A New Lawsuit Says Google Can't Pass Go

This week we're covering:

• ⚖️ Google’s Going Back to Court
• 👏 The NAB Actually Applauded the FCC
• 🎥 Creative Spotlight: De’Longhi: “De'Longhi Perfetto”
• 🤔 Nike’s New Slogan Gets Philosophical

PubMatic Takes Aim at Google's Ad Empire 

PubMatic has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of illegally monopolizing the adtech market and seeking damages that could reach into the billions.

The supply-side platform argues that Google’s dominance blocked its ability to compete fairly. CEO Rajeev Goel said that Google’s practices prevented PubMatic from winning auctions it should have won, which meant less revenue for publishers and slower growth for the company.

Why this matters

The case follows a major win for the Department of Justice in May, when a federal judge ruled that Google operated an illegal monopoly in ad exchanges and ad servers. That case now moves into its remedies phase, where the DOJ is pushing for a breakup of Google’s ads business.

Google has dismissed the claims as “meritless,” saying advertisers and publishers use its tools because they are effective and easy to operate. But regulators are circling. Just last week, the European Commission fined Google $3.5 billion for adtech practices that violated competition law.

The domino effect

PubMatic isn’t the only one pressing its case. OpenX filed a similar suit last month, alleging that Google manipulated bids, favored its own technology, and limited publishers’ ability to set competitive prices. Both companies argue that these tactics raised costs for advertisers and reduced choice across the ecosystem.

PubMatic’s legal team at Hueston Hennigan is seeking both financial compensation and structural changes. Goel said the goal is to restore competition, transparency, and innovation across digital advertising.

If courts force Google to change how its ad stack operates, it could open the door to more competitive pricing, greater transparency, and stronger alternatives in programmatic buying. With federal courts already acknowledging monopolistic behavior, these private suits are the next test of whether the ad market can be reshaped into something more open and accountable.

Read More:

• PubMatic Expects 'Billions' in Damages After Filing Antitrust Suit Against Google - AdWeek

TV Industry Updates

• Ownership shake-up: The NAB applauded the FCC’s move to begin its delayed 2022 Quadrennial Ownership Review, a process that could reshape local TV.

• Cord-cutting continued: Pay-TV subscriptions fell for the ninth year in a row, dropping to just 34.4% penetration by the end of 2024.

• Agency under fire: Horizon Media is being sued in federal court by two executives alleging discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment.

• Virtual newsroom: CBS Atlanta announced the debut of a fully immersive AR/VR news operation set for September 15.

• FTC drama: The Supreme Court blocked the reinstatement of FTC Commissioner Slaughter, granting the Trump administration’s emergency petition.

• Ad-tech clash: Analytics firm Adalytics urged a federal judge to dismiss DoubleVerify’s defamation lawsuit, arguing its report was protected speech.

Creative Spotlight: De’Longhi: “De'Longhi Perfetto”

De’Longhi teamed up with Brad Pitt and director Taika Waititi for a humorous ad that reimagined the coffee machine’s instructions as a lesson in achieving the perfect “Perfetto” moment.

The details:

The campaign, ‘The Perfetto Instructions for Use,’ marked a pivot for the brand, moving from product-centric ads to narrative, culture-driven storytelling.

Directed by Taika Waititi, the spot featured Brad Pitt exploring a comedic role for the first time in his work for De’Longhi.

Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio provided the narration, guiding Pitt through the ritual of making coffee and struggling to pronounce “Perfetto.”

What We Loved: Watching Pitt lean into humor and stumble over “Perfetto” gave the luxury brand a playful edge that made the ad both approachable and memorable.

Performance marketers, meet your new secret weapon

Meet Guaranteed Outcomes is tvScientific’s new webinar for marketers who need to scale results, not just impressions.

In just 30 minutes, we’ll walk through why Performance TV is outperforming other digital channels, how AI is optimizing campaigns in real time, and why our no-risk model is transforming media buying.

🚀 Register now

Holiday campaigns are already in motion

Introducing The Nice List: your one-stop shop for holiday marketing resources, tools, and inspiration. Consider it your holiday prep HQ, where you’ll find:

The 2025 Holiday Advertising Trends Report, which includes insights from 600+ marketers on how brands are planning, spending, and measuring success this season.

What’s Driving Holiday Ad Performance in 2025?, a tvScientific x Adweek webinar that breaks down how marketers are adapting strategies in real time.

And more content to drive your 2025 holiday advertising strategy.

🎄 Explore Holiday Resources

Marketing Mix

• Why do it?: Nike reframed its iconic slogan with a new campaign that asks “Why Do It?”, a cultural reset aimed at anxious young athletes.

• Audio on the main stage: The New York Times announced its retirement of the standalone Audio app, folding podcasts and audio journalism into the News app.

• Behind every baby: Pampers launched its “Behind Every Baby” campaign over the NFL’s opening weekend, using social-first activations to reach young parents.

• Full-time fans: Modelo increased spend by 20% for its largest-ever college football activation, bringing back “The Recruiter” and QR-based giveaways.

• For the love of love: Bumble’s new campaign leaned into timeless romance with black-and-white ads of real couples, a soft pivot to counter dating app fatigue.

• Search skepticism: A Gartner survey showed more than half of consumers are wary of AI search, with 61% wishing they could turn off AI-generated summaries.