In this episode of Field Notes, Eric breaks down a fast-moving week in marketing and technology—and what it all means for travel brands navigating an AI-mediated world.

The episode opens with the biggest shift of the moment: ads coming to ChatGPT. With advertising rolling out on the Free and Go tiers, Eric reframes the conversation away from monetization panic and toward usefulness. If ads are going to exist inside large language models, the real question becomes whether they help travelers finish a thought, close a gap, or make a better decision—without eroding trust.

From there, the discussion moves into what should qualify a brand to advertise inside AI systems at all. Instead of a pure pay-to-play model, Eric explores the idea of expertise as a gatekeeper—and why destinations, attractions, and DMOs may actually be well positioned if trust becomes the currency.

The episode then pivots to the early wave of Super Bowl campaigns already shaping culture ahead of game day. Eric looks at how brands like Pepsi are using humor and legacy narratives to poke competitors, why Levi’s is seeing massive awareness gains through “home turf” activations, and what all of it says about attention versus conversion—especially for places trying to turn buzz into actual visitation.

AI in advertising makes another appearance through new consumer sentiment data, revealing a near 50/50 split on comfort with AI-generated creative. With OpenAI set to return to the Super Bowl stage, Eric unpacks why marketers should pay close attention to how quickly tolerance can flip—and how easily trust can be lost.

The episode closes with a deeper marketing lesson from McDonald’s and the return of Changeables. Rather than nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, Eric frames the Happy Meal as a modular “multiverse”—a repeatable container where IP, partnerships, and experimentation can rotate in and out. For travel marketers, it’s a powerful metaphor: instead of chasing decade-long story arcs, think in flexible, limited-run collaborations that fit your place and invite new audiences in.

The takeaway is consistent throughout the episode: in AI, advertising, and culture moments alike, the winners won’t be the loudest brands—but the most trusted ones.

As always, thanks for listening to Field Notes. If this episode sparked an idea, leave a comment or share it wherever you listen.