ADWEEK Reporters Share Their Favorite Stories of 2024

“Well, 2024 sure has been a year” seems to be the prevailing sentiment. Well, we’re setting the negativity aside because even if everything didn’t break our way this year, the great thing about being reporters is that if we feel strongly about something, we get to put it in the spotlight.

Sure, we broke news. We got exclusives. We talked to A-listers and power brokers. But those aren’t always the stories that stick with us. I asked Adweek’s reporters and editors to look back on their hard work in 2024 to choose their favorite pieces, and the results speak to both how broad our industry is.

There were personally meaningful topics; getting to talk shop with a person we’d been longtime fans of; shining the spotlight where companies didn’t want us to look; and ones that were just a plain old good time to report.

Here are ADWEEK reporters’ favorite stories of 2024:

Women’s Ads Are Still Being Censored—But Brands Keep Pushing Boundaries

Over years of covering the ad industry, I’ve observed an unfortunate trend: women’s perspectives being overlooked or censored. This isn’t a problem exclusive to advertising, but it came to the fore with a few ad campaigns this year. This story was a chance for me to go deeper on this issue and hear from women business leaders about their experiences. Despite progress, we still have a ways to go in achieving gender equality in advertising. —Brittaney Kiefer

The Business of Being Kevin Smith

“Kevin Smith likes to portray himself as the ultimate slacker, but you can’t sustain a 30-year career in Hollywood without some serious business acumen. Being able to reveal the secret origin of ‘Business Kev’ warmed my Gen X heart.” —Ethan Alter

This ACD Plays Disc Golf, a Sport Both Goofy and Technical

For the most part, ADWEEK is a B2B publication, but I got into journalism to tell people’s stories. Our Off the Clock series, about the hobbies, side hustles, and sports that creatives make time for outside of their work, has been an endless source of wildly interesting stories and, as in this piece, learning about something I didn’t even know existed. (I also hope these pieces serve as a reminder that doing something just for yourself is not a luxury, but an essential part of life.) —Eva Kis

Press Releases Have Become Way Too Hyperbolic

If the goal is persuasion, and the method of persuasion is words, then public relations specialists need to do a better job of choosing their words. Simply saying a new product or service or corporate decision is “interesting” without showing how or why is not it. That said, it’s still a step above saying something is “very interesting.” —Paul Hiebert

Recurrent Ventures Raised $300 Million. Where Did It Go?

This deeply reported story reflects several of the most defining trends of the media industry right now: the dangers of relying on search traffic, the dwindling appeal of digital publishing as an investment, the disconnect between workers and executives. The financial mechanics at play might be complicated, but the underlying question is simple: Where has all the money gone? —Mark Stenberg

Truly Funny or Just Ad Funny? Comedians Assess Cannes Lions Humor Winners

Rounding up a group of comedians and comedy writers to gut-check some Cannes Lions winners isn’t the kind of story that Adweek normally does. That’s why I came up with the idea and then, based on some incredible feedback, wrote a story about ads that were deemed funny haha, funny strange or simply not funny at all. Bonus: readers got the joke. —T.L. Stanley

How Code and Theory’s Michael Treff Channeled Punk Energy to Fuel His Career

I love talking to agency folks about their roles, and even more, finding out how they got to where they are. Michael Treff has a really interesting backstory that involved punk music and a love of tech. While those passions might not seem to intersect, the way his leadership evolved from a young musician to a record label owner to finally a CEO for a tech-meets-creative agency was a story that was not only compelling, but as unconventional as it gets. Not everyone goes from portfolio school to the agency world, and Treff’s winding route into the industry is one that should ignite a wave of creatives to seek out the ad world as their next career move. —Kyle O’Brien

Havas Media’s First Shell Campaign Is Under Fire With More Than 70 Complaints for Greenwashing

This story, about Havas Media’s first campaign for Shell getting flagged for greenwashing by the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Association, feels like it illustrates a lot of the tensions that agencies are facing right now when it comes to climate impact. While the ASA has yet to issue a ruling, the question posed by the investigation is one that will likely continue to plague agency leaders: To what extent are agencies responsible for the impact of the work they do for clients, and how does that stack up against their responsibility to turn a profit? —Katie Lundstrom

Pachinko Producer Explains Why Diverse Stories Are Breaking Out in Streaming

As an Asian American woman, I’m always drawn to entertainment where my culture is being accurately represented, so I love when I get to report on executives who are using their business and platforms to cultivate diverse talent and stories. Earlier this year, I interviewed Korean American producer and Blue Marble Pictures CEO Theresa Kang, whose experience being raised by immigrant parents played a major role in her life and fostered a strong interest in seeking out Asian and Asian American projects like Apple TV+’s Pachinko. —Saleah Blancaflor

Exclusive: Amazon Closes First Upfront, Shaking Up the TV Market

This story has all the makings of what I personally love about being a journalist. I love scoops. I love breaking news. And I love insider reporting that goes beyond whatever fluff is deemed worthy of a press release. For months, I kept tabs on how agencies were negotiating with Amazon—the most hotly watched TV player in the NewFronts this year—resulting in a story that I’m proud to have worked on with my colleague (and NewFronts extraordinaire) Bill Bradley. —Lauren Johnson

Why Béis Wants to Turn Its Employees Into Mini Social Media Stars

It’s rare to hear from founders who still are this involved in their brand and marketing decisions because they’re that passionate. This story is also a great peek behind the scenes of how a leader celebrates their team and is open to trying new strategies in the social space, evolving and engaging across numerous platforms. —Colin Daniels

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

Publishers Reeling From Carbon Emissions ‘Shakedown’

I loved working on this piece. It came from a comment made at lunch (about publishers getting screwed over again by adtech, but in the name of giving buyers more eco-friendly options, so a new take on the blocklist debate). And after digging just a little, I found so many people who were really riled up about the situation. There’s definitely tension: Publishers need to do more to reduce carbon emissions, but many didn’t know they were being blocked by third parties, so they couldn’t fix it anyway. After this story came out, at least one of the third parties changed their policies so that publishers were more in the loop. —Lucinda Southern