Ammunition, an Atlanta-based creative agency, is launching a venture studio to help both emerging brands and creative agencies scale, it shared exclusively with ADWEEK.

Ammunition Ventures will offer both capital investment and agency services to early-stage startups across industries, as well as creative agencies looking for growth. The agency plans to make two to three strategic investments over the next 12 months, investing $500,000 in combined capital and agency services per startup.

“We’ve always been an agency with an entrepreneurial spirit, and now we’re taking that to the next level by providing both capital and creative services to help early-stage companies grow,” Jeremy Heilpern, founder and CEO of Ammunition, told ADWEEK.

Ammunition Ventures will service two types of companies. The first are consumer product companies, to which Ammunition will provide capital and agency services such as branding, digital strategy, and creative production, in exchange for equity.

The second is for emerging creative agencies, which Ammunition will support with guidance, infrastructure, and a network of connections to help them grow.

“We’ve seen how challenging it is for early-stage companies to hire agencies due to financial constraints,” Heilpern explained. “This model allows us to partner with them in a way that benefits both sides—we bring in capital and expertise to help them grow, and in return, we get equity in their business.”

According to Heilpern, Ammunition’s team of 40 employees will lead both creative and operational efforts for portfolio companies under the ventures arm, providing infrastructure and support with digital strategy, creative production, and operations.

Heilpern emphasized the importance of senior leadership’s involvement in the venture studio.

“We understand the challenges of running a bootstrapped business, and we’ve been there before,” he said. “The founder-to-founder guidance we provide allows us to meet entrepreneurs on their level, offering advice, support, and the infrastructure they need to grow.”

Founded in 2017, Ammunition initially specialized in providing creative services to companies in the home goods, construction, and building products sectors. Over time, it has expanded to other verticals such as insurance, healthcare, and financial services.

In 2023, Ammunition grew its video production capabilities with the acquisition of Mad Hat Creative, an Emmy-winning production studio.

Natura, the largest beauty brand in Latin America, is getting ready to launch a major brand campaign from new U.S. agency of record DAVID as it eyes growth in the American market.

DAVID won the Natura account in December following a competitive review involving three agencies that kicked off last October; the agency declined to share who else participated. While Brazil-based Natura had previously worked with smaller boutique shops on a project basis in the country, this is the first time it is consolidating its U.S. marketing efforts under a single agency.

As Natura’s first U.S. creative agency of record, DAVID handles creative, strategy, influencer marketing, and social media. Media is managed by GroupM.

“We were looking for an agency with global vision but U.S. cultural fluency,” Erik Volavicius, general manager of Natura U.S., told ADWEEK. “DAVID understood how to translate the values of our brand to American consumers. Their strategy was sharp, but they also brought something unexpected—a sense of humor and humanity.”

DAVID will help Natura achieve its growing ambitions in the U.S., where the brand plans to scale its business fivefold over the next few years. Natura will launch an integrated brand campaign on May 1, followed by a summer pop-up experience that brings the Brazilian Amazon to New York and Miami.

The campaign centers on four of Natura’s signature Amazonian bioactives: açaí, maracujá, tukumã, and castanha. Rather than anglicizing these ingredients, DAVID leans into their original Portuguese pronunciations—a creative decision meant to spark curiosity and showcase Natura’s Brazilian roots.

“They’re exotic, they’re intriguing, and they’re already on our packaging,” said Volavicius. “So why not own that?”

Brazilian roots

For DAVID, which has roots in Brazil, the account win carries significance.

“Natura is one of the most admired brands in Brazil,” Carolina Vieira, managing director of DAVID North America, told ADWEEK. “As a Brazilian, I felt a sense of pride and responsibility. This is not just a campaign; it’s a cultural translation.”

Founded in São Paulo in 1969, Natura has long been a regional leader in conscious beauty. The company became a B Corp in 2014 and has been carbon neutral since 2007. According to Euromonitor International, its a leader in Latin America’s beauty and personal care sector, and was recently ranked the region’s strongest brand by Brand Finance, with high scores in consumer familiarity and loyalty.

That category leadership, however, hasn’t yet translated into brand recognition in the U.S.—something Natura aims to change. “We’re building awareness, but we’re also inviting people to fall in love with the product itself,” said Volavicius. “We know that once consumers try it, they come back.”

To that end, the campaign will be supported by sampling programs, creator content, out-of-home, and in-person activations. A new Amazonian bioactive ingredient will be introduced this summer as part of Natura’s planned pop-ups in New York and Miami.

The May 1 campaign also marks the Natura’s debut on TikTok Shop, adding a new sales channel to its existing ecommerce footprint.

“Social commerce is still new for us, but the potential is massive,” said Volavicius. “We’re seeing a lot of advocacy in our home country, and we want to replicate that here.”

The Trump administration has been ordered by a federal judge to rehire all the Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Network staff for now.

The judge said all congressional funding must resume to the outlets.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a preliminary injunction on behalf of VOA journalist Patsy Widakuswara and her colleagues, against former Phoenix TV anchor Kari Lake. Lake is the acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent federal agency overseeing public service media networks.

From NPR:

Lamberth wrote that the administration’s decision to dismantle the agency was “arbitrary and capricious.”

“Not only is there an absence of ‘reasoned analysis’ from the defendants; there is an absence of any analysis whatsoever,” he wrote.

He also said the Trump administration was “likely in direct violation of numerous federal laws.”

The Trump administration’s legal team had argued that it was not violating VOA journalists’ First Amendment rights because it has stopped all journalism rather than singling out any individual for their viewpoint. Lamberth said he found that argument “troubling.” A request for comment from the Trump administration was not immediately returned.

It’s a full house at HBO this spring, and the company is taking a Smart approach to its marketing.

With the third season of White Lotus recently coming to an end, and The Last of Us Season 2 taking its slot for Sunday night programming, HBO is banking on a lot of its popular drama franchises to generate attention in the months ahead—but the network doesn’t want you to forget about its half-hour comedies either.

Hacks, the Emmy-winning series starring Jean Smart as veteran comedian Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as emerging comedy writer Ava Daniels, premiered its fourth season between the two series. And to get the word out, HBO wanted to lean into an extensive marketing campaign, including several out-of-home (OOH) stunts, digital executions, and brand partnerships all centering on the comedic and glamorous world of Smart’s Deborah Vance.

Dana Flax, vp of originals marketing at HBO and Max, noted that this year’s goal was to build on recent momentum, especially in the wake of the show’s win for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys last year.

“It’s relatively rare for us to see a show, particularly a comedy, entering its fourth season as a real audience growth opportunity,” Flax told ADWEEK. “That’s usually when we have our audience established, but given the way the industry embraced the show, we saw a real opportunity to bring some new audiences.”

Showing that growth opportunity, HBO noted the trailer for the fourth season of Hacks, which debuted on March 11, surpassed trailer viewership for Season 1 through Season 3 by 85%.

Placing Deborah Vance’s presence everywhere

In the show, Smart portrays Vance as a force to be reckoned with, who absolutely loves the attention and the glitzy lifestyle that comes along with it. To lean into the Season 4 storyline in Las Vegas, Flax said she wanted to approach it with a multi-platform and in-world strategy, which featured some meta and satirical elements, positioning the character of Deborah Vance as a real-life person.

For the OOH portion of the campaign, HBO projected an image of Vance on a digital resort billboard, one of the biggest LED screens in Las Vegas, which was a nod to the character’s longstanding residency within the show. Crescent moon billboards of Deborah Vance with Ava Daniels hanging off the side were also displayed in Los Angeles and New York.

When Jean Smart made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote the show, Kimmel showed one of the billboards, even commenting about the popularity of Smart’s character.

“You have more billboards around than an actual late-night talk show,” Kimmel joked.

HBO and Max also created a special video featuring real late-night talk show hosts like Chelsea Handler, Andy Cohen, George Lopez, Craig Ferguson, and Roy Wood. Jr. welcoming Deborah Vance to the Late-Night Club.

“Another woman in late-night? Come on,” Handler jokingly says in the video.

Max even worked with entertainment journalist Matt Belloni, known for his podcast The Town, on a fake segment where he mentions Deborah Vance, making a comment on how the comedian is already “facing staffing issues” on her new late-night talk show.

Additionally, there were fictional Late Night with Deborah Vance “sponsored” cocktail happy hours in the offices of top talent and entertainment news agencies across Los Angeles. As part of the bit, the fictional late-night talk show attempted to “poach” some of the top talent in entertainment by sending cocktail kits and DIY-style “resignation letters” to fellow comedians and late-night hosts, encouraging them to call Deborah Vance when they’re ready to “shake things up.”

Regarding activations, HBO debuted the House of Vance pop-up on April 11, timed to Coachella, which took over the Casa Chino Estate in Palm Springs—complete with a pool to surprise fans with exclusive merch like limited-edition tote bags and branded playing cards, activities like tarot reading and portrait stations, and drag performances including a DJ set from Trixie Mattel.

“This was the perfect opportunity to reach out to younger, queer audiences who were there for Lady Gaga,” Flax said.

The network also collaborated with California-based upscale grocery chain Erewhon for a Deborah Vance Juice that was offered at five locations for one day, priced at $4.10 to coincide with the April 10 premiere date of the season, with 100% of profits going toward the LAFD Foundation.

Flax said that within a few hours, the juice was sold out on premiere day, and it resulted in Erewhon restocking the limited-edition juices for two more days.

“We had a colleague go to the Culver City location at 8:30 in the morning on the premiere, and she said she couldn’t find them because they were all gone,” Flax said. “So that was pretty epic and a super fun way to celebrate the show.”

BMW rolls with Deborah

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Advertising Sales teamed up with BMW of North America for a bespoke ad partnership featuring original and custom content with Mark Indelicato, who plays Vance’s assistant in the series. According to the company, the partnership is supposed to “playfully” highlight the features and connectivity of BMW vehicles.

The 90-second spot, which debuted on ad-supported Max plans for the April 17 episode, features Indelicato taking control of his to-do list and advanced features of his BMW X7 to get things done, mirroring the assertiveness of Deborah.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery and Hacks, a show that celebrates boldness, originality, and sophistication—values that align perfectly with the BMW X7,” Albrecht Pagenstert, head of brand marketing at BMW of North America, said in a statement to ADWEEK. “The X7 represents a high standard of luxury and performance, making it a perfect match for a series that’s defining what it means to be iconic.”

A 30-second version of the ad will air across WBD Stream, the company’s unified digital video offering, while custom content will run on Max and BMW of North of America’s social channels.

A campaign that can hack it

But when it comes to the overall marketing approach of the new season, Flax emphasized that Hacks is an important show to HBO and Max as a whole, especially as it kicks off the network’s comedy offerings in the spring, with the third season of And Just Like That… and Rachel Sennott’s upcoming series on the way.

“Hacks is the type of show that as soon as you watch, you’re obsessed, and you become a fan,” Flax said. “The main goal of this season was to expand the tent and make sure we were getting as many Max viewers as possible into the fandom.”

The numbers

302 million — Netflix’s last reported subscriber count for Q4 2024.

13% and 27% — Q1 revenue and operating income growth year over year, respectively, which were ahead of the company’s guidance.

2 — Number of NFL Christmas Day games for Netflix after the company opted into a second game, thanks to the success of the 2024 games.

$43.5 billion to $44.5 billion — The revenue and profit growth outlook for the company, which remains unchanged.

The watercooler talk

After previously announcing it would stop reporting quarterly subscriber numbers and average revenue per membership in Q1 2025, Netflix followed through with its latest earnings, choosing to ditch sub counts to focus on revenue and milestones. In its last quarter reporting the stat, Q4 2024, the streamer said it had over 300 million subscribers.

Among the highlights of Q1, Netflix noted that revenue and operating costs were ahead of the company’s guidance. Additionally, Netflix said it successfully rolled out its in-house adtech platform in the U.S. The streamer initially launched its in-house adtech in Canada and plans for the platform to come to all its ad tier countries in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Netflix also noted that founder Reed Hastings has transitioned from executive chairman to chairman of the board and a non-executive director.

The key quote

“We believe our adtech platform is foundational to our long-term ads strategy,” the company wrote in a letter to shareholders. “Over time, it will enable us to offer better measurement, enhanced targeting, innovative ad formats, and expanded programmatic capabilities.”

When Secretary of Education Linda McMahon accidentally referred to AI as “A.1.” at the ASU+GSV Summit last week, Kraft Heinz couldn’t resist having fun with the mix-up.

Instead of letting the moment pass, the food giant and owner of A.1. steak sauce tapped its creative partner, Mischief @ No Fixed Address, to the opportunity with a clever and playful social media post—all within 24 hours of the incident.

The image featured an A.1. bottle labeled “For education purposes only,” with a bold banner declaring, “Agree. Best to start them early.” The caption read, “You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1.”

The result? Thousands of comments, massive social media engagement, and a playful nod to the brand’s bold, saucy tone.

Even John Oliver got in on the fun, calling the incident on his show Last Week Tonight “a perfect distillation of our current times ” and applauding the brand for dunking on the U.S. Secretary of Education’s blunder.

“We had just this moment of thinking, ‘A.1. is an iconic brand,’” Jess Vultaggio, vice president of creative culture and effectiveness at Kraft Heinz, told ADWEEK. “So we were like, ‘We have to do something with this. Should we do something with this? We have to do something with this.’”

So, the team texted Kraft in the middle of the night after McMahon’s gaffe took place.

“A few of us who work on the account [were] like, ‘This is really funny. Should we do something?’” Greg Hahn, co-founder and CCO at Mischief, told ADWEEK. “We’re constantly online, so of course, we all jumped on it.”

Once the decision was made to respond, the creative team at Mischief quickly got to work. “We started batting around ideas instantly, just back and forth,” Hahn said. “We landed on some of the exact lines that ended up on the post.”

“We didn’t want it to be leaning one too far one side or the other,” he added. “We just wanted something everybody could laugh at and enjoy.”

At Kraft Heinz, the approval process was lightning-fast. “We recognize the power of having our brands…be part of the conversation,” Vultaggio said, adding that Mischief doesn’t work on the A.1. account but is “a long-standing partner of Kraft Heinz.”

Once the concept was pitched, it was approved almost immediately. “I saw it, and it was up within an hour,” Vultaggio recalled. “We had all the right people sitting together. We had our external creative advisor, our CMO, and the A.1. brand team. It was just, ‘Okay, grab people, look, any builds, now let’s go.’”

Vultaggio emphasized how crucial speed was to the campaign’s success: “If you don’t move fast on these things, you kind of miss the moment.”

Once the post went live, the response was overwhelmingly positive. “They’re almost exclusively fun,” Vultaggio said of the comments on the post, noting the number of puns and witty statements about A.1. and AI.

Some of the comments on the Instagram post include “When it comes to education, there’s so much at ‘steak,’” and “Make America Saucy Again.”

The engagement numbers were also impressive, though Vultaggio declined to share specific figures. “We’ve seen thousands of comments on the post, as well as a spike in followers,” said Vultaggio. “A.1. didn’t have a huge following on social, and we didn’t put paid [media] behind this. The engagement we saw, especially on TikTok, was organic and speaks to the speed of the response and the creativity.”

According to Hahn, Mischief’s creative culture played a crucial role getting the campaign to fruition. “A big part of our culture is this freedom to say, ‘we’re a safe space for dangerous ideas,’” he said. “If you have an idea like this, even if it comes from someone else, throw it in the text chat, and let’s see if we can make something of it.”

The team’s willingness to act fast and embrace creativity was key. “There was no hesitation,” Hahn explained. “Everybody was all in. A lot of places are learning that the old processes don’t necessarily work in today’s environment.”

The rapid response is now part of Kraft Heinz’s recipe for future campaigns. “We’ve learned over time to not let procedures get in the way,” Vultaggio said. “When the news cycle moves fast, you’ve got to move with it.”

Jimmy Fallon is getting into the reality competition space—and it comes with a marketing twist.

NBC has greenlit a new unscripted series called On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, which will premiere later this year and feature The Tonight Show host starting a premier marketing agency and looking for creatives to deliver winning campaigns.

In each episode, the On Brand Agency will work with brands such as Captain Morgan, Dunkin’, KitchenAid, Marshalls, Pillsbury, Samsung, Sonic, Southwest Airlines, and Therabody to develop their brand campaigns. Meanwhile, Samsung will be the home of On Brand Agency’s headquarters.

Fallon recruited Bozoma Saint John as chief marketing officer for On Brand Agency, where she will mentor the creatives and give them feedback on their work. Saint John is a marketing executive known for her C-suite experience at top brands like Uber, Pepsi, and Netflix. 

The creative process will include writing catchy songs, coming up with activations, producing commercials, and making sellable merchandise. According to NBCUniversal, the agency will have “unprecedented access” to the client’s businesses before pitching their ideas to a brand representative, along with Fallon and Saint John, with the most innovative campaigns making it to the national stage after each episode. The creative with the best idea will be named the best in the business, as well as win a cash prize.

“I love branding, I love marketing, I love the world of advertising, and I think there are a lot of people out there who do as well,” Fallon said in a statement. “This show lets the audience and our contestants get a peek behind the curtain of how campaigns for some of the biggest brands come together and what goes into making them. It’s exciting.” 

On Brand with Jimmy Fallon is produced by B17 Entertainment and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Electric Hot Dog. In addition to Fallon, executive producers include Brien Meagher, Rhett Bachner, Pip Wells, and Kelly Powers.

In the past couple of weeks, President Trump has announced a sweeping set of tariffs, only to delay most of them for 90 days after the stock market crashed in response.

Brands are left grappling with the economic fallout.

With tariffs on Chinese goods soaring to 125%, businesses are scrambling to adjust pricing and supply chains, while stock market volatility adds further uncertainty.

As the situation evolves, brands are making bold moves to mitigate the impact, from shifting production away from heavily tariffed countries to raising prices on their products. Some are opting for direct communication with consumers—a strategy experts say can be highly effective in times of crisis.

“The global economy is more interconnected than ever, and even U.S.-centered policies are creating widespread volatility and uncertainty,” Callum McCahon, chief strategy officer, Born Social, told ADWEEK. “We’re already seeing a knock-on effect in weakened consumer confidence, making it more critical than ever for brands to adapt, not retreat.”

Here’s how 10 brands are navigating the turbulent economic waters of tariffs.

Ford Motor Company

Last week, prior to the tariff pause, Ford rolled out a new ad campaign, “From America, For America,” to counter the economic impact of President Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported vehicles. In response to the tariffs, Ford is offering customers employee pricing for 2024 and 2025 models.

The initiative, which includes a TV commercial voiced by actor Bryan Cranston, highlights Ford’s commitment to American workers and its significant U.S. manufacturing footprint.

Dame

This sexual wellness brand, which sells adult toys and personal care products, automatically added a $5 “Trump tariff surcharge” to customers’ online shopping carts. “We’ve made the tough call to adjust prices to be able to keep bringing you the quality, body-safe products you love,” the brand stated on Instagram.

Burlap & Barrel

The spice company, which imports single-origin spices from around the world, announced on Instagram a “spring cleaning-turned-impromptu tariff sale,” offering a 20% discount on all products through Tuesday.

“We can already see that the new tariffs will be bad for our business. How bad remains to be seen,” the caption reads. “We have spice shipments in transit at this very moment, so we’ll find out soon how the new tariffs will be applied.”

MeUndies

Luxury undergarment brand MeUndies is flipping the script on rising costs with a bold move. CEO Jonathan Shokrian took to Instagram to declare that “Tariffs are absolute. We didn’t start this brand to get swallowed by bureaucracy—we started it for you, our community.” As a defiant response to the 44% tariff on Sri Lanka, where MeUndies manufactures most of its products, the company is offering 44% off everything with the code TARIFF44.

Labucq

Luxury footwear brand Labucq has issued a statement addressing the impact of the 20% tariffs on EU imports. The company explained that while it has always strived to offer high-quality shoes at accessible prices, the tariffs have made it necessary to adjust pricing. Starting April 15, prices will increase by 10%, followed by another 10% increase on May 7. “We understand this news is challenging,” the brand stated.

Nintendo

Nintendo announced a delay on Switch 2 preorders, originally set for April 9, via X (formerly Twitter) in response to 46% tariffs on imports from Vietnam, where it manufactures some of its hardware. Although a smaller 10% tariff is now in place on countries unaffected by retaliatory measures, Nintendo has been stockpiling Switch 2 units in anticipation of the console’s June 5th launch.

Framework

Framework Computer announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it has paused sales for its lowest-priced base systems in the U.S. due to its inability to absorb the 10% tariff on certain products. The company is also raising pricing on affected items, particularly those with modules made in China. While prices for U.S. customers have increased, Framework continues to monitor and adjust as necessary. It is also preparing for U.S. pre-orders of the new Framework Laptop 12, which it plans to ship alongside international pre-order batches.

Pizza Pizza

The Canadian pizza chain launched a “Reverse Tariffs” campaign, offering Canadians a 25% discount on regular-priced pizzas nationwide. Rolled out after a 25% tariff on Canadian imports was announced, the campaign aimed to put more dough back in Canadians’ pockets. It also coincided with the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship, aligning with the excitement surrounding the Canada vs. USA game.

Areaware

The Brooklyn and Columbus, OH-based brand, known for its unique home accessories and gifts, informed customers via email and social media that it will raise prices starting in July. The company, which collaborates with independent designers, cited rising costs as the reason.

Alymer

Quebec-based Aylmer soup company launched a bold ad campaign to encourage Canadians to support local products. Made with Montreal’s Les Évadés agency, the campaign uses humor and national pride to highlight the quality of Aylmer soups, which are made in Saint-Hyacinthe using fresh, local ingredients. The work aims to strengthen Canada’s economy by reminding consumers of the importance of choosing homegrown products amid growing trade tensions with the U.S.

Digital media company G/O Media has sold two of its remaining editorial properties, tech and business news site Quartz and commerce site The Inventory, to the Canadian software firm Redbrick.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Axios first reported the news.

Redbrick plans to use Quartz as part of an effort to scale publishing sites from its portfolio companies, and will integrate its newsletter platform, Paved, with Quartz to better monetize its email readership, the company said in a press release.

“As the media landscape continues to shift, the only way to survive and thrive is by embracing the advancements in innovation to connect and engage with audiences,” said Redbrick chief executive Tobyn Sowden in a statement. 

“Redbrick’s portfolio will serve as the foundation for the future of media, enabling media companies like Quartz to develop direct relationships with audiences, deliver personalized experiences wherever people are watching, and create a more sustainable ecosystem with better advertising touchpoints.”

The sale of Quartz, in particular, marks the end of an ownership that had been strained from the get-go. When G/O Media acquired Quartz in April 2022, the two companies had separate monetization strategies—Quartz had a paywall, unlike the rest of the G/O Media portfolio—and corporate cultures that would prove to be odd bedfellows.

One year after the acquisition, traffic to Quartz plummeted despite the publisher lifting its paywall, its paying readership had evaporated, and employee turnover left the title understaffed. The business news publisher, which was at one point considered the cutting-edge of digitally native journalism, has now been sold four times in seven years, likely dwindling in value with each transaction.

The end of G/O Media

The spin-off represents the near total dissolution of the G/O Media portfolio, which at its height consisted of almost a dozen editorial brands. 

The unraveling began in 2023, when G/O Media sold Lifehacker to Ziff Davis and Jezebel and Splinter to Paste Media. In January 2024, G/O Media accelerated its efforts to sell off its portfolio, as ADWEEK reported at the time.

That year, the digital media company embarked on a series of sales, offloading The Takeout, Jalopnik, Deadspin, Gizmodo, and The Onion. 

Following the spinoff of Quartz and The Inventory, the only publishers remaining in the G/O Media portfolio are The Root and Kotaku, the latter of which last month was the subject of a defamation lawsuit brought by Activision Blizzard’s Robert Kotick.

The legal action is the latest courtroom imbroglio for the embattled publisher, whose sports site Deadspin was also sued for defamation in February 2024. G/O Media also initiated legal proceedings against Paste Magazine in October, alleging a breach of contract related to non-payment.

The methodical winnowing of the G/O Media business reflects the broader headwinds facing the digital media sector. Without a dedicated reader revenue product or scaled, desirable audience, affinity publishers across the web are struggling to maintain operations.

G/O Media is owned by private equity firm Great Hill Partners, which created it after acquiring Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion for roughly $40 million in 2019.

When G/O Media sold Lifehacker, the transaction fetched a high enough price for Great Hill to make back its original investment and push to exit the business, ADWEEK previously reported.

“They sold Lifehacker, made a good return, and are looking to get out,” said a person familiar with the matter.

The National Basketball Association’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) officer Lesley Slaton Brown is stepping down from her role, according to an internal email obtained by ADWEEK.

Per an email sent April 2 to all NBA staff, Brown informed the league that she plans to leave the post and relocate back to the West Coast at the end of the current season in June.

According to a source familiar with the departure, the chief DEI officer role will be backfilled as the league remains committed to DEI. “The values of diversity and inclusion are central to the culture of the NBA, WNBA, and our other leagues and will remain core to our business and our workplace,” the email said.

Brown’s team will also remain part of the NBA’s Social Responsibility and Player Programs Department.

“We are grateful for Lesley’s many contributions, including working directly with our teams and colleagues at the league office on a number of initiatives to foster a more inclusive workplace and drive our business forward,” read the email.

The NBA didn’t provide a statement in time for publication.

Brown joined the NBA as chief DEI officer in 2023. During her tenure, she worked with the league’s chief people officer Sabrina Ellis and the teams’ diversity and inclusion leaders to implement and advance DEI processes like recruiting diverse talent and developing employee resource programs.

Before the NBA, Brown served as chief DEI officer at HP since 2015, where she helped develop the company’s long-term DEI goals and strategy. She also led inclusive talent acquisition programs and partnerships and developed training and education for HP leaders and hiring managers globally.

Brown joins a growing list of chief DEI officers at brands and agencies who have left in recent years.

Brands like Chipotle, Nordstrom, Boeing, and NPR have all seen their DEI leads exit, while companies like Publicis Groupe, PepsiCo, AT&T, and Yelp have either pivoted or gotten rid of the role altogether.