MAM
Brand safety on YouTube: GroupM partners OpenSlate
MUMBAI: GroupM, the media investment management unit of WPP, announced it is partnering with OpenSlate to enhance brand safety on YouTube media buys. OpenSlate is a social video analytics company that maintains data about all ad-supported content on YouTube. Their data platform scores YouTube content for quality and brand safety, and provides advertisers with deep contextual insights.
OpenSlate will provide clients of GroupM’s agencies additional controls and content safeguards to support their YouTube media buys. This solution will enhance brand safety in both reservation media, including Google Preferred, and in auction-based inventory bought through AdWords or DoubleClick Bid Manager. Using independent data from OpenSlate, GroupM clients will be able to better define the type of content that should be excluded from their YouTube media buys. OpenSlate will also provide clients with contextual reporting that highlights exactly where their campaigns run. GroupM clients will be the first to access these Google-supported services from OpenSlate for Google Preferred campaigns.
“Long gone are the days when advertisers could simply rely on reaching audiences in carefully curated programming environments. Most brands today have scaled their advertising on digital platforms like YouTube, where most content is user-generated, but their needs for mature and safe ad products and environments persist,” said GroupM North America chief digital investment officer Susan Schiekofer.
“Although it is not possible to eliminate all risks in user-generated media, our clients’ hard-won brand reputations must be protected with the best efforts possible. We appreciate that Google is enabling our work with OpenSlate to provide our clients with better brand safety controls, and we believe it’s essential that all digital platforms carrying ad-supported user-generated content do the same.”
“Our initial focus is to use OpenSlate data to better ensure that GroupM’s ads run only in content that flexibly matches the brand safety parameters established by their clients,” said OpenSlate CEO Mike Henry. “Every client is unique and each has different brand values and tolerance for risk, which GroupM agencies can accommodate through their use of OpenSlate’s data and tools. Over time, more transparency about where ads are running on YouTube will strengthen the ecosystem and help advertisers better understand the role that YouTube content plays in campaign performance.”
This new solution will initially roll out in the U.S. and U.K., and plans are under way to adapt it to additional international markets.
MAM
G-Shock launches GA-2100CM series with camouflage design
New sand and grey variants priced at Rs 10,995 each in India.
MUMBAI: Time just got a little more tactical and a lot more stylish. G-Shock has unveiled the GA-2100CM series, a fresh update to its popular GA-2100 line, bringing a camouflage twist to one of its most recognisable silhouettes. For the first time in the 2100 series, the watches feature G-Shock’s original camouflage pattern, subtly embedding the brand’s signature ‘G’ motif into the design. The move signals a shift towards more design-led storytelling, blending rugged functionality with fashion-forward detailing.
The new series introduces two colour variants sand (GA-2100CM-5A) and grey (GA-2100CM-8A) extending the model’s appeal across both streetwear and outdoor-inspired aesthetics. Built around the brand’s signature octagonal bezel and hybrid analogue-digital display, the watches retain a clean, modern look while adding layered visual depth.
Under the hood, the GA-2100CM continues to lean on performance. It features the Carbon Core Guard structure for durability, while maintaining a slim, lightweight profile suited for everyday wear. Functional elements include world time across 31 time zones, a 1/100-second stopwatch, countdown timer, LED light and 200-metre water resistance.
In line with evolving material choices, select components use bio-based resin, pointing to a gradual shift towards more sustainable design without compromising on toughness.
Priced at Rs 10,995, the GA-2100CM series is available across Casio India stores and online platforms.
As watch brands continue to balance utility with identity, G-Shock’s latest drop makes its intent clear, durability may be the legacy, but design is the new frontier.
