Run club cred without running? 👀
Plus: Massive AI developments for Meta advertising & where the heck is the Back to the Future guitar?
Welcome back, Scanner!
What’s your dream summer vacation? If you said a trip to Ireland, sponsored by Kerrygold Butter, unfortunately, that ship has sailed (and you’re oddly specific about your vacation goals). No matter, there’s still lots of time for you to watch the new season of Love Island, cheer on the Oilers, or re-listen (guilt-free) to Taylor Swift’s Masters. If you’re in the mood for a bit of light reading, this new edition of SCAN 👀 CLUB is packed with the season’s hottest signals. As always, we’d love to hear what’s on your radar in the comments below.
Let’s go!
📅 CURRENT
Fully Generated AI Ads Are Coming to Meta
What’s changing?
Meta plans to allow brands to create and target advertisements using their AI tools by the end of 2026. Currently, the AI-driven tools help advertisers create personalized ad variations, change things like image backgrounds, and automate adjustments to video ads. Now, they’re taking things a step further. In theory, a brand will be able to provide a product image and budget, and Meta’s AI tools will take it from there. The AI will create the ad (which includes image, video, and text) and determine user targeting on both Instagram and Facebook. Users will be able to personalize the ads further, using AI, so that different customers would see different ad variations (based on things like geolocation, for example). The end goal is to create an AI “one-stop shop” where businesses can simply allocate budgets and the platform can handle the rest. This isn’t the only AI-advertising signal we’re following. Netflix has also announced that AI-generation mid-roll ads will be available in 2026, and YouTube recently revealed its new Gemini-powered ad tech.
Why does it matter?
Social media is moving away from being distribution channels to full-service advertising solutions. This move by Meta digs advertisers deeper into platform dependency. Could this move improve ads, making them more relevant through hyper-personalization, or will they feel “obviously AI?” For marketers, could this mean less time is spent on ad creation and more on strategy, insights, and performance optimization? Does this lower the barrier to entry for small businesses? There are a lot of potential implications here.
What could happen next?
How does work change for creators and influencers in a world where AI generates authentic-looking content from scratch? Will brands reduce their reliance on human creators for certain advertising content? Will people like these ads, or do they risk feeling so hyper-personalized that they appear invasive or even creepy? If that happens, will users leave these platforms? If we think about the future, where else could these AI-ads evolve? Could they detect mood (imagine your “crash out” ads…)? And, as these ads begin to flood the market, will creativity become a stronger standout feature of working with “human-built” advertising? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Scan-o-meter: 📅 📅 📅 📅 📅 / 5
😲 SURPRISING
This Lazy App Charges You to Fake Runs
What’s changing?
FakeMyRun, aka the dream app of lazy millennials everywhere, is just what it sounds like: An app that lets you trick platforms like Strava into making it look like you worked out. As the app claims, “FakeMyRun lets you draw custom, realistic running routes. Run anywhere, anytime, in any shape. Generate GPX files in one click.” The kicker? You need to PAY to download your GPX file (which you then upload to apps like Strava). Claimed to be purely for entertainment and fun, FakeMyRun encourages users to review the terms of any apps they may upload their GPX files to as “tracking runs” in certain countries, like North Korea, is forbidden.
Why does it matter?
Okay, why did this both have our jaws on the floor and feel kind of like an “ah well” moment at the same time? The distinction between what is real anymore is blurring more than ever. Now, this idea of faking something as unimportant as a run is an option. Strava has components of being a social media app, and just like any other social platform, that means it is vulnerable to humans manipulating their content. FakeMyRun is just one clear example of the lengths people will go to to appear a certain way online. Is this a response to the performative nature of running (where people want to get the dopamine of using more apps)? Does it skew consumer behavior online in a big way for advertisers? Does the gamification of these apps deeply alter what we feel is appropriate online behavior?
What could happen next?
Alright, so if we’re going as far as faking our runs, what does this do to the state of trust online? Will livestreaming become more standard, where fans expect a live element to content to feel (at least some) trust? Will biometric data become more deeply integrated into campaigns, where brands use data from products like the Apple Watch or Oura ring to make content difficult to fake? Will we see apps like Strava evolve to update in live time and not allow uploads? As fake content becomes more sophisticated (because it will), will brands need to layer multiple verification methods to maintain credibility? Or will the need for credibility dissolve? Have you faked content? Let us know in the comments below.
Scan-o-meter: 😲😲😲 / 5
🎯 SPECIFIC
Where the Heck is the Back to the Future Guitar?
What’s changing?
Elder millennials might remember when Marty McFly traveled to the futuristic year of 2015… (Stay with us, Gen Z). If you are of an age bracket to have watched the movie, you’ve likely also blurred that piece of information from your memory. Regardless, Back to the Future is on the radar again as a search begins for the guitar that McFly famously played at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance in the movie. The guitar is a cherry red ES-345 Gibson. If you’re thinking, “WTF, why should I care about this vintage guitar??” Here’s why: Gibson recently announced that they are looking for the guitar in a massive new audience-driven campaign. If found, the guitar will feature in a documentary Gibson is producing, aptly titled Lost to the Future. Why is the guitar even lost? It actually was a rental that was returned after filming completed, and from there – no one knows for sure where it went.
Why does it matter?
Gibson’s campaign around the lost guitar is really fun. It requires crowdsourced marketing content (with things like a 1-800 number to call in with tips). It gamified their upcoming documentary, turning regular fans into detectives and brand ambassadors. This, in turn, creates great organic engagement for the campaign and encourages people to engage with content actively. Gibson is leaning into storytelling and shared moments; opting to build a narrative instead of just an ad. It creates lore that can be revisited even in the future. The many touchpoints of the campaign drive it home, between the documentary, website, 1-800 number, and social media – it’s rich in medium. Plus, it creates a marketing moment that doesn’t feel like marketing. Audiences are co-creators, not just a target demo.
What could happen next?
Will we see more gamification in this way by other brands? Puzzles, scavenger hunts, or mysteries around their product history? It comes naturally for legacy brands, but could new brands also find ways to begin storytelling and creating their own lore (Duolingo comes to mind)? Will we see more hype built around discontinued products or forgotten prototypes? What about increased participatory entertainment, where audiences are encouraged to engage in new and unique ways? Imagine this rolling out across industries: We’re picturing Netflix streaming shows being selected by subscribers, brands using AI to create products their community wants, and campaigns that use brand lore to sell.
Scan-o-meter: 🎯🎯🎯/ 5
🔍 TREND REPORT IRL
Updates from our Trend Forecast
We recently shared our second Trend Report with you! As the year goes on, we’ll continue investigating signals that further the conversation around our two forecasts. Here’s what we’re watching this week:
People want to be seen: Uber launches a simplified UI for the elderly.
People want shared moments: Meet the 11-year-old designer dressing celebrities like Pharrell.
People want ease: Would you attend a “Dark Retreat?
Want more trend news? Check out What (Digital) Audiences Want In 2025!
🤔 BEFORE YOU GO
To help keep these signals top-of-mind, we share 1 question to ask yourself (or your team) in each edition. Your question to mull on this week is:
See you next time 👋