What's Trending: March 24, 2023 Edition

Ayzenberg senior strategists Katey Harris and James Wiley, along with Chris Levkulich, associate director of strategy, and Alexa Ronning, director of strategy, bring us the top trending topics you don’t want to miss, from newly launched AI chatbots and tools to a major streamer rebranding.

Pixel Superfans Get Early Access to Google’s New AI Assistant

Google is giving Pixel Superfans early access to Bard, the tech company’s new AI assistant. Google introduced the world to Bard in February and said it would be available to “trusted testers” in the weeks ahead. Bard will be able to answer queries in a “human-like way,” similar to ChatGPT.

Goodbye Mint, Hello Fubo

Ryan Reynolds’ production company and marketing agency Maximum Effort is partnering with FuboTV as the streaming service rebrands itself, dropping the “TV” in their name in a move that “represents the premium media brand we are today,” according to co-founder and CEO David Gandler.

Basketball and football icons Kevin Garnett and Mark Sanchez will lead Fubo’s newest campaign featuring the company’s new tagline: “If Sports Fans Built a Streaming Service.”

Instagram Brings Ads to Search Results

More ads are coming to Instagram as parent company Meta battles declining ad sales. The social network announced it has begun testing ads in search results to reach users looking for businesses, products and other content, with plans to implement these ads globally in the coming months.

Instagram is also launching Reminder Ads designed to help businesses announce, remind and notify users of events or launches they may be interested in. This has implications for in-app livestreams as well as off-social events like sports games, series launches and merch drops.

Adobe Launches Adobe Express Enterprise Tier Featuring AI Tools

Earlier this week, Adobe revealed details of the enterprise tier of Adobe Express, which will grant users access to Adobe Firefly, the company’s new generative AI offering. According to Adobe, users will be able to tap the AI tools to create anything from brand content to social media posts without prior design knowledge.

Enterprise customers will also have access to stock images, videos, fonts and creative templates.

Google Opens Waitlist for Bard, Its ChatGPT Competitor

Google’s Bard is now live — for some, as the company has opted to let a select group of insiders test the waters with the newly launched AI chatbot. But everyone else can sign up for the waitlist to see how it compares to ChatGPT and Bing’s AI.

2K Games and Lego Head to ‘Bricklandia’

Lego and 2K Games unveiled the results of their recent collaboration: 2K Drive, a racing game featuring an open-world map, kart-style racing and creation tools allowing players to craft their own cars and race them online.

Window Shopping

Data shows we’re spending more time shopping, but conversion rates are disproportionately low. Inflation has caused many to rethink purchases, but that doesn’t mean they’re not browsing. How can brands show up differently to support this behavior, which continues to point to shopping as “entertainment”?

‘Succession’ Final Season Kicks Off Sunday

Fans of HBO’s "Succession" are getting their popcorn ready for Sunday evening’s launch of the final season. Keeping with the production house’s history, episodes will roll out weekly, providing ample opportunity for fans to discuss what happens on social. Kendall, Roman, Shiv, and Cousin Greg are back in T-2 days. Rotten Tomatoes critics have already certified Season 4 at 100.