Kristina Monllos

Senior Reporter, Marketing Brew

Kristina Monllos is a senior reporter for Marketing Brew. She has spent over a decade covering the advertising business for publications like Digiday and Adweek. Her reporting has also appeared in publications like Rolling Stone, New York Magazine's Vulture and Elle, among others. She is also a filmmaker.

Two people on two different escalators.
Social & Influencers

Inside Away’s new ‘programming’ strategy for social media

“When you have strong brand storytelling, when you have strong brand activations and moments, it lifts all boats,” Quynh Dang, VP of brand, told us.

Kristina Monllos
Collage of screenshots from ads, clockwise from top left: From a Meta ad, a woman smiling lying down as viewed from above, with copy across her face that reads "The future is for everyone," next from Anthropic a beekeper admiring their hive with the copy "...to be more human again," and lastly from Liquid Death, a group of people traipsing through a meadow holding vessels filled with urine, singing about using pee instead of water to cool data centers "to save humanity."
Brand Strategy

Amid growing AI distrust, humanity takes a front seat in advertising

Ads across industries imbued with human-centric optimism is like “the real-life version of Captcha,” Andy Pearson, VP of creative for Liquid Death, said.

Kristina Monllos
A graphic featuring Jack in the Box collectibles, including a bag charm, antenna charm and water bottle
Brand Strategy

Behind Jack in the Box’s push into collectibles

“People want more for their money, and it goes beyond the food,” Sheena Dougher, VP of brand marketing at Jack in the Box, told us.

Kristina Monllos
AI EU regulation
Data & Tech

IAB updates AI disclosure recommendations as legislation evolves

The organization’s general perspective is that “if it’s not labeled, and it causes consumer deception,” it could pose a problem, Caroline Giegerich, VP of AI at the IAB, said.

Kristina Monllos
Screenshots of BetterHelp's comments coupled together in a collage.
Social & Influencers

Inside BetterHelp’s ‘repeatable, scalable’ comments-section social strategy

“Where there are cultural conversations that your brand can earn the right to be in, add some value and show up,” Sara Brooks, chief growth officer for the brand, told us.

Kristina Monllos
Two still images of actors Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn as Marilyn Monroe in Maggie Gyllanhaal's new film.
Brand Strategy

Inside Genesis Motor America’s brand film about Marilyn Monroe

Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn, ‘Flesh Impact’ is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival this September.

Kristina Monllos
A still from DoorDash's social series with creator Tana Mongeau paired with an image of a billboard with a condom counter on it.
Social & Influencers

With ‘CringeMart,’ DoorDash positions itself as a solution to awkwardness

The platform’s new shopping section—and the ad campaign to go with it—are designed to emphasize the benefit to buying embarrassing items and sidestepping social discomfort, the brand’s head of social told us.

Kristina Monllos
A split graphic of a figure dressed in white dancing in front of a blue sky with clouds
Brand Strategy

Why Pantone sees color reflecting pushback on tech

Pantone exec tells us what it’s like to market Color of the Year.

Kristina Monllos
Images of Adrian Grenier, Chad Michael Murray, and Devon Sawa in recent campaigns.
Brand Strategy

Return of the heartthrob: Why the men of the early aughts are booked and busy in advertising

Over the last six months, the desire for “nostalgia millennial talent” has increased, a UTA agent told us.

Kristina Monllos
Images of soccer players who are featured in the 'Rip the Script' campaign.
World Cup

Inside Nike’s ‘Rip the Script’ World Cup campaign

The brand’s World Cup efforts, helmed by an athlete-packed hero film that took 42 days of filming, attracted 3 billion total views across platforms.

Kristina Monllos