Long have fans been at war over the superiority of either Star Wars or Star Trek, and in a new series of Uber Eats ads, that battle reignites. Star Wars’ Mark Hamill and Star Trek’s Sir Patrick Stewart face one another in a series of epic (but also charmingly humorous) standoffs over intense games like air hockey and Connect Four. 

Watch: No tomatoes, or extra to-mah-toes?

The striking and harrowing PSA “Back-to-School Essentials” from Sandy Hook Promise and BBDO New York earned the Emmy for Outstanding Commercial this year. [Watch the ad here.] The ad contrasts back-to-school messaging against school shootings by depicting safety measures as essential and terrifying elements of students’ prep. 

Emmy nominations: Find out which other ads were in the running for the top prize.

Related: The 2020 Emmys went just as Jimmy Kimmel foretold: The show lost 25% of its audience from last year in the coveted adults 18-49 demo, falling to a record-low rating.

Twitter has once again leveraged the voices of the users on its platform to promote the use of masks amid the pandemic. A new outdoor campaign features humorous and positive tweets about mask-wearing on billboards, murals, landmarks and sidewalks across the country. It’s also added the mask emoji to DM reactions and to the #WearAMask hashtag to boost awareness.

Walking the walk: Twitter will also give away free masks, all in an effort to fight “caution fatigue.”

The past few months have been a challenging period for nearly everyone, but none more so than those who have experienced loss during this time. Kat Gordon, founder of The 3 Percent Movement, suddenly lost her long-time creative partner, Marguerite Lutton, in August. In a Voice piece, she shared her experience and thoughts for others who have lost close friends and family recently. “When you lose someone who was your collaborator on countless past projects, you also lose the possibility to collaborate with them on a single future project.”

How to cope: Gordon offers three tips for creatives inspired by Lutton’s legacy.

Amid the threat of a ban for both apps, WeChat saw 110,000 U.S. installs on Friday and Saturday, 1,058% week-over-week increase. TikTok raked in 700,000 U.S. installs, though that number was down 11% from the same time last week. The biggest spike for TikTok—which reached an agreement with partners Oracle and Walmart that prevented Trump from enacting his threatened ban of downloads after Sunday—was back in March, following the initial Covid-19 shutdown. 

Still, Trump’s threats to ban the app were the talk of Tok this weekend.

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights

• Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Release Covid-19 Safety Guidelines for Cruises
• As Apparel Retailers Struggle, Walmart Grabs for More Market Share With New Private Label Brand
• Century 21’s Bankruptcy Shows the Limits of Off-Price, New York-Exclusive Categories
• Prudential Hires a New CMO, Adds New Chief Market Development Officer Role
• IBM Is Teaming Up With Nielsen for New Post-Cookie Ad Targeting Options

A TikTok account called “Help Locker” is educating Gen Z about how to stay safe and recognize the dangers and signs of child trafficking and exploitation attempts. The account, launched by BBDO Atlanta senior art director Lauren Culbertson and senior copywriter Emily Miller, is the latest collaboration between the agency and nonprofit Street Grace.

Register for Marketing in 2020: Getting to a Data Driven Mindset, a live virtual event on September 23, 3-4PM EST. Learn how marketers are embracing a data-driven mindset to drive better outcomes and gain share for their businesses. RSVP today.

It could be more harmful than the projected effects of GDPR and CCPA.

Knowing how to deal with data and humanity applies to brand marketing, too.

Teledentistry startup Candid wants consumers to know the city isn’t dead.

Owners are focusing more on their animals' health and well-being.

Though the Continental is driving into the sunset, young drivers are discovering the brand.

The retailer has a new plan to become 'regenerative' and protect 50 million acres of land.