

Binged out…Netflix is losing beloved shows, subscribers and confidence.

Amazon plans to talk it’s way into the automotive industry with it’s Alexa voice assistant.

Addicted to ‘likes’? Here’s how to quit: Instagram is trialing hiding likes in seven countries.


Another week, another massive data breach. This time for Equifax, slapped with a $700 million dollar fine!

Internet advertising is set to grow at 10%, which is the slowest rate since the dotcom bubble burst.

The Fall and Rise of VR and how it is now estimated to be worth a whooping $34.5 billion by 2023.

Insta- cravings! A recent Instagram report showcased that 39% of users spend time browsing food and drink.
Hello and welcome to your weekly FWD.
The era of handheld entertainment, communication, connection and everything in-between continues to grow. Whilst devices are pushing out traditional paper-based methods (the last physical Yellow Pages was delivered in London last week) the app industry is going from strength to strength. Fornite has just launched on Android for Samsung phones, whilst Facebook is building its own AR games to use over Messenger video chat.
As more and more attention turns to fake news and what falls between the lines of free speech and defamation, this week Twitter grapples with defining ‘dehumanising speech’ and what this means for the deletion of such tweets and accounts. InfoWars weighs in on the debate with more than a dozen of their tweets being red-flagged for violating Twitter’s rules. 280 characters can hold more than we thought – short but rarely sweet.
HEADLINES
INSIGHTS
COOL
DEEP READS
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Hello and welcome to your weekly FWD. Following the Cambridge Analytica fiasco, this week saw social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter reviewing their privacy standards with Facebook releasing a new and efficient way of removing connected apps from user’s accounts. For those of you who ever regret sending a Facebook message you will be pleased to know that Messenger is following in the footsteps of WhatsApp and will add an ‘unsend’ feature. OMD EMEA’s Head of Social Charles-Henry Ruyant comments on how brands should approach Facebook’s 2018 changes.
As mentioned last week, Spotify went public and this week made the headlines with a bullish initial valuation from the Spotify IPO, with some positive news for the tech company despite the challenging climate for tech companies.
HEADLINES
INSIGHTS
COOL
DEEP READS
As always, please share anything you find interesting using #OMDFWD
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of FWD. This week, Facebook unveiled new privacy tools that let you delete social network data for good through a new section called Access Your Information. Spotify went public on the stock exchange, however the company isn’t raising any money and Snapchat launched a major update to its local capabilities game with Radius Targeting, allowing advertisers to target Snap Ads and Filters around a specific location. This feature is coming soon to the UK. Lastly, Lego announced a brick sorting vacuum and Netflix acquired Seth Rogen in these April Fool’s stunts.
HEADLINES
INSIGHTS
COOL
DEEP READS
Another call for stories, we love it when you get involved! If you find anything interesting, please share using #OMDFWD.
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of FWD. This week, Facebook unveiled new privacy tools that let you delete social network data for good through a new section called Access Your Information. Spotify went public on the stock exchange, however the company isn’t raising any money and Snapchat launched a major update to its local capabilities game with Radius Targeting, allowing advertisers to target Snap Ads and Filters around a specific location. This feature is coming soon to the UK. Lastly, Lego announced a brick sorting vacuum and Netflix acquired Seth Rogen in these April Fool’s stunts.
HEADLINES
INSIGHTS
COOL
DEEP READS
Another call for stories, we love it when you get involved! If you find anything interesting, please share using #OMDFWD.
Hello and welcome to your weekly FWD.
“While my background is in tech, I have a deep-rooted belief in the power of creative ideas. This mix combined with start-up mentality, agility and entrepreneurialism, will unlock opportunities to deliver work that makes a difference for our clients.” – Guy Marks
Following the exciting announcement earlier this week that start-up founder Guy Marks will be taking the helm of OMD EMEA, this issue is dedicated to stories where tech and creativity meet…
Google opens new avenues in China through a long-term agreement with Tencent, Amazon has finally opened its checkout-free shop, and Spotify can now help you adopt a dog with the same music tastes as you!
One to watch: tackling one of the industry’s big mysteries, BuzzFeed’s Publisher Dao Nguyen gives a TED talk on the secret to making content that people love.
HEADLINES
INSIGHTS
COOL
- Are we about to see the launch of an ‘iTunes equivalent’ for VR music?
- Barking mad? You can now adopt a dog with the same music tastes as you
- This messaging app only works when you have less than 5% battery life, and you can only chat to strangers
DEEP READS
If you find anything interesting, please share using #OMDFWD
Hello and welcome to the first FWD of 2018!
As we say goodbye to 2017, we look at who ended the year on a high:
- AirBnB was the hottest ticket in town as 3 million people partied the night away in AirBnBs on New Year’s Eve (compared to just 1,400 eight years ago).
- WhatsApp set a new messaging record with 75 billion messages sent globally using the service on New Year’s Eve.
- Spotify started the new year with 70 million paying subscribers, as it files to become a public company.
However, it is also time to look forward to the year ahead as we hear predictions from experts from the ecommerce world, The BBC and The Guardian on what will be the biggest tech and media trends in 2018…
HEADLINES
- Spotify gains 10 million new paid members every 6 months and files to go public on the New York Stock Exchange
- On New Year Eve, three million people partied the night away in Airbnbs, compared to just 1,400 eight years ago and many of them were WhatsApping – a massive 75 billion messages globally were sent using the service
- Instagram is letting a select few users post directly to WhatsApp
INSIGHTS
COOL
DEEP READS
Please share anything of interest using #OMDFWD
Hello and welcome to your weekly FWD! This week, Spotify CMO Seth Farbman has revealed why its data-driven outdoor ads “2018 Goals” work so well. Our personal favourite:
Avoid the “medical professionals” who added these songs to operating room playlists:
– Stressed Out
– Can’t Feel My Face
– Stairway to Heaven
– Say You Won’t Let Go
But Spotify are not the only ones that are revolutionising OOH…Volvo has built a lightening-powered billboard! Spotify listeners, you can also find out how many minutes of music you’ve listened to this year here. #2017Wrapped
HEADLINES
INSIGHTS
- Data visualisation into how ideological networks create the political bubble we digitally live in
- A deeper insight into Spotify’s latest inspired use of data in marketing
- When was Android an independent? A timeline of all the company buyouts that Google/Alphabet have made
COOL
DEEP READS
If you see anything interesting in the next week, please share using #OMDFWD
Hello and welcome to your weekly FWD. This week we have seen many changes in the social media world. First up, Facebook is testing an Explore Feed that will push non-promoted posts out of your Newsfeed. Say hello to the ‘Jumanji’ VR experiences on Newsfeed, but prepare not to press ‘like’ after Facebook’s decision to put the Like button, and annoying Farmville invites, to sleep. Twitter is preparing for a “tweetstorm” feature, offering users to compose their stories with the click of one “Tweet All” button.
Hail Spotify as they bolster their ecommerce offering, allowing listeners to purchase makeup through the platform. A smart move with Black Friday just around the corner and estimates that 40% of Christmas sales will be purchased during the sales. Doritos and Xbox also partnered this week to re-create classic gaming levels in the physical world, a world where gaming influencers have to compete against each other. Shout out to our PepsiCo teams for this awesome campaign!
HEADLINES
- Facebook trials a second ‘explore’ newsfeed, aimed showcasing wider content that isn’t determined by historical preferences and friends’ posts. It’s pushing non-promoted posts further to the back as a result
- Introducing the Twitter Tweetstorm function
- Ever wanted to buy cosmetics via Spotify? Well, you can…
INSIGHTS
- Black Friday is anticipated to take an even bigger slice of the total consumer Christmas coffers
- The role of Google visibility and success in the Retail category
- Where did all those Farmville invitations go on social? An insight into how Facebook has phased out invites and likes
COOL
- Doritos and Xbox partner to re-create classic gaming levels in the physical world, a world where gaming influencers have to compete against each other
- For the upcoming Jumanji release, Facebook test its VR credentials in the newsfeed, for users to explore all manner of things
- Thanks to Boston Dynamics, robots are officially suppler and athletic than myself
DEEP READS
Please tag and share anything interesting you see with #OMDFWD
Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of OMD FWD. This week brands and tech companies have been challenging our social conscience, with Burger King releasing a powerful PSA tackling bullying and Will Ferrell starring in a campaign to show how much mobile phones are interrupting family time (probably because 81% of kids are busy Snapchatting at parties!). Facebook also announced it has purchased an app, TBH, which encourages teenagers to compliment each other.
HEADLINES
- The IAB created the digital ad ‘gold standard’ aimed to improve the quality of digital advertising, with major players such as Google, The Guardian and News UK pledging their commitment in an open letter
- Friends can now track your whereabouts in real time on WhatsApp
- Plenty of updates from Facebook, including their recent purchase of the app TBH which encourages teenagers to compliment each other, the launch of Explore Feed on desktop to help improve organic reach, self-destructing status updates and In-App Purchases for Instant Games
- Snapchat and NBC Universal are partnering together to deliver original content as they go up against the likes of Amazon and Netflix
INSIGHTS
- For those of you who like stats, Activate’s Michael Wolf presents a wealth of insights for tech and media
- The IAB reports that online video overtakes spends in banner advertising for the first time
- Thought Snapchat usage would be the same at a football game as a party? Think again, as the most popular places are revealed
COOL
- Burger King’s social experiment highlights the problem of teen bullying
- Funny man Will Ferrell shows just how much mobile phones are interrupting family time
- Spotify announces their new program Rise to promote new artists
DEEP READS
Please share anything of interest using #OMDFWD