DECODE - October 17, 2024

READS

Adobe MAX 2024: How Adobe’s AI Features Will Impact Teams (Medium) 

There is a fusion of creativity and technology reshaping our industry. Code and Theory Chief Creative Officer Craig Elimeliah says that feeling was palpable at this year's Adobe MAX. “The message from Adobe MAX is clear: AI isn’t replacing creativity; it’s supercharging it, offering unprecedented opportunities for those ready to seize them,” says Elimeliah. He shares the four things C-suite executives should know about Adobe's AI features to drive meaningful innovation within their businesses. Read the article. 

e.l.f. Beauty Reimagines Its Digital Experience (Little Black Book) 

Beauty brands are evolving with the digital world. e.l.f. Beauty wanted to reimagine its digital experiences and tapped Kettle to bring the brand closer to its customers. Kettle started with the corporate site, which Kettle Executive Creative Director Camille Imbert says embodies the energy of their suite of brands, the enthusiasm of their teams and key messages and information that audiences need to build deeper connections with e.l.f. “We’re ready to tackle digital disruption for their cosmetics properties next.” Read the article. 

AI Suits Up for Sport Beach (Medium) 

How did Code and Theory create the new AI-powered app for Stagwell's Sport Beach at Cannes Lions with virtually no data? Code and Theory AI and Machine Learning Solutions Architect Saul Kohn, PhD, says the team relied on the oldest item in a data scientist's toolkit: simulations. Dr. Kohn shares how they built the connected, personalized site and app experience in three sprints — to take the Sport Beach experience to the next level. Read the article.

Why the AOR Model Should Evolve to Meet the Demands of the Modern Business World (Ad Age)

Is the much-lauded Agency of Record (AOR) designation becoming a dusty old relic? Left Field Labs founder and CEO Sarah Mehler says the model needs a major transformation. She shares why an evolved AOR framework should be built on these five principles: ambidexterity, a culture of learning, embedded teams, specialization and humanity. “It's not just about building campaigns anymore; it's about building what's next,” she says. Read the article. 

Invisible Text That AI Chatbots Understand and Humans Can’t Unveils New Findings for Cybersecurity (Ars Technica)

There’s a new challenge in the world of AI and cybersecurity. Researchers have been studying if there’s a way to sneak malicious instructions into AI chatbots like Claude and Microsoft Copilot and extract confidential data from them through hidden text that large language models (LLMs) can recognize and their human users can’t. Due to a quirk in the Unicode text encoding standard, researchers found that invisible characters create an ideal covert channel that can make it easier for attackers to conceal malicious payloads fed into an LLM. The result: a steganographic framework built into the most widely used text encoding channel. Read the deep dive in Ars Technica. 

FAKE FACTS

Pharma companies officially run out of bizarre names for new drugs.

Library of Congress to enact new DGAF strategy to get people to read more.

LISTEN

Why Taking Risks and Pursuing Challenging Creative Pursuits Help Build What’s Next (Advertising Week) 

 "Creativity flourishes when we allow ourselves to take risks and explore new ideas," says Left Field Labs founder and CEO Sarah Mehler. She joined Advertising Week’s Great Minds podcast to discuss the significance of embracing discomfort and challenges in creative pursuits. Plus, why Left Field Labs is focusing on building what’s next. Listen now.

ATTEND

Experience Change: How Financial Services Is Transforming Before Our Eyes (RSVP) 

The acceleration of technology, e-commerce and digital transactions have introduced a new era in financial services — with more changes to come. Join Code and Theory and Financial Communications Society (FCS) on October 24 at Stagwell Global’s headquarters for cocktails and networking as we dive into some of the most inspiring strategic initiatives reshaping the financial services industry. Panelists include Morgan Stanley’s Andrea Saporito, JPMorganChase’s Nikki Darden and MetLife’s Jaime Punishill, with Code and Theory’s Craig Elimeliah moderating. Register for the event now.