AI Empowered (AIE), a new summit inspired by EO Cape Town, has announced its phase two speakers. Held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre CTICC from Thursday, 7 to Friday, 8 August, the event features global and local thought leaders from companies like Google, Salesforce, MIT Centre for Collective Intelligence, Woolworths, Discovery, AWS, Pepkor and more.

In any boardroom, agency, or war room, leadership is the lever that moves the team. In advertising, where deadlines are brutal and the spotlight is always on, the difference between a manager and a true leader shows up fast. You can't fake it. You either bring the spark or you don’t, says Raymond Langa, Group Chief Executive of Leagas Delaney South Africa. 

WPP and Vercel have announced an expansion of their global strategic partnership to bring Vercel's AI technologies — v0 and AI SDK — to WPP teams and clients. The partnership will bring vibe coding — a style of programming that uses natural language prompts to assist with the coding process — to WPP teams worldwide.

LOEWE has partnered with Stink Studios to celebrate a decade of the brand's Puzzle handbag and launch a new character, with multiple creative executions and activations. To mark its 10-year milestone, LOEWE has re-released 19 Puzzle bags, introduced one new design and launched Puzz, a companion series of 20 collectable bag charms.

Oakley has announced that, after years of Travis Scott fueling the brand through his stage wardrobe and eyewear choices on the Circus Maximus tour, the duo has partnered. Oakley has named Scott as its first Chief Visionary, announcing a multi-year partnership that will reimagine the brand's creative future. 

In today's digital landscape, influencers are an indispensable tool for brands looking to connect with audiences in a truly authentic way. In a world where authenticity now trumps algorithms, the right influencer can elevate your brand with a single post, says Nicole Glover, Executive Creative Director of Digital at Penquin.

Marketing has undergone a profound transformation. In an era where content is consumed in micro-moments, the divide between media and creative has never been more costly. The days of traditional advertising, where media and creative worked seamlessly together, seem almost nostalgic, says Koo Govender, Chief Executive Officer of Publicis Groupe Africa.

Pnet, an online recruitment platform, has revealed a new brand identity that brings fresh icons and a friendlier feel to the platform. The transformation aligns the look and feel of Pnet more closely with its parent company, The Stepstone Group.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced its 2025 Young Lions winners. Turkey has taken home its first-ever Gold in Marketers, and Guatemala has won for the first time with a Gold in Film.

Motsepe Advertising has announced that it has been awarded Top Media Agency at the 2025 Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards (YOBA), an honour that celebrates South Africa's most impactful youth-led brands across 16 industries.