KIMP’s Picks October 24th: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

Winding down after the work week and feeling out of the loop with all the social media buzz? Let’s skip the doomscrolling and get straight to the highlights, shall we? Welcome to KIMP’s Picks – your weekly social media recap to catch up on all that matters. AI news you can’t miss, social media algorithm shifts that will change the way you browse your socials, marketing insights, and more – all wrapped up in a single post.

Are you ready to get your bite-sized updates for this week? Let’s get started with KIMP’s Picks October 24th Edition.

In the Marketing Realm 

The third wave of AI is here

Google’s recent post on X discusses the rise of agentic AI – the third wave of artificial intelligence and how this is transforming marketing. The article lays out a three-pillar blueprint for how companies should prepare – process, platforms, and people. 

For process, the advice is to start by automating simple, frequent tasks, and then progress to linking agents together to handle full workflows, such as trend-spotting feeding directly into creative generation. For platforms, it is about evolving the current tech stack with a future-proof agentic marketing stack. Finally, when it comes to people, it is about ensuring that the teams are in line with the evolving processes and platforms by redefining their roles and skills. 

An AWS outage nearly breaks the internet 

A recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage caused widespread chaos, demonstrating the fragility of the modern web. The disruption originated in the critical “US-EAST-1” data region, located in Northern Virginia. Not to forget, a similar AWS outage made headlines in 2020. 

A lot of people have been discussing how incidents like these remind us that the internet relies on a handful of tech companies. 

Netflix reports record ad-sales quarter

Reportedly, Netflix has hit major milestones in its advertising business. The company revealed its ad tier now boasts 94 million monthly active users globally, with users on the ad-supported plan averaging 41 hours per month.

Additionally, the company is now using generative AI to create a new, modular framework for ad formats. This innovative approach moves beyond traditional placements, leveraging AI to seamlessly blend advertisements into the aesthetic worlds of hit shows like Stranger Things or Wednesday. The goal is to make ads feel native and less disruptive to the viewing experience.

Netflix plans to test and roll out dozens of new formats by 2026. These will include interactive mid-roll ads and customized pause ads that incorporate overlays and calls to action. 

A creative self-care campaign 

Eos, the popular personal care brand, has launched its first digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaign by turning over 250 billboards into interactive, steamy shower scenes. This engaging effort promotes the brand’s Cashmere Body Washes and encourages a focus on self-care.

The campaign, titled “Windows of Self-Care”, uses digital screens in major cities like New York and Atlanta to show various characters enjoying a private shower moment. Viewers see the digital glass fog up with steam, before it clears to reveal someone singing, dancing, or simply unwinding.

This campaign showcases how creative, interactive out-of-home media can capture attention in busy urban environments. 

Brand USA unveils the ‘America the Beautiful’ campaign 

Brand USA has introduced a revolutionary new global tourism marketing initiative titled “America the Beautiful”. The campaign’s primary goal is to significantly increase international inbound travel to the United States. This effort is timed strategically to build momentum ahead of key 2026 events, including the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary.

The campaign marks a shift in focus, highlighting not just destinations but the diverse people, culture, and authentic experiences across the country. To support travelers, Brand USA also launched an AI-powered travel hub, AmericaTheBeautiful.com, available in multiple languages. 

This campaign underscores the growing importance of digital innovation and personalized experiences in destination marketing. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

Busting common video content myths 

YouTube recently shared a post debunking common myths that end up misleading content creators. To begin with, it’s no longer just about long-form videos. Short, engaging videos are gaining popularity. 

It also highlights how Shorts can now help with long-term growth and bring in new viewers. Moreover, the post also reminds creators that it’s more about the quality of videos and not quantity, and so there’s no pressure to post daily. Finally, not all videos on platforms like YouTube are shot with expensive gear. Authentic videos and a hint of creativity captured through smartphones are great to begin with. 

Time to rethink your content audit strategy 

Search Engine Journal shared a post discussing the evolution of content marketing and underscores the need for brands to rethink their content audit strategies. 

With the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-driven search, the traditional SEO content audit is outdated. Therefore, the article outlines a new, smarter model focused on content performance, business purpose, and visibility in these new AI-driven results.

It talks about a seven-step audit, which is performance and purpose-driven. The core of the strategy is scoring content based on the “3 P’s” – Purpose, Performance, and Potential for future visibility.

In the Design Realm 

Turning a burger brand into a cultural icon 

The Brand Identity discusses unique design projects in various segments. This recent post delves into the brand identity of a burger brand. 

This new identity successfully positions “One Burger” as a modern cultural icon by focusing on the burger’s dual status as both an everyday item and a symbol of unity. The brand strategy was built around the core idea that a perfectly crafted burger can bring people together.

Visually, the wordmark uses a customized Helvetica Neue typeface featuring a unique, burger-proportioned circular ‘O’. The brand chose to embrace red, the dominant color in the burger category, but developed a distinctive orange-red to stand out in the crowded fast food segment.

In the AI Realm 

OpenAI’s new AI-powered browser is here 

A lot has happened in the web browser segment recently. Weeks after the launch of Perplexity’s AI-powered browser, Comet, Microsoft revamped the Edge browser with deeper Copilot integration. Joining the league, OpenAI has announced its new AI-powered browser built for agentic workflows. Meet Atlas – a browser with ChatGPT deeply integrated into it. 

Currently available for macOS users on Free, Plus, Pro, and Go plans, Atlas offers features like browser memory, agent mode, and seamless task automation. Business and Enterprise users can access it in beta. 

Atlas allows users to interact with ChatGPT across the web without switching tabs or copying and pasting. Its browser memory feature enables ChatGPT to recall context from visited sites, enhancing personalized assistance. In addition to these features, Plus, Pro, and Business users also gain access to Agent Mode, where ChatGPT performs tasks in autopilot mode. These could be tasks like scheduling appointments and analyzing information. 

Conversing with ChatGPT outside of WhatsApp

Earlier, OpenAI introduced a way for users to interact with ChatGPT directly within WhatsApp. However, due to changes in WhatsApp’s policies and terms, ChatGPT will no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026. 

OpenAI is therefore encouraging users to transition to ChatGPT’s native platforms available on iOS, Android, web, and ChatGPT Atlas for macOS to continue their conversations. These platforms offer enhanced features such as voice interactions, deep research capabilities, and file uploads.

To ensure a smooth transition and retain chat history, users should link their WhatsApp number to their ChatGPT account before the cutoff date.

Tencent open-sources Hunyuan World 1.1

Tencent has released Hunyuan World 1.1 (WorldMirror), a universal feed-forward model for 3D reconstruction, expanding on its 1.0 version. While World 1.0 generated 3D worlds from text or single images, 1.1 can now turn videos or multiple images into fully consistent 3D environments. 

According to Tencnt, WorldMirror offers maximum flexibility by integrating diverse geometric data, such as camera poses and depth maps, to guarantee highly accurate and structurally consistent 3D results.

Google Sheets gets new AI-powered updates 

Google has rolled out a significant update to Gemini in Google Sheets. With this Gemini within Sheets will move beyond a simple helper to a powerful workflow automation partner. The AI can now understand and execute complex, multi-step tasks from a single natural language prompt. Users no longer need to break down complicated goals into a series of separate instructions.

You can now ask Gemini to perform multiple actions simultaneously, like creating dropdowns, inserting a calculated column, and freezing a header row, all in one go. These updates help improve the speed and efficiency of performing data cleaning. 

Claude Code is now accessible on the web 

Anthropic has launched Claude Code on the web. This means that developers can now manage coding tasks directly from their browser or mobile device. This new interface eliminates the need for terminal setups. Therefore, users can connect GitHub repositories, describe tasks, and let Claude handle the implementation. 

Each session operates in an isolated cloud environment, providing real-time progress tracking and the ability to adjust tasks as needed. This feature supports parallel task execution, making it ideal for bug fixes, routine updates, and backend changes.

Currently, the web version is available to Pro and Max subscribers, and Anthropic plans to extend access to Team and Enterprise users soon. 

Anthropic introduces Claude Skills 

Anthropic has unveiled Claude Skills, a new feature designed to enhance Claude’s ability to perform specialized tasks. Skills are organized folders containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude can load when needed. 

With this, Anthropic aims to create a modular approach that allows Claude to execute tasks more efficiently by accessing only the relevant information at the right time. For instance, when working with Excel spreadsheets or adhering to specific brand guidelines, Claude can utilize the appropriate skill to improve its performance.

Users can also customize their own sets of instructions, tailoring Claude to meet specific needs. Most importantly, these custom skills can be utilized across various platforms, including Claude apps, Claude Code, and the API.

Alibaba unveils new Qwen3-VL models

Alibaba Cloud has introduced the Qwen3-VL-2B and Qwen3-VL-32B models. These updated models bring powerful vision-language capabilities to a more compact and scalable format. 

They are designed for optimal performance per GPU memory, supporting deployment from edge devices to the cloud. The flagship Qwen3-VL-32B model shows remarkable strength, outperforming competitors like GPT-5 mini and Claude 4 Sonnet across a wide range of benchmarks.

Samsung Galaxy XR debuts 

Samsung has launched the Galaxy XR headset, positioning it as the first device built on the new Android XR platform developed with Google and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc..

With Gemini embedded at its core, these glasses are built to act as the ultimate multimodal AI companions. This integration enables natural, intuitive interactions using voice, vision, and gestures, moving beyond simple command-following. The powerful headset features a 4K Micro-OLED screen and is fueled by the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

Instagram introduces customizable app icons for Teen Accounts 

Instagram is introducing a fun, customizable app icon feature exclusively for its Teen Accounts. After the revamped privacy and security settings that Instagram has been adding to Teen Accounts, it’s now focusing on personalization. 

Teens can now select from six different aesthetic icons, including chrome, cosmic, and slime. These unique designs were created in collaboration with illustrator Carlos Oliveras Colom. 

The update is all about giving teens a way to personalize their experience and express their individual style. According to the artist, it’s a way to change the icon daily to match their mood or “the vibes” they are setting. To access the new icons, Teen Account users simply need to tap the “Instagram” logo at the top of their home screen.

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X launches a marketplace for unused handles 

X has launched the X Handle Marketplace, a solution for selling and redistributing inactive usernames. This feature is exclusively available to Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers. It aims to generate revenue and drive high-tier subscriptions. 

According to this launch, usernames are divided into two categories. Priority Handles are full names or multi-word phrases that can be requested for free by eligible subscribers. However, users will lose the handle if they cancel their high-tier subscription.

Secondly, there are Rare Handles, which are short and generic. These are acquired through either public drops based on merit or invitation-only direct purchases. 

Facebook introduces AI-powered recommendations for photo edits and collages 

Facebook has introduced a new feature that leverages AI to suggest edits and create collages from your photos and videos. As an opt-in tool, this one scans your camera roll to identify standout moments, like travel photos or even family gatherings, and enhances them with creative edits.

This makes it easier to share polished content without any design skills. According to Meta, all suggestions are private. Hence, you have full control over what gets shared and with whom. The feature is currently available in the U.S. and Canada, and is soon expanding to other regions as well.

Instagram’s Edits app gets some spooky updates 

Instagram has seamlessly integrated the Halloween theme into the Edits app with a whole range of spooky updates. New Halloween fonts and text effects, for instance, help you give your images that instant Halloween makeover. 

Instagram is also adding new scary sound effects to amplify the effect in your videos and easy Halloween-style restyling options for instant touch-ups. 

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YouTube expands AI Likeness Detection to all monetized channels 

YouTube is reportedly expanding its AI-powered Likeness Detection technology to all monetized channels. All creators enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program can now access this update. 

It is designed to help creators identify and manage videos that use their face, particularly those altered or generated by sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI). Creators can access this feature through the Content Detection tab within YouTube Studio after completing a brief identity verification process.

Once verified, the new dashboard displays unauthorized videos that match the creator’s facial likeness. Creators can then choose to request the video’s removal based on privacy violations, file a standard copyright claim, or simply archive the match without taking action.

X’s pay-per-use API is rolling out in beta 

X is rolling out a closed beta for its new pay-per-use API model, targeting both new developers and high-volume users building on the platform. Selected applicants will receive a $500 voucher to start building with the X API.

Alongside the pricing change, X is preparing a revamped developer experience with a redesigned Dev Console and broader access to platform capabilities. Only select developers and strong use cases will be accepted in this first wave, giving them early access before wider rollout.

On a Final Note…

With that quick recap, we are wrapping up the KIMP’s Picks October 24th Edition. Catching up on the highlights without the doomscrolling, so much more efficient, don’t you think? For more such updates delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for The KIMP Scoop newsletter. And check this space for the next edition coming your way next week!