ChatGPT ads, a front-row seat on Facebook, Canva’s new AI and a smoother sale launch. Here’s what changed, why we’re watching it, and what to check before making plans.
Lakshita & Sanchay · Thrudaruf · 29 October 2026
ChatGPTAnnounced 5 October
An ad while you’re still imagining what you want?
OpenAI announced a US test of visual ads during image generation for Free and Go users. The ads are labelled and separate from the image being made. OpenAI said the test would begin later in October with an initial group of advertisers.
OpenAI’s announcement example, not a Thrudaruf ad or account test.
Why we’re watching
Someone imagining a meal, a room or a trip may still be deciding what to buy. That makes the moment interesting for advertisers.
For Indian marketers: this is a US test, not a confirmed India-wide release. If your client targets the US, check advertiser eligibility before putting it in the media plan.
Meta’s First Impression Ads test puts a brand in the first advertising slot someone sees when they open Facebook Feed. It is the first ad, rather than a promise to be the first post on screen. The early US test is limited to one brand per day.
Why we’re watching
For a big launch, being first is an appealing idea. The next question is what that position costs and who can book it.
For Indian marketers: treat this as a watchlist item. An India rollout and verified pricing are not established in this bulletin’s source material.
Ads Super Burst lets brands reserve a 3–24-hour window of concentrated reach. Meta’s launch material also shows category exclusivity. Availability is being rolled out in phases.
Where we see the appeal
A product launch, match day or flash sale has a few hours that matter more than the rest. A reserved burst could fit that kind of campaign.
Before planning around it: confirm access, booking terms, market availability and cost with Meta. This is not confirmation that an Indian ad account can book it today.
LinkedIn is testing a dedicated Network feed with posts from your connections and people you follow. The test starts in the US, India, UK and Australia.
Our take
Honestly, we’d use it. For marketers, it is worth watching how people use a feed built around existing professional relationships.
Keep the distinction: India is included in the test. That does not mean every Indian account already has it, or that the current feed is being removed.
Canva Craft is Canva’s own image-generation model. It can create text in 55 languages, supports up-to-2K images and flexible aspect ratios, and is available globally in Dream Lab. Canva also offers a public API.
Official Canva launch excerpt, framed for this bulletin. Silent. It shows one creative sequence, not a test of all 55 languages.
Why it’s useful
If your team already designs in Canva, it could mean less jumping between tools. The useful test is your actual brief, language and layout, rather than a perfect launch example.
Before approving a creative: check spelling, letter shapes and readability in the final export. Support for a language is not a guarantee that every line comes out correctly. We have not run a comparative output test for this bulletin.
If the sale starts at midnight, everything should.
Shopify added discount scheduling and offer testing to Rollouts on 2 October. Its 23 October update added catalog changes, including pricing and product availability per market. These changes can be coordinated with theme and checkout updates.
Why this one matters
A sale gets messy when the offer, price and store change at different times. Preparing them together gives the team a clearer launch plan. Rollouts also supports testing different offers.
Before setting a launch: check your store’s feature and plan eligibility, market setup, timezone and discount customer rules. This is a feature update, not a claim that we tested it on a client store.
ChatGPTAnnounced 5 October
Meta · First Impression Ads
LinkedIn · Network feed
Shopify · Rollouts