Tokyo, travel, and TikTok – oh, my. Catch up on the latest marketing and advertising news of the week in our Weekly Must Reads.  

NBC Set to Break Advertising Records During Tokyo Olympics 

Delaying the Tokyo Olympics for a year hasn’t stopped advertisers from flocking to NBCU to claim their spots. The network recently announced that it expects to exceed the record-high $1.2 billion in advertising spent during the 2016 Rio Olympics. According to Molly Solomon, the NBCU Olympics executive producer, the Tokyo Games could. Be “the most meaningful Olympics of our lifetime.”  

NBCU plans to broadcast more than 7,000 hours of Olympic coverage across various platforms, including its. Cable outlets and streaming service Peacock. Though they have the largest advertiser lineup in history, the network still has few more ad spots left to fill. We likely won’t hear exactly how much advertising the company sold until the Games conclude in early August. Catch up on the latest Olympics updates here:  https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/tokyo-olympics-coronavirus-nbc-1235003452/ 

Google Delays the Death of the Cookie 

Google Chrome is delaying their cookie execution – for now. Originally, Google planned to phase out cookies from their platform by 2022. However, after hearing concerns regarding their alternative ad technology, Privacy Sandbox, the tech giant decided to delay until 2023.  The new timeline will give Google more than a year to continue perfecting the technology needed for marketers to adhere to these new privacy standards. 

The goal of Privacy Sandbox is to provide marketers with tools to continue targeted ads while also protecting users’ personal information. In the coming months, advertisers can expect to see a more detailed timeline for the cookie phase-out at privacysandbox.com. Find out more details here: https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/google-grants-a-stay-of-execution-in-the-death-of-the-cookie/ 

Marriott’s Huge Campaign Shows Travel is Rebounding 

Pandemic, be damned. With travel demand starting to pick back up in many countries, Marriott launched its largest global campaign ever last week. “The Power of Travel” emphasizes the ways travel connects us and shapes our world, showing us people engaging with new experiences in Marriott locations across the globe. In addition to traditional commercials, Marriott’s campaign will also include collaborations with Pinterest, TikTok, Hulu and HBO Max. 

Marriott is one of many hotel brands reinvesting in advertising after one of the most challenging years for the hospitality industry. According to research from MediaRadar, hotel advertising is up 94 percent over the same time period last year. Ad spend will likely continue to increase over the summer. Check out the first video and more details about the campaign here:  https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/marriott-debuts-biggest-global-campaign-yet-travel-rebounds/2345416 

Attn: A New Studio Will Focus Exclusively on TikTok 

Attn:, a marketing studio based out of San Diego, recently announced a new studio focused exclusively on creating TikTok content for brands. The studio’s clients, which already include Geico, Google, and Unilever, will receive help producing organic content, partnering with creators, and creating paid ads. It’s clear Attn: knows what they’re doing on the platform– ironically, one of their current projects is managing the TikTok for Good account created by TikTok itself. 

One of the primary goals of the new studio is to help brands navigate TikTok’s upcoming social commerce features. The features, which reportedly will mirror Instagram’s Shop platform, are currently being tested in the UK and Southeast Asia and will likely debut in the US soon. Learn more about the opportunities available on TikTok here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/unilever-geico-madewell-among-brands-embracing-new-studio-dedicated-to-ti/602356/