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Happy Monday, and happy Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Many of you are likely off today, and you probably need it after the flurry of fall events over the past few weeks. But for those of you who are working or just can’t stay away, we’ve got a ton of news to take you into the week.

Last week, reports surfaced that Starbucks had considered buying Chipotle. It’s unclear if those talks will go anywhere, but the coffee chain’s CEO, Brian Niccol, definitely has afternoon snacking on the mind. He was clear about that when he sat down with ADWEEK for an exclusive interview last month for our October cover. Below, we explore whether the burrito chain can satisfy those cravings.

OpenAI’s push into advertising is continuing apace, with a new job opening on its ad solutions team meant to drive deeper relationships with agency holding companies. And Google is testing pharma ads in its AI interfaces.

We’ve also got analysis on the pressure facing agency business models as AI takes root, and we decode the recipe for a standout NFL ad. 

Without further ado, let’s go.

1. Brian Niccol On Starbucks' Food Ambitions, Weeks Before Chipotle Takeover Speculation

A few weeks before reports surfaced that Starbucks had explored a takeover of Chipotle, CEO Brian Niccol was candid with ADWEEK that the company still needs to improve its afternoon food selection.

Uniting the coffee chain with Niccol’s former company, where he was CEO from 2018 to 2024, might not fix Starbucks’ afternoon lull, but it would give the company a boost during a period of the day when its coffee business is quieter, Rebecca Stewart reports.

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2. OpenAI Wants ChatGPT Ads to Become a Permanent Line Item in Agency Media Plans

OpenAI is hiring a salesperson with a mandate to turn ChatGPT ads into a standing line item on agency media plans. 

A listing on its ads solutions team calls for someone to drive advertiser revenue "through strategic relationships with leading agency holding companies." Trishla Ostwal reads the tea leaves behind the posting and what it means for the AI company’s growing advertising ambitions.

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3. Google Opens AI Mode to Prescription Drug Ads

Pharma ads are coming to Google AI Mode and AI Overviews. The search giant first started bringing healthcare ads to its AI interfaces back in May, but it's now expanded initial tests to include prescription drugs.

One of the things that kept drugmakers out of AI Mode/Overviews before is that Google didn't support the text disclaimers that describe potential side effects, which have to be included with drug campaigns. The current phase has limited support for those disclaimers. Trishla has more—as well as how AI might or might not play into the creative.

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4. ADWEEK Agencies Advantage: Brands Stall the Shift to Performance Pay

A debate has been raging among agencies since AI took center stage: what happens to a time and materials business model when agencies can do things faster and with fewer people?

In this month’s Agencies Advantage, Chris Cicchiello explores the conundrum, why brands are standing in the way of meaningful change, and what it will take to actually shift the industry to a more sustainable model.

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5. ADWEEK TV Advantage: The Playbook for Making a Successful NFL Ad

The NFL is one of the most coveted media buys in advertising, and brands want in. That means they have to try extra hard to stand out. 

In this month’s TV Advantage, Bill Bradley digs into the data to understand what elements made a successful NFL ad in the past, and what brands should take from that as they develop their playbooks for the seasons ahead.

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• How MLB made an urgent pitch to fans for the 2026 playoffs, (ADWEEK).

• Despite splashy sponsors, Jupiter Festival landed softly in its first year, (ADWEEK).
  
  
• Walmart tests placing market inventory in stores for pickup and delivery, (ADWEEK).

• The Five's Jessica Tarlov has an ear for intentional conversations, (ADWEEK).

• At AWNY and Jupiter Fest, content, agentic, and open web steal the show, (ADWEEK). 

• BetterHelp wants to give women permission to rewrite the rules, (ADWEEK). 

• Netflix is sharpening the layoff axe, (Puck). 

• AI companies plot "day after" scenarios, (Axios).

• CNN's top anchors to host Sunday night specials ahead of midterms, (ADWEEK). 

• Evening news ratings, (ADWEEK).

• Meta bans ByteDance from advertising on its apps in 7 countries, (Bloomberg).

• Ken Ohashi and Marisa Thalberg on making legacy brands relevant, (ADWEEK).  

• Asos hackers took more personal details than first revealed, (BBC). 

• Build brand presence into every creator partnership, (Brandshare from Kantar).

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• Marketer moves at Red Lobster, Rocket Companies, and more, (ADWEEK).
  
  
• Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joins Fox News, (ADWEEK).