Microsoft introduced a charming dog character named Rufus, who yearns to play with his dog friend from across the street while his humans are busy gaming, video conferencing and more. So while Rufus sleeps, he dreams that he’s setting out on a grand digital adventure with his friend. The spot aims to showcase the ways Microsoft's products keep people connected in quarantine.

Watch the ad featuring two very good dogs, and revisit the company’s 2019 holiday ad in which a girl converses with reindeer.

Need more wholesome holiday goodness? This Toyota ad celebrates togetherness and family with the story of a girl who has a simple Christmas wish.

Fall in love all over again: Watch the next chapter in the most iconic romance of the year.

Not quite a social network and more than a chat service, Discord has been around for a while, but it hit its stride during the pandemic. It was founded in 2015 as what many have called “Slack for gamers,” but its many servers (basically chat rooms) are dedicated to just about everything including memes, anime, podcasts, sports, movies—and of course NSFW topics. As people sought out more virtual ways to connect, its user base has surged to 100 million monthly active users. Its privacy features also attracted far-right groups, though Discord has since taken steps to combat them.

Learn how Discord has evolved, and where advertisers can fit in. 

Warner Bros. announced that it will release its entire 2021 theatrical slate of films—including the film adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune, and sequels such as Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad and Matrix 4—on HBO Max on the same days those films premiere in theaters. The movies will be available for a month on the streaming service in the U.S. before they revert to the usual theatrical-only schedule.

Entertainment stimulus: The company says it aims to support the struggling movie business by boosting hype around the films.

• Following a review that began this summer, Visa named Wieden+Kennedy and Publicis Groupe its global creative agencies of record. 
• Following the launch of a global customer experience network, Liz Roche will take on the role of general manager, chief strategy officer for Havas helia CX.
• MullenLowe has tapped Chris Denson, whose experience has spanned advertising, entertainment, technology, content creation and more, as the agency’s innovation director.

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights:

• The Atlantic Hires Wired’s Nick Thompson as CEO
• Lara Richardson Named CMO of Hallmark Channel’s Parent Company
• How Brands Have Adapted to Meeting Consumers Where They Are
• Discovery+ Doesn’t Want to be the Next Netflix. It’s Targeting Disney+ Instead
• Say Hello to Walgreens Advertising Group, the Latest Retail Media Network
• Women Are Stuck in Mid-Level Roles. Here’s How Corporate America Can Support Them

A woman plays Burt Bacharach’s What the World Needs Now on a piano. Then the camera zooms out to reveal her devastating and unexpected surroundings. This Red Cross PSA from BBDO offers a simple microcosm of disaster and illustrates the resilience of the human spirit through even the worst of times. Watch now.

In honor of CMO Moves 150th episode, we are going LIVE for the very first time and we want you to be a part of the conversation for this very special event! "The Business of Marketing" is on the table and we'll dive deep into the intersectionality of Marketing, Finance, Technology, HR, and the Board Room. Leading CMOs, including GE's Linda Boff, Lowe's Marisa Thalberg, Mondelez's Martin Renaud, former Global CMO of Facebook Antonio Lucio and more, will shed light on what it takes to be a well-rounded marketing business leader.

Save your virtual seat and join us Dec. 9th at 11am EST.

The immersive tech is a natural fit for the dimension-hopping fantasy series.

The DTC brand wants to tackle another dental care item.

Freshman shows have traditionally failed to capitalize on that high-profile spot.

Categories were adjusted this year to account for the pandemic's effects.

For a U.S. 5G launch, T-Mobile and OnePlus tasked fans to find IRL pop-up stores.

Lands' End was the first apparel maker to sell online in 1995.