When Labubu made it big in America this summer, it wasn’t just because it caught on with kids.

The fuzzy little demon toys, made by Chinese company Pop Mart, also became the hottest accessory for adults, prominently displayed on designer handbags, showed off on TikTok, and spotted on many a favorite celeb. That cultural pizzazz has helped more than double the company’s revenue, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Pop Mart isn’t the first to tap into the American “kidult” audience, and it’s not likely to be the last. Brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels from toy giant Mattel have long catered to an adult audience of toy appreciators and nostalgia-seekers, and other brands are jumping in: In 2023, doll company Bratz introduced an animated series that particularly pleased grown-up fans, while Trixie Mattel’s Trixie Cosmetics debuted a campaign and makeup collection with the Teletubbies in May.

The customer that possesses both childlike wonder and grown-up spending power is a key target for many brands, and it’s a market that’s poised to keep going, Juli Lennett, VP and toys industry advisor at research firm Circana, told us.

“Ever since the pandemic, the adult market for toys has been the growth area for the toy industry,” Lennett said. “When there are times of stress, which it feels like we’re getting into that even now, consumers do tend to lean into when they were children and lean into toys.”

Keep reading here.—JN

Everyone’s talking about that Coldplay jumbotron couple, but here’s something slightly more worthwhile to focus on.

The internet ad market in the US grew 14.9% last year to $258.6 billion, significantly more than the 7.3% growth it saw in 2023, according to a new report from the consulting firm PwC.

The report, released last week, projects an 8.5% compound annual growth rate for the internet ad market through 2029, bringing the total value to $389.1 billion by the end of the decade, and noted particularly strong growth in social, retail media, and connected TV.

While it may not be nearly as spicy a subject as an apparent coworker affair, the report lays out several important advertising growth areas and trends, which we dug into below.

For You page: Digital video continued to gobble up ad dollars in 2024, increasing 19.2% year over year to $62.1 billion, the report read. That growth came in part from short-form video: revenue from video ads that appeared within social media feeds, which PwC dubbed “social outstream video advertising revenue,” grew 19.7% in 2024 to $27.4 billion.

Keep reading here.—JS

In June, Sen. Maggie Hassan sent public letters to grocery giants Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Dollar General, and Albertsons asking them to quantify the impact of President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

In a statement, Hassan wrote that while experts have pointed to the possibility of tariffs in general driving up prices, “grocery retailers themselves have provided little public information about the potential harms of steel and aluminum tariffs.”

Now the Democratic senator is looking for specifics, such as how exactly the tariffs could disrupt supply chains, raise costs, and impact jobs.

Coming up with clear answers to these questions could prove a challenge, however, as many retailers simply don’t have a firm grasp on how steel and aluminum imports—or other material inputs for that matter—fit into their cost structures.

“The challenge, especially on the derivative side, is trying to figure out what the value of the steel or aluminum in that finished product is,” Jonathan Gold, VP of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—AV

Your inbox isn’t the only place for Marketing Brew. The Refill serves up the week’s sharpest marketing stories, narrated by AI and brewed for your earbuds. In the latest episode, find out why American Eagle partnered with Sydney Sweeney for its largest campaign to date, learn about the risks of brands jumping in on viral moments in pop culture—like the Coldplay concert couple—and discover why some toy brands are focused on tapping into the “kidults” segment.

Catch the latest episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your audio media.