Hi NoGoodies,
We get it, you’re busy. So here’s our weekly digest to catch you up on all of the marketing news you may have missed this past week...
The US Open’s influencer boom backfires as matches get disrupted
The USTA nearly doubled its content-creator credentials this year (to about 100, up from 54 in 2025) to widen the tournament’s social reach, but the result has been chair umpires shushing influencers filming mid-point, ring lights flashing during rallies, and players like Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, and Daniil Medvedev publicly calling the behavior disrespectful. Wimbledon has already signaled it won’t follow suit, making the US Open a live case study in what happens when a legacy sports property optimizes for creator reach without guardrails for the in-venue experience.
Poppi expands its campus ambassador army for back-to-school season
Poppi kicked off its 25-stop Juicy Tour on September 1 at Penn State, working coast to coast through mid-November with stops at schools like Maryland, Florida, Texas, and San Diego State. Each pop-up leans into free product, exclusive merch, and a hangout vibe over a hard sell, with the brand noting dates and locations could still shift as the run continues.
“Aura farming” turns a gaming meme into a real-world youth trend across Latin America
What started as an online trend inspired by video-game characters “farming” for points has become in-person “aura battles” across Peru, Brazil, and beyond, where costumed competitors dance and pose for crowd approval. Organizers and academics frame it less as a popularity contest than a public display of good vibes. A low-cost, self-organizing format brands and platforms will likely want to piggyback on as it spreads.
Hoka turns runners’ own Strava data into a live outdoor ad
Hoka’s “Run Your City” campaign, built with Jellyfish, pits New York’s five boroughs against each other in a month-long mileage contest, with scoreboard-style screens across four Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods refreshing each week to show which borough is racking up the most mileage. It leans into a supportive tone that contrasts with Nike’s recently pulled “Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated.” ad.
Apple hands the CEO seat to a hardware engineer for the first time since Jobs
Tim Cook worked his last day as Apple CEO on August 31 after 15 years, handing off to John Ternus, the company’s longtime hardware engineering chief, effective September 1. Cook moves into a new executive chairman role; the succession, announced back in April, signals Apple doubling down on product execution as it faces pressure to move faster on AI.
Chipotle hands its ad campaign entirely to 100 creators
Chipotle’s new “Behind the Foil” campaign uses zero brand-shot footage: 100 creators with 100M+ combined followers filmed inside 50+ restaurants with no scripts, launching Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips. It’s the first national work from new Chief Brand Officer Fernando Machado and agency KIDS, betting unpolished creator footage reads as more credible than a traditional commercial.
Instagram will start demoting AI influencers that don’t disclose
Meta now requires accounts featuring AI-generated people to carry an “AI-generated profile” label or lose reach on Instagram. The move follows a wave of undisclosed AI “influencers” and fake AI “doctors” flagged by outlets like the Guardian and NYT, though it only targets fabricated personas rather than the platform’s broader flood of AI-generated content.
Any other news we may have missed? Let us know in the comments!