ADWEEK Reporters Share Their Favorite Stories of 2024

All the Brands Chiming in on Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Mustard’ Reference

I joined ADWEEK from the world of music journalism, specifically hip-hop, so being able to do a roundup of the brands that chimed in on Kendrick Lamar’s recent album “GNX” was fun. My goal here is to report on the intersections between brands, culture, and entertainment, so look out for more stories like this from me in 2025! I also can’t wait to see what Kendrick does at Super Bowl LIX. —Cydney Lee

Ice Cube Won’t Let Brands Set Table for Caitlin Clark With Paper Plates

I took on the sports marketing beat at ADWEEK early this year just as the Big3 league offered NCAA phenom Caitlin Clark a $5 million contract—far more than what she would later be offered by the WNBA. Former Agencies reporter Olivia Morley got me on the phone with league owner Ice Cube, who cut to an issue that would be core to the growth of women’s sports in 2024 and heading into 2025: “If you’re gonna invite them to dinner, you better not have no fucking paper plates. Pull out the good stuff.” —Jason Notte

John Wren and Philippe Krakowsky Reveal Their Strategy Behind the Mega-Merger

I’m pretty proud of being one of the only reporters to get a sit down with John Wren and Philippe Krakowsky after the Omnicom-IPG takeover announcement! —Alison Weissbrot