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.

A search bar with colorful digital squares filling it up with AI stars surrounding it
Brand Strategy

‘Search is everywhere’: How JBL is retooling its search efforts for AI

The audio brand created a new editorial process and search strategy with help from the agency Code and Theory.

Kristina Monllos
Retail shopping basket filled with digital analytics like a pie and bar chart
Brand Strategy

Is ‘Black November’ a problem?

Extended sales windows ahead of the shopping holiday are changing the season for marketers.

Kristina Monllos
A doodle come to life tries to brush its non-existent teeth.
TV & Streaming

Disney’s holiday short is a story of friendship and imagination

Consumer products are scattered through the spot, but the goal is that viewers “don’t feel it like product placement,” an agency exec said.

Kristina Monllos
Tylenol boxes and a Tylenol bottle
Social & Influencers

Bot activity amplified unproven link between autism and Tylenol on X: report

PeakMetrics found that 93% of likely bot activity reposted existing content, “extending reach and lifespan of emotionally charged narratives.”

Kristina Monllos
A robot Customer Service AI Assistant typing on laptop
Brand Strategy

Will bots end social listening as we know it?

AI-driven bot networks are growing and weighing in on everything from Cracker Barrel to Tylenol, forcing marketers to parse real consumer insights from fake.

Katie Hicks, Kristina Monllos
A still from the Gushers Fruitheads ad from the 1990s, showing a child whose head has transformed into a blueberry, next to a still from Gushers' 2025 short horror film FruitHead, featuring a man whose head is transformed into a strawberry
Brand Strategy

‘A safe bet’: Brands are digging into their ad archives for creative inspiration

Gushers, Pringles, and Acuvue are betting that blasts from the past will resonate with consumers.

Kristina Monllos
The mascot of Hellmann's, Manny Mayo, stands in front of a Las Vegas wedding chapel marquee.
Brand Strategy

Why brands like Ramp, Whataburger, and Hellmann’s are sponsoring weddings

To cut through culture and stand out, brands and their agencies are signing on to be wedding planners.

Kristina Monllos
two photos of actor Brian Baumgartner for a recent marketing effort for the brand Ramp
Social & Influencers

Inside the making of Ramp’s viral livestream with Brian Baumgartner

The B2B expense management platform planned an experiential activation that drew some 10,000 in-person attendees.

Kristina Monllos
A faux pregnancy test that Huggies made with a positive read for soccer tournament.
Brand Strategy

Exactly nine months out from the World Cup, Huggies wants consumers to ‘do it for the team’

A 90-minute playlist from the brand is designed to encourage would-be parents to have their parental leave line up with the soccer tournament.

Kristina Monllos
A woman taps on the glass of an Uber car window.
Brand Strategy

Can you fall in love before your Uber arrives?

With a new campaign from Mother New York, the rideshare company wants people to rethink how they see the brand.

Kristina Monllos