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Serena Williams Is the New Face of GLP-1s; Exit Interview With Duolingo’s Star Social Media Manager; Hertz Joins Amazon’s Online Auto Mart
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Good morning. Today, a new ad campaign aims to expand people’s ideas about who could benefit from GLP-1s; Zaria Parvez talks about virality, anxiety and mental health; and Hertz gives Amazon another foothold in the car business.
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Serena Williams talks about her use of GLP-1s to lose weight in new TV, billboard and online ads for the telehealth provider Ro. Photo: Ro
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Serena Williams used GLP-1s to lose weight after having children, the tennis star says in a new ad campaign for online healthcare company Ro that aims to widen the pool of customers for the drugs, Katie Deighton reports.
“After kids, it’s the medicine my body needed,” Williams tells viewers in one commercial, crediting GLP-1s for helping her lose 31 pounds. Williams, whose husband Alexis Ohanian is a Ro board member and investor, will also star in billboards and digital ads as part of a promised multiyear push.
The ads make the 23-time Grand Slam champion one of the most famous endorsers yet for GLP-1s, the class of booming, disruptive drugs that includes Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy.
Williams is also a departure from the archetypal target patient so far.
“The very idea that there will be some people who say, ‘She doesn’t need this, she shouldn’t be on it,’ is why she’s perfect for it,” said Zach Reitano, Ro’s co-founder and CEO. “It challenges the narrative of who can benefit from these tools.”
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Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
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AI Banking Chatbots: From Frustration to Delight
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To close the gap between convenience and confidence, the next generation of chatbots should go beyond automation to adapt, earn human trust, and address end-to-end customer experience. Read More
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Zaria Parvez announced this month that she would be leaving her role overseeing Duolingo’s social media accounts. Photo: Duolingo
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Zaria Parvez, the celebrated senior global social media manager for language-learning app Duolingo, is leaving her job after more than five eventful years, Patrick Coffee reports for CMO Today.
Parvez, 26, became a star in her own right as she built Duolingo into one of the most effective and unpredictable brands on social media, with 16.7 million TikTok followers.
She also felt the the anxiety that comes with managing a highly visible company’s online presence, as she told Patrick in a wide-ranging Q&A.
Here’s an excerpt of their talk:
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Q:
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What was your most vulnerable moment?
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A:
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Last year when I went on medical leave. I was really confused and exhausted. It got to the point where the anxiety of running such a big account and having to be always on was so on my shoulders. I would get three hours of sleep at night.
I would be incessantly trying to figure out, how do I be creative in all the best ways? How do I do this on my own?
I might be Zaria from Duolingo, and Duolingo has all the success, but there’s also parts of it that are scary.
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Parvez said she’ll announce a new role next week. Click through for more on her decision to leave, her five-year plan and more.
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“I’m not gonna buy every single streaming service.”
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— Jenna Damron, a 27-year-old die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan who lives in Columbus, Ohio, and watches games by streaming them illegally or going to bars. New streaming services from ESPN and Fox launched today, joining a baffling landscape for fans.
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Hertz is trying many routes to offload vehicles to retail buyers. Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
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Hertz now has started selling its used rental vehicles through Amazon, Christopher Otts writes.
Hertz sells about a third of its former rental cars to consumers through its auto lots and website, but most go through auto auctions or to dealers.
In the deal with Amazon Autos, buyers can browse cars, complete their purchase online and pick up their purchase in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle. Hertz plans to expand to 45 locations around the U.S.
“Our goal is to reimagine the car-buying experience and meet customers where they are—whether online or in person—with convenience, confidence and scale,” said Jeff Adams, executive vice president of Hertz Car Sales.
Amazon has long eyed the car market, but faced entrenched dealers and state laws that protect them. It began selling new Hyundai cars late last year, but buyers still have to visit a Hyundai dealer to complete the sale.
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$1.4 billion
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Valuation of clothing retailer Guess in an all-cash deal to be taken private by Authentic Brands, a brand-management company that owns Reebok, Quiksilver and Champion
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New fragrances at a range of prices will help Coty capitalize on ‘treatonomics,’ in which consumers seek “a mood-boost” in uncertain times, CEO Sue Nabi said. Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
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Coty is counting on new fragrance launches and consumer “treatonomics” to return its business to growth. [WSJ]
Walmart reported a 4.6% increase in same-store sales in the quarter ended Aug. 1, saying it is winning over shoppers with grocery discounts, fast shipping and more elevated fashion offerings. [WSJ]
TikTok will require all advertisers promoting products for sale in TikTok Shop to use its AI tools, effective Sept. 1. [BI]
ESPN will take over streaming major WWE events starting with the new Wrestlepalooza on Sept. 20, six months earlier than planned and closer to today’s launch of the ESPN Unlimited streaming service. [Deadline]
Google’s upcoming Pixel 10 phone is the latest evidence that Apple is getting lapped in AI. Personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen tried out the Pixel’s new features. [WSJ]
A new Apple ad demonstrates how accessibility features on the iPhone 16 Pro enable people with Parkinson’s to record video despite any tremors. [Adweek]
New lawsuits allege that Delta and United knowingly charged passengers more for “window seats” that were actually next to a windowless wall. [NYT]
Liquid Death teamed up with “The Toxic Avenger Unrated” to promote its soda line with a faux PSA about the dangers of other sodas. [Gema]
Injury law firms are trying to modernize their marketing to reel in Gen Z clients. [Ad Age]
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