From the Breakroom

Our in-house creative team weighs on which Super Bowl 2025 ads were their favorites, from tender moments to star-studded spots.

There’s no sugar coating it; the mood going into the 2024 Paris Olympic games felt off. The previous summer games in 2020 were mired by unease and protocol over a global pandemic, and it seemed like the press wasn’t sure if the Parisian infrastructure or its citizens would be hospitable to the swarming crowds. Perhaps the world just didn’t care about the Olympic Games anymore. Fortunately…the data told a different story.

From selling out arenas to securing major endorsement deals, female athletes have been making waves across the US in the past year. Nowhere is that more evident than Team USA, which has the highest number of female athletes at the summer games with 338 participants. Many of them have already delivered unforgettable performances. Here are the athletes we’ll still be following long after the games are over.

Richly symbolic, colorfully elegant, and tastefully minimalist, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics branding celebrates the Games and French history through a dynamic visual landscape. Athena’s Associate Creative Director Lindsay Muir takes a deep dive into the visual system’s key components and symbolism.

From #Barbenheimer to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes, 2023 was a lively year in the cinematic world. Drawing attention to the best and worst in the movie business, #AcademyAwards engagement with the industry both on and off the screen was more dynamic than usual. But did the enhanced level of interest translate to a boost in social media chatter with Hollywood’s biggest night? Spoiler alert…Yes it did.

The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the title yet again, but the real winners of Super Bowl 2024 were the commercials. Athena’s creative agency took time away from the game-day buffet to share their picks for the night’s smartest ads.

As we embark on a decade in business, we have a renewed perspective on how the next 10 years will unfold. In honor of our 10th anniversary, Athena is launching a new company-wide philanthropic initiative.

Whether industry news, economic trends, or global stories, we like to stay informed about what’s going on in the world. Now, we’re excited to share with you what we’re reading and why every Monday.