HarperCollins, Fox Strike Content-Sharing Deal

Times are tough in the tween bling business. Claire’s — long a mall-based beacon of ear piercing and bedazzled barrettes — has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. It’s the second time the brand has sought bankruptcy protection, having last done so in 2018. The company operates more than 2,700 stores in 17 countries, including nearly 200 Icing stores — a more mature concept it has been working to expand. In recent years, Claire’s has tried to evolve, launching marketing efforts aimed at a new generation of shoppers. But declining sales, a burdensome debt load, and rising tariff-driven costs in its supply chain have proven too difficult to overcome. The move doesn’t come as a surprise. Claire’s had reportedly been in discussions about restructuring options for weeks. Still, the bankruptcy signals just how difficult the current retail environment has become — especially for mall-dependent retailers already struggling to stay relevant with younger consumers.

Are you a faceless brand? Are you talking to your customer in an authentic, meaningful way? Studies in neuroscience have proven that 95% of all buying decisions are driven by emotion, not logic. We’re all drawn to products or brands for much deeper, primal reasons. Hear from J.Schmid President and CCO, Brent Niemuth, on what those primal reasons are and what you and your brand can do to appeal to deeper emotional instincts.

The Institute for Advertising Ethics (IAE), which in February announced it was expanding its curriculum and certification program to include so-called "greenwashing" prevention, this morning unveiled a new "Greenwash Prevention Toolkit" to help individuals and companies in the ad industry avoid the practice. The toolkit includes a new "Environmental Advertising Integrity Checklist," a guide on "Prevention Mechanisms," and a template for planning strategies over windows ranging from 30-days to one year.