What you need to know in advertising today

Bleacher Report wants to capitalize on the buzzy rise of streetwear culture embodied in brands like Supreme.

Two years ago, Turner-owned Bleacher Report launched B/R Kicks, an Instagram account devoted to athletes and their shoes. Today the account has 1 million followers and is followed by stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Justin Timberlake. Now, Bleacher Report is trying to make B/R Kicks into a full-fledged business, starting with its first event, The Drop Up, December 7, which will mimic the limited-edition product release drops that streetwear brands use to build hype for their products.

At the free event in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood, sneakerheads can gawk at a new shoe being dropped by Adidas; learn how to personalize their shoes from shoe customizers Mache and Ubiqlab; and buy T-shirts and hoodies from B/R Kicks and other brands, among other activities. In addition to Adidas, sponsors are Levi's, Chivas, and Twitter.

The event comes as media companies are scrambling to diversify their revenue away from digital advertising. The emphasis on B/R Kicks follows a similar build out of House of Highlights, Bleacher Report's NBA-focused Instagram account. To Bleacher Report, streetwear coverage is a natural extension of its coverage of sports through the lens of culture.

Click here to read more about B/R's move into streetwear.

In other news:

Comcast hinted that its mobile app xFi might be key to its plans for newly acquired Sky. Comcast sees xFi as a differentiator that attracts and retains broadband customers.

An ad-tech startup that turns ride-sharing vehicles into digital billboards just raised $21.5 million. Firefly has beta-tested more than 50 advertising campaigns for brands including HotelTonight, Turkish Airlines, and Walmart's Sam's Club.

Unilever CMO Keith Weed plans to retire and leave the company after 35 years, reports The Wall Street Journal. In recent years, the exec has vouched for better measurement of digital ads.

Logan Paul is buying a theory that YouTube is censoring him - but YouTube said it isn't true. Paul is still the 10th richest YouTuber, according to Forbes, netting a reported $14.5 million in 2018.

Burger King doubles down on its McDonald's rivalry with a new deal to win over budget shoppers. Burger King just debuted a new deal that is almost exactly like a new McDonald's promotion that launched last month.

Google is shutting down its Allo messaging app for good. In April, the company announced that it's working on Google Chat, which would create a new universal standard for text messaging.

This story was originally published by bleacher report.