Coca-Cola’s AI-powered José Mourinho campaign could signal a shift in celebrity partnerships

Brands used to rent a celebrity’s likeness for a campaign. The TV spot was shot, photos were taken and the rental agreement ended when the cameras stopped rolling. Now, marketers are turning talent into always on, hyperpersonalized digital personas using AI.

Take The Coca-Cola Company. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola announced the launch of a “José vs. Mourinho” social content series. But instead of featuring José Mourinho, the incoming manager of the Real Madrid soccer team, the series will be hosted by Mourinho’s AI clone.

From celeb rentals to always-on digital personas

Mourinho’s so-called digital twin is the brain child of Coca-Cola, Footballco media company, and entertainment studio and management company GRAiL. It’s powered by Google Cloud. The team worked directly with Mourinho to capture new audio and video to build the technology, said a spokesperson for the brand.

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.

,Read More

The state of AI in media | How AI is transforming the business side of publishing

This State of the Industry report, produced in partnership with Piano, explores how publishers are adopting AI on the business side of their organizations, specifically what applications they use, the challenges they encounter and the AI investments they’re prioritizing.

AI tools are rapidly reshaping how media companies operate, from subscription marketing and ad sales to audience development and product management. Publishers are increasingly adopting AI across business functions tied to revenue, audience growth and operations. 

A January 2026 report from Digiday+ Research found that publisher adoption of AI tools has more than doubled from 2022 to 2025, reflecting how quickly AI has become embedded in media companies’ workflows and operational strategies as it moves from an experimental role to a more central position in day-to-day workflows.

In this new State of the Industry report, Digiday and Piano surveyed 80 publisher respondents to understand how publishers are adopting AI on the business side of their organizations — not in the newsroom, but across the teams responsible for revenue, audience growth and operations.

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.

,Read More