Leo Hartmann
Editorial byline
Leo Hartmann is an editorial byline for Film and Pen, with a focus on Advertising, Media Industry, Marketing Technology. Biographical credentials and external profiles are published only after verification.
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Coverage Areas
Latest Articles
Navigating Co-op Advertising: Vertical vs. Horizontal Models for Local Media Sales
Cooperative advertising allows local businesses and media sellers to extend marketing budgets by sharing ad costs. Understanding the distinct vertical (manufacturer-retailer) and horizontal (peer-to-peer) models is key to optimizing these shared marketing efforts.
Sep 28, 2026 · 5 min read
California Governor Signs Bill Expanding Film Tax Credits
In 2025, California's Film and TV tax credit program will more than double from $330 million to $750 million, signaling an aggressive push to keep Hollywood at home, according to gov .
Sep 20, 2026 · 6 min read
Marketing AI fails to cut costs due to internal roadblocks
Despite pouring millions into AI pilots, many marketing departments see zero return.
Sep 20, 2026 · 3 min read
Film Industry Urges Congress to Pass Federal Production Tax Incentive
A new study projects that a federal tax incentive for domestic film production in 2026 could increase the U.
Sep 19, 2026 · 4 min read
Pinterest Rolls Out Visual Search Ads to Boost Performance Marketing
Pinterest, a platform once known primarily for inspiration, has just unveiled visual search ads powered by NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, aiming to capture users at the precise moment they are ready to buy.
Sep 18, 2026 · 3 min read
OpenAI's ChatGPT Ads Spur New Conversational Advertising Strategies
In less than 200 days, ChatGPT Ads reached a staggering $1 billion annualized revenue run rate.
Sep 17, 2026 · 3 min read
How Do Programmatic Advertising Platforms Work and Impact Marketing?
Global programmatic ad spend is projected to reach nearly $800 billion USD by 2028, fundamentally altering how advertising capital is deployed.
Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Federal film tax credit promises major economic boost and job creation
U.S. film and TV production would double by 2032 if Congress passes a federal film incentive, estimates the Motion Picture Association . This expansion would significantly increase domestic content cr
Sep 16, 2026 · 3 min read
OpenAI Unveils New ChatGPT Ad Format for Select Clients
An e-commerce advertiser recently achieved a 3x return on ad spend over 28 days by engaging customers directly within ChatGPT through OpenAI's new AI-native ad format.
Sep 15, 2026 · 3 min read
AI Buying Platforms Drive Enterprise Procurement Beyond Automation
The AI in procurement market is projected to swell to $7.
Sep 13, 2026 · 3 min read
Congress drafts 20% federal film TV tax credit production incentives
Members of Congress are drafting legislation for a 20% federal film and TV incentive, with potential bonuses raising it to 30%, marking a significant shift from state-by-state competition, according t
Sep 12, 2026 · 4 min read
What are film tax credits and why do they matter for production location?
Despite states like California more than doubling the value of its film incentives to $750 million per year, studies show these programs rarely lead to a statistically significant increase in local fi
Sep 12, 2026 · 4 min read
Amazon Ads Partners with OpenAI to Integrate Ads into ChatGPT
By the end of August 2026, advertising within ChatGPT had already crossed a $1 billion annualized run rate, just months after its initial rollout, according to PPC Land .
Sep 11, 2026 · 5 min read
AI is making creative media jobs harder, not easier, by 2026.
To stand out in an era of AI-generated perfection, human artists are now pushed to create "worse" art, embracing deliberate incompetence and confusion.
Sep 11, 2026 · 2 min read
Andrew Robertson named Omnicom Advertising CEO, succeeding Ruhanen
After more than two decades, Troy Ruhanen is retiring as CEO of Omnicom Advertising, effective immediately.
Sep 10, 2026 · 3 min read
Generative AI: Adobe's Role Amid Creator Backlash
Hank Green, an education creator with millions of followers, faced significant backlash for admitting to using AI in his research.
Sep 10, 2026 · 4 min read
New CTV Measurement Tools & Attribution Models
Nearly 47% of US brand and agency marketers prioritize attribution and measurement for 2025, according to Adtelligent.
Sep 10, 2026 · 4 min read
AI's New Frontier: Testing Ads in Minutes, Not Weeks
At System1, a new AI-powered tool evaluates up to 100 long-form advertising assets in minutes, a speed that belies a growing counter-trend in ad creative.
Sep 10, 2026 · 3 min read
What is the role of a media planner in 2026 advertising?
The biggest shift in modern media planning isn't just about where advertisements appear, but a core move away from platform-reported metrics towards causally measured incrementality to validate which
Sep 9, 2026 · 3 min read
How AI is Changing Advertising Measurement in 2026
A recent Similarweb study found that brands recommended by ChatGPT were 2.
Sep 9, 2026 · 6 min read