The Agora

March 26, 2026 By: Pia Cho Courtesy of Katelyn Perry via Unsplash The History of Political Marketing; a Remarkable Fluidity Across Eras Political marketing has been a transformative process throughout eras. From the Behistun Inscription  in 515 BCE, to the digital revolution of the 20th century, political marketing has undertaken evolving mediums to keep up with technological advancements and support the volatile nature of international affairs and political dynamics. It is i

March 12, 2026 By Fay Hong Courtesy of Paramount Pictures Highway to the Danger Zone Among the many industries battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, few were hit harder than cinema. When a global health crisis forces people to stay home, an industry built on drawing audiences into crowded theaters was bound to suffer. U.S. domestic box office revenue took a nosedive between 2019 and 2020, falling from roughly  $11.3 billion to about $2.1 billion .  Yet by 2022, the numbers told

February 2, 2026 By Andre Lo Courtesy of Alex Koroloff via Unsplash One of the main goals of any sports league is growth,  to expand the audience of the sport and grow the global profile of the game. Leagues will always seek to attract prospective fans by breaking into new markets. They tend to do this through one of two ways, either through expansion (where brand new franchises are created in entirely untapped markets) or relocation (which moves struggling and flailing franc

January 31, 2026 By: Maya Shah Courtesy of Unsplash, Edited by Maya Shah If a brand’s only nod to Hispanic consumers happens during Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s not inclusion, it’s convenience. Extra points if the campaign slaps random Spanish words in the copy (bonus if it features familia, cultura, or fiesta) and some little graphics of only Mexican dishes or attire (sombreros, tacos, guac, we get it). There are more than 65 million Hispanics in the U.S. coming from 20 uni

December 10, 2025 By: Fay Hong Courtesy of PopMart If you’ve been anywhere on the internet in the past year, you’ve probably heard of PopMart. And if you somehow haven’t, you’ve almost certainly seen their most popular line, Labubu. Whether you stumbled into Blindbox-Unboxing-Tok,  heard the vocal-stim-core Labubu theme song somewhere, or spotted someone walking around with a PopMart charm dangling from their bag (Hi!), the odds that this brand has crossed your path are high.

December 8, 2025 By: Neil Zhou (Special E-board Feature) "No one had to market Michael Jordan. I marketed myself by what I did on the court. What I did on the floor drove the marketing, not the other way around. The Jordan Brand was driven by what I did every night playing the game.” – Michael Jordan. As an avid NBA fan, I’ve seen my fair share of ads featuring basketball players. It started with binge-watching endless Footlocker and H.E.B. ad compilations back in middle scho

December 5, 2025 By Kaiden Vo and Sabrina Roach In the wild of the technological landscape, the Apple ecosystem reigns supreme.  Colloquially, the term “Apple ecosystem” spawns the image of a student hard at work, surrounded by Apple products too numerous to name. Apple iPhones lead to Apple iPads lead to AirPods. It is a marketing scheme that has drifted into pop culture. Through a well-crafted campaign, Apple has made sure the consumer never stops at just one. Yet, accordin

December 1, 2025 By Brady Shea Courtesy of Claudio Schwarz  via Unsplash Today, digital trends disappear in an instant, and brands face a scary reality: cultural visibility is fleeting. A viral moment today can become irrelevant tomorrow. And yet, there’s one eternal force that seems to guarantee attention – controversy . If handled correctly, a controversy isn’t always destructive to a brand; sometimes, it can reframe or even humanize it.  From Virality to Cultural Imprint I

December 1, 2025 By: Kaiden Vo Courtesy of Garv Chaplot via Unsplash In a world where digital marketing is at an all-time high and only continuing to grow, it becomes easy to overlook the power of in-person strategies. One example of in-person marketing that still persists strongly is on-the-ground marketing, specifically on college campuses, where brand representatives stand at booths, hand out samples, and interact directly with potential consumers. Across university and co

By Elina Lee, Maya Shah & Julia Zhou ' Welcome to our special magazine edition on ALO’s evolution from activewear staple to luxury lifestyle brand. This digital issue blends deep dives, visual storytelling, and cultural analysis, told through three distinct perspectives from women with different priorities, featuring visuals captured by our own writers.

November 20, 2025 By: Sabrina Roach In case you haven’t noticed, the world is in the midst of a technological revolution. A box in your house is always listening to you . You can live out your dreams of recording people without their consent with the new Meta smart glasses . And of course, AI: there are AI-generated and AI-centric ads galore, from the subway  to your television screen . We are truly emerging into a new golden age. But maybe you haven’t noticed the world is ch

November 11, 2025 By: Amanda Wang (Study Abroad Special) Courtesy of the author After living in London for a little over two months, I’ve found myself spending my fair share of time wandering around the city’s many department stores. From Harrods and Selfridges to Liberty and Fortnum & Mason, these glamorous, curated centerpieces are home to endless displays of trinkets, clothes, food, and so much more. They are some of the city’s most magnetic places. Even on a quiet weekday

October 28, 2025 By: Fay Hong Courtesy of Mark König via Unsplash.com Jolly ‘ol gifts galore As the few trees left in the heart of New York City turn sunset orange and acorn brown, and the temperature dips into the fifties, it can only mean one thing… the holiday season is near. But beyond the colorful lights and flying reindeer, this time of year is defined by giving. Buying and giving loved ones gifts is a pillar of the holiday season, as much of the population, myself incl

May 1, 2025 By: Eva Zhong Courtesy of Nina Rivas via Unsplash.com A Minecraft Movie , the highly anticipated adventure-comedy produced by...

Apr 31, 2025 By: Julia Zhou When you think of celebrity brands, the usual story goes like this: a famous face slaps their name on a...

Apr 28, 2025 By: Sonakshi Gupta Think of the last time you opened Netflix — that sharp, cinematic ta-dum  hits before any visuals do. Or...

Apr 28, 2025 By: Jocelyn Ho Installation view, Diorama, La Galerie Dior, Paris. Courtesy of Kristen Pelou Paris has always been the...

Apr 25, 2025 By: Catherine Xue Location: Monopoly Graffiti Mural, 213 Bowery, New York Image courtesy of my phone Marketing is ever...

Apr 17, 2025 By: Julia Zhou When you open Netflix, there’s always something ready for your mood, your vibe, and your taste. It feels...

April 4, 2025 By: Eva Zhong Courtesy of Jonas Augustin via Unsplash.com When Season 1 of Squid Game , a South Korean thriller series,...