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This week in AdTech: brand safety got rebranded (literally), Amazon DSP threw open its doors to the masses, retail media went from "we have data" to "we swear it works," and creative teams everywhere got called out for copy-pasting TikToks into CTV slots. Oh, and Google’s still pretending everything's fine.

📺 SellerApp Launches AI-Powered Amazon DSP Suite
Singapore’s SellerApp drops a DSP bombshell, claiming Fortune 500 brands recouped fifteen-million-dollars in wasted spend during beta. The automation suite promises 40% better ACoS and triple the CTRs, because apparently that's the new bar.

Tip: If you're still running Amazon ads manually in Q3 2025, you're the problem.

Source: GlobeNewswire – sellerapp-launches-revolutionary-amazon-dsp-integration

📺 Highlands UK Democratises Amazon DSP Access
Because why should big brands have all the fun? Highlands just made Amazon DSP usable for smaller advertisers, unlocking access to Prime Video, Twitch, and IMDb audiences—without having to sell your soul or spend your Q4 budget.

Tip: The mid-market floodgates just opened. DSP elitists, brace yourselves.

Source: Stationers.org – highlands-uk-launches-amazon-dsp-services

🛑 Assembly Control Launches as Brand Safety Gets Political
Goodbye “brand safety,” hello “suitability.” Assembly’s new tool tries to sidestep the right-wing moral panic while still promising to keep your ads off unhinged content.
Tip: GARM’s implosion means agencies are now DIY-ing their own safety net—and calling it performance.

Source: Adobo Magazine – assembly-unveils-assembly-control

📺 WARC Predicts Programmatic Renaissance (Again)
WARC's annual optimism report is here. Spoiler: AI + curation = the future. Also, programmatic out-of-home is apparently having a moment.

Tip: If you haven’t at least pretended to care about curated supply, you’re about 18 months behind the spin.

Source: WARC – three-themes-defining-the-future-of-programmatic

📺 Smart TV Ads Score with Holiday Shoppers
LG Ad Solutions claims Smart TV ads are now holiday shopping’s best friend, with usefulness up seventy-three percent year-on-year. Apparently, viewers like being sold to when they’re trying to relax.

Tip: Home screen ads are the new homepage takeovers. Price accordingly.

Source: PPC Land – smart-tv-ads-holiday-shoppers

📺 CTV Creative Still Sucks
Smartly and EMARKETER confirm what we all knew—CTV is still plagued by copy-paste social creative. Only 25% of marketers are building platform-specific assets. The other 75%? Hoping no one notices.

Tip: Multi-screen budgets need multi-screen creative. This shouldn’t still be news.

Source: PPC Land – marketers-struggle-to-adapt-social-creative

🇺🇸 Google's Privacy Sandbox Dodges Change Yet Again
Google won’t be giving users a standalone cookie choice prompt after all. The CMA consultation is ongoing, but Chrome settings remain the end game for now.

Tip: The dual-track mess continues. You still need to prep for a cookie-less future… while still using cookies.

Source: Privacy Sandbox – next-steps

🇺🇸 Google’s Antitrust Trial Set for September
The DOJ wants Google to split up AdX and DFP. Google wants to offer a pinky promise instead. A trial in September could decide who gets their way—and whether RTB changes forever.

Tip: Watch this space—your ad stack might need rewriting before Christmas.

Source: Digiday – doj-antitrust-trial-google-adx-dfp

🌍 Retail Media Moves to Full-Funnel or Bust
Retail media networks are finally being told to grow up. Measurement expectations have gone from “somewhat vague” to “show me the money.” Amazon still leads with its Marketing Cloud, but Instacart and Walmart are gunning for accountability.

Tip: It’s no longer about whether you have first-party data—it’s about whether you can prove it works.

Source: Digiday – retail-media-full-funnel

🌍 Seedtag Shows EU Growth with UK Push
Seedtag flexed a thirty-eight percent Q2 growth in the UK, plus Euro-wide double-digit gains. New CEO, more contextual ads, and a cookieless pitch that's finally sticking.

Tip: Contextual is no longer a fallback—it's the new battleground. Especially in Europe.

Source: ExchangeWire – emea

Programmatic’s getting a glow-up, CTV’s still in therapy, and Amazon DSP just became everyone’s favourite ex.

Until next time!
David

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