22 News Outlets to Inspire Your Marketing and Creativity
Let’s be real: being a creative in the marketing world is like being a chef who needs to serve up fresh, mouth-watering dishes every single day. Whether you’re a copywriter spinning words into gold, an art director crafting visual stories, or a social media wizard conjuring engagement — you need fresh ingredients to keep your creative recipes exciting.
Sure, we’ve all got our trusted frameworks and formulas that help us deliver consistent results. I, for example, have a list of 21 creative writing techniques to help me write scroll-stopping copy (you can download that here).
But here’s the thing: marketing and creativity isn’t just about following a recipe — it’s about knowing what’s hot, what’s working, and what’s pushing boundaries right now.
80.5% of marketers surveyed for Marketing Week’s Language of Effectiveness survey believe that creative effectiveness plays a big role in the overall success of a campaign. So you can’t afford to let your inspiration well run dry.
Fill your creative tank from these 22 news outlets, and keep your marketing and creativity game stronger than your morning coffee.
AdAge
The grandfather of advertising news, AdAge isn’t just a news outlet — it’s practically an industry bible. From deep-dive analyses of Super Bowl ads to breaking news about agency shake-ups, it’s your one-stop shop for understanding what’s moving and shaking in the ad world. I used to have their paid subscription but cancelled it to save on costs. Now I mostly go on AdAge to see the news headlines and find the information elsewhere that doesn’t have a paywall.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM ADAGE: Liquid Death’s ‘Misfortune Cookies’
AdForum
Think of AdForum as your backstage pass to the world’s most creative campaigns. You can discover ad 36,000+ agencies, 200,000+ ads from around the world, and connect with 180,000+ industry people. Their database of advertising work alone is like Netflix for marketing nerds (I mean that as a compliment, obviously).
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM ADFORUM: Purpose x Climate and Clean Air Coalition – “Now We Can”
AdNews
Your go-to source from the North (a.k.a. Canada) for the latest advertising and marketing news and information, available to over 65,000 marketing, media and advertising agency executives on a daily basis. AdNews is designed to keep you in the loop.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM ADNEWS: Broken Heart Love Affair x Rec Room’s ‘Claw Game’
Ads of the World
Want a virtual library to feed your marketing and creativity? You got it! This is the most comprehensive archive of creative advertising from around the world. Warning: you might lose hours browsing through their collection of brilliant campaigns.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM ADS OF THE WORLD: Dentsu Creative x Totino’s Pizza Rolls ‘Chazmo Goes Home’
AdWeek
Breaking news, creative insights, and enough marketing inspiration to fill a dozen mood boards. Their “Ad of the Day” feature is pure gold for creatives looking for fresh ideas.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM ADWEEK: Heinz’s ‘It Ha Ha Has to Be Heinz’. A messy campaign for several reasons.
IMAGE SOURCE: AdWeek
Because of Marketing
Because of Marketing calls itself “a leading marketing resource renowned for its coverage of the latest campaigns, trends, stories, news and insights.” They’re a newer player in the game as they launched only in 2020, but don’t sleep on them. They offer fresh takes on marketing trends with a focus on digital innovation and creative strategy.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM BECAUSE OF MARKETING: Nike’s ‘Winning Isn’t Comfortable’
Buffer
Not just a suite of marketing tools — their blog is packed with social media marketing gems and small business tips that’ll make you go “why didn’t I think of that?”
THE LATEST ARTICLE I READ ON BUFFER: 6 Psychological Techniques to Help You Write Great Social Media Hooks
Business Wire
Want to know what the big brands are up to before everyone else? Business Wire’s shares press releases from thousands of companies and organizations worldwide — basically, they’re your crystal ball into upcoming campaigns and marketing moves.
THE LATEST ARTICLE I READ ON BUFFER: Haunting New Short Film THE TRIAL from Hollywood Director and All* In Action Fund Exposes Dangerous Reality of Abortion Bans
Campaign
Whether you read the Canadian, U.S., or UK version (I prefer the UK version myself), Campaign offers a delightfully different perspective on creative campaigns and industry trends.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM CAMPAIGN: LePub x Heinkeken® “The Hidden Message”
Creative Review
A veteran print publication from the days of Madonna, Creative Review is a treasure trove of creative analyses, opinions, and inspiration across design, advertising, and digital media. They do keep much of their content behind a paywall, so you can read what you can for free or invest in their subscription plans.
THE LATEST ARTICLE I READ ON CREATIVE REVIEW: WORLD BUILDING WITH TIM BURTON
Famous Campaigns
Exactly what it says on the tin — this “marketing fanzine” (their words, not mine) offers a curated collection of the world’s most innovative and successful marketing campaigns.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM FAMOUS CAMPAIGNS: Parkrun ‘Just What the Doctor Ordered’
IMAGE SOURCE: FAMOUS CAMPAIGNS
Fast Company
Where innovation meets creativity. Fast Company’s marketing coverage focuses on breakthrough ideas and campaigns that push boundaries.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM FAST COMPANY: NACD x E.l.f. Beauty “Too Many Dicks”
IMAGE SOURCE: FAMOUS CAMPAIGNS
Little Black Book Online
The industry’s little black book of creative inspiration, featuring work from around the globe, Little Black Book Online is a paywall-free global platform for the advertising and marketing community.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM LITTLE BLACK BOOK ONLINE: COORS X WRANGLER ‘Beer Wash Jeans’
IMAGE SOURCE: LBB ONLINE
Marketing Beat
I’m convinced the UK comes up with the best creative, and this publication is the place to go for UK professionals in the biz who want fresh daily marketing news with a focus on digital innovation and creative excellence.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM MARKETING BEAT: Netflix x Mind’s “As Seen On Netflix” Pop-Up Shop
IMAGE SOURCE: MIND
Marketing Brew
Their daily newsletter is like having coffee with a really smart marketing friend who always knows the latest brand strategy, social media, and ad tech tea. And their online news website brings even more value to creatives.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM MARKETING BREW: 818 Tequila “Democratizing” The Influencer Experience
IMAGE SOURCE: 818 TEQUILA VIA MARKETING BREW
Marketing Dive
Marketing Dive offers deep dives (excuse the pun) into marketing trends and creative campaigns that’ll make you smarter (and your work better).
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM MARKETING DIVE: Mucinex “No Regrets”
IMAGE SOURCE: MUCINEX VIA MARKETING DIVE
Marketing Tech News
Because let’s face it — marketing and creativity in 2024 is as much about tech and industry as it is about ideas.
THE LATEST ARTICLE I READ ON MARKETING TECH NEWS: 50% of consumers can detect AI-generated content
MarTech
Now part of Semrush, MarTech is on a mission to educate marketers about marketing technology and strategy through news and feature reporting, newsletters, research reports, and more.
THE LATEST ARTICLE I READ ON MARTECH: A marketer’s guide to implementing generative AI
More About Advertising
More About Advertising set out to be the alternative voice of advertising, marketing and media nearly ten years ago. Since then, they’ve become one of the main sources of independent, insightful, and occasionally delightfully snarky coverage of the advertising world.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM MORE ABOUT ADVERTISING: Saatchi & Saatchi x EE WiFi 7 “Clocking Off”
PR Week
Essential reading for understanding how PR and marketing creativity intersect in the modern media landscape.
THE LATEST ARTICLE I READ ON PR NEWS: Meet the TikTok stars debating opponents and influencing young voters this election
The Drum
If marketing news was a rock concert, The Drum would be the headliner. Their coverage of creative campaigns is chef’s kiss. I personally love their ‘World’s Best Ads’ and ‘Ad of the Day’ sections.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM THE DRUM: CANAL+ “No Bad Choices”
The Social Juice
Social Media Consultant Jaskaran Saini started The Social Juice Substack Newsletter to keep him and other creatives up-to-date with marketing changes, offers fresh perspectives on social media marketing and a heavy dose of creative inspiration. You can also follow his Instagram, which pushes out constant on the regular.
THE LATEST CAMPAIGN I DISCOVERED FROM THE SOCIAL JUICE: Wear Wool, Not Waste
Wired
While not strictly a marketing publication, their coverage of technology and culture is essential for forward-thinking creatives. You only get one complimentary article a month before hitting their paywall though, so make it count.
Keep Your Creative Tank Full
Want to stay on top of the latest and greatest in marketing and creativity without spending hours scrolling through 22 different websites? I’ve got you covered.
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter The Tuesday Tea, where I curate the best bits from these sources (and more). Plus:
- Game-changing campaigns that’ll inspire your next big idea
- Copywriting tips that’ll make your words work harder
- Brand voice insights that’ll help you stand out
- Storytelling techniques that’ll keep your audience hooked
And of course, you can tune in to The Storytella Studios© Copy Blog twice a week for branding advice, copywriting tips, and industry news.
Remember: great marketing isn’t just about knowing the rules — it’s about knowing when (and how) to break them creatively. Stay inspired, friends!
