The hottest Agencies Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Literature Topics

Sub Club Weekly Digest # 5

The Sub Club Newsletter • 515 implied HN points • 26 Oct 24
đź“š Literature Agencies
  1. There were over 150 suggestions for a new column name, showing strong community engagement. People can win $50 and a free year of Sub Club by submitting a name.
  2. A new interview series called 'On Something with Somebody' is launching, featuring insights from writers and industry experts. This will help readers learn more about writing and publishing.
  3. Sub Club is offering resources and events like submission parties to help writers find job opportunities and improve their pitching skills. These gatherings are a supportive space for writers to submit their work together.

Best of Advertising: Forget Influencers, Focus on Narrative

The Social Juice • 66 implied HN points • 14 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. A product needs a strong narrative; without a compelling story, influencer marketing and ads become more expensive and less effective.
  2. Brands can create big attention cheaply by controlling the story — through events, keynote-style reveals, familiar faces (even CEOs), or stunts that make the product unignorable and invite organic creator coverage.
  3. The industry is shifting: brands are experimenting with rebrands, mascots, partnerships and AI-driven creative, while agencies restructure and new measurement tools change how advertising performance is judged.

AI won't kill marketing. We'll do it ourselves.

The Social Juice • 151 implied HN points • 07 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. AI is overhyped and partly a bubble — many AI tools promise productivity but often add workload and don’t solve new marketing problems. Marketers should use AI to learn and research, but not fall in love with packaged productivity that replaces real work.
  2. Ethics and trust must guide AI use: disclose AI-generated content, guard against deepfakes, and keep real people in testing and creative decisions. Don’t let dependence on black-box chatbots replace human judgment or customer research.
  3. Brand, creativity, and human insight still matter most: big holding companies chasing AI ecosystems risk losing creative trust while indie agencies and brands that invest in long-term brand building will fare better. Focus on honest brand search, real customer contact, and avoid vagueposting or short-term attempts to game AI.

From Gucci to WPP, marketers are rethinking AI, ad agencies, and the rest is marketing campaigns

The Social Juice • 75 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. AI is upending marketing: companies are using generative tools to make ads, cutting roles because of automation, and facing backlash when AI work feels low-quality or ethically shaky.
  2. The agency landscape is being reshaped as holding companies and clients reorganize, consolidate accounts, and rethink commissions and media models to stay lean and more integrated.
  3. Brands are leaning hard into bold creative moves — stunts, cultural partnerships, celebrity tie‑ins and purpose-driven campaigns — to cut through noise and stay culturally relevant.

How the Mad Men Lost the Plot Again

The Ruffian • 676 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. Big, emotional mass advertising — like consistent TV campaigns that build fame — still drives long‑term growth because brands rely on millions of light buyers remembering them at the point of purchase.
  2. Chasing digital targeting, engagement and instant metrics can seem efficient but often fails to grow brands, since most buyers don’t meaningfully engage online and digital channels suffer fraud and short‑term thinking.
  3. The industry lost focus by prioritising tech and short‑term measurables over creative consistency; firms should keep brand‑building as their core strength and use technology as a supporting tool, not a replacement.
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The Super Bowl to Valentine’s marketing pipeline is real, but who’s in it?

The Social Juice • 19 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. Super Bowl ads mostly replay the same playbook—nostalgia, celebrities, IP and safe emotional hooks—so they reflect where culture already is rather than show what’s next.
  2. Taika Waititi’s heavy ad output shows directors can add style and attention. The results are uneven and it raises questions about whether big-name filmmakers can rescue weak brand strategies.
  3. Marketing is a continuous pipeline from the Super Bowl into Valentine’s, the Winter Olympics and Lunar New Year, with brands using PR rollouts, creator-led work, stunts and partnerships to stay visible. That tactic can drive reach but also sparks backlash when campaigns touch hot topics like surveillance, AI or weight‑loss drugs.

Only the best marketing campaigns of 2025

The Social Juice • 70 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. Brands leaned into bold, attention-grabbing creative across 2025, using pop-ups, OOH, stunts and viral social films to build real brand energy.
  2. Collaborations and celebrity partnerships powered many of the biggest campaigns, and the new COLLAB Index mixes consumer data with cultural scoring so marketers can choose partners that actually move people.
  3. AI and ethics emerged as major marketing issues, with debates about AI-generated content and trust alongside more brands taking public stances on social causes.

Brands are busy romanticising 2016, but you have to be here for the best of marketing in 2026 so far

The Social Juice • 29 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. Top collaborations focus on resonance, not reach — the most effective partnerships are built for a small, passionate audience that creates depth instead of noise.
  2. AI is reshaping marketing as agencies and brands roll out AI-driven platforms and ads, but low-quality or careless AI work is already provoking backlash and regulatory scrutiny.
  3. Marketers are using nostalgia, celebrity tie-ins, bold stunts and product-first innovations to stand out, from fashion and beauty launches to gaming, sports and experiential activations.

DELETE, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE

OpenTheBooks Substack • 580 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Agencies
  1. There are 75 federal agencies listed as defunct in the Federal Register. Many of these agencies haven't been active for years but are still listed.
  2. The Federal government lacks good record-keeping, leading to confusion about which agencies are still operating. This makes it hard for taxpayers to know where their money is going.
  3. To improve government efficiency, a new department aims to identify and eliminate these ghost agencies. This could help save money and streamline government functions.

The week that changed luxury fashion: a final call for the best and worst of marketing.

The Social Juice • 29 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. Luxury labels rushed into generative AI and ended up with shallow, low-quality work that sparked backlash because many uses lacked a clear creative purpose.
  2. The most effective campaigns leaned into human craft, emotion and local storytelling—holiday ads that used real artisans, nostalgia and thoughtful activations stood out.
  3. Brands are retooling for 2026 by investing in always-on brand tracking, cutting prices or SKUs, striking new partnerships and reshuffling agencies as consumers prioritise affordability.

WILL's 2025 Year End Recap

The Carousel • 16 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Agencies
  1. WILL capped 2025 with a bold new website and a string of creative client projects across defense, cybersecurity, healthcare, conservation, and publishing.
  2. They pushed beyond digital work into real-world events and collaborations to build relationships and cultural influence, including workshops and partnerships with groups like the Delphica Society.
  3. The agency is focused on scaling in 2026 and is actively seeking new clients, partners, and ambitious projects at any stage of development.

How Scott Boras Became The Most Powerful Agent In Sports

Huddle Up • 22 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🎾 Sports Agencies
  1. Scott Boras is known as the most powerful sports agent in the industry. He has a reputation for making big deals for his clients.
  2. Juan Soto's decision to turn down a massive $440 million contract surprised many. People thought it was a risky move for a young player.
  3. Negotiating big contracts in sports is complex. It's about more than just money; it's about career strategy and future opportunities.