MAM
DoubleClick’s cross media ad spending report indicates drop
NEW YORK: DoubleClick, a leading provider of marketing tools for advertisers, direct marketers and web publishers, has announced the release of its Cross Media Ad Spending report commissioned in conjunction with Nielsen//NetRatings. The study was designed to gain a complete picture of the relative growth of ad spending by media and the key industry segments in the US over the last five years.
The study supports the drop that all media has seen in ad spending with the recession. More specifically, the data found that certain categories of advertising, magazines and online advertising have been particularly hard hit.
The following are some findings from the study:
The television ad spend has recovered quicker than any other media. With more than half of ad expenditures, 55 per cent in 2001, spot and network television together maintain the primary share of advertising spending. However, its growth has flattened out over the past few years. In some categories it has gained share, particularly from magazines, because advertisers have sought efficient mass audience reach in a recession environment. In fact, most of the advertising growth over the last year has come from local TV news with an increase of over 9 per cent, Hispanic TV with nearly 7 per cent, and Network TV with nearly 6 per cent.
Furthermore, the data shows that newspapers are second to television in terms of ad spending in the media mix but they have seen ad spending decline since mid 2000. The current decline has primarily affected the local newspapers, which have seen some of the biggest swings in ad spending over the last five years. They experienced the highs of the tight job market, increased classified ad spending and are now going through the low.
Online ad dollars have followed in categories transformed by the Internet .The adoption of the online medium has caused some of the most dramatic media consumption and purchasing shifts over the past few years and ad dollars have followed in categories where the purchase process has been transformed by the unique capabilities of the Internet. The publishing and media sector uses the Internet to attract new users to their sites. The sector devoted 15.5 per cent of their total first quarter 2002 spend of $479 million to online advertising.
The results of the study claim that certain key categories are actually spending much more significant portions of their advertising budgets online. The Internet has surpassed other traditional media such as radio, outdoor and is gaining this share from categories where online has become a material purchase or information channel such as retail, travel and employment services.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
