A fake Google site appeared online today promising to tell users’ futures. ‘Google Fortunetelling’ instead directed them to a page about the refugee crisis, which has forced 60 million to flee their homes. Netherlands-based creative communications agency BrainMedia confirmed they are behind the site, which linked to the donation page of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Google is also raising money to help with the crisis, having donated $1 million and pledging to match up to another $5.5 million donated on its website.

RAPP USA chief creative officer Frank Iqbal, on why agencies and brands don’t care about ad blocking

Ad blocking is having a moment. Thanks to Apple and Howard Stern, the tech is inching its way into the mainstream, which is bad for the many publishers that rely on advertising to make money. But for many Web users, ad blockers are a godsend. Not only do they reduce the number of distractions on a page, but they also speed up page performance. Publishers efforts to fight back so far have had limited success, in large part because the ad blocking community has been extremely active about subverting publishers defense. The result: Many in the industry say that the solution isn’t to subvert ad blockers but to create better ads.

“VRoom Service,” in partnership with Samsung, is Marriott’s latest foray into virtual reality, which allows guests to take inspiring virtual tours with just a Samsung Gear VR headset and accompanying headphones. “It is portable and using Samsung Gear headsets allows us to really democratize the virtual reality experience,” said Michael Dail, vp of global marketing at Marriott Hotels.

A year ago, “ultra premium” tequila Patrón had no focused social strategy — the brand didn’t even have a presence on the most basic social media platforms. But since then, it has not only found its voice online, but also amassed more than 218,000 followers on Twitter and more than 43,000 followers on Instagram. The focus of the brand’s messaging has, unsurprisingly, been placed on mixology and the art of crafting cocktails. “The goal is to be the most talked about, the most enjoyed, the most loved tequila around the world, and that translates to social very easily,” said Christi McNeill, social and digital strategy manager at Patrón.

NowThis made a bold statement earlier this year when the video publisher shut down its desktop homepage to focus on social media distribution. While the publisher still maintains a mobile website and an app, it distributes its content mainly on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Snapchat, among others. “What we drive home is the concept of producing platform appropriate content and that means that it’s custom and built for that platform specifically,” said Athan Stephanopoulos, svp strategy and partnerships. We talked to him about what a successful story looks like across platforms.

Snapchat users are sometimes quick to skip ads. One brand whose results were shared with Digiday saw about 70 percent of viewers drop off within three seconds. The video challenge is not unique to Snapchat, as its digital rivals also force brands to get their messages across in seconds. Snapchat is unique in that it charges advertisers for every view, no matter how short. Still, campaigns appear to be working, with one source saying brands are seeing up to a 50-percent lift in favorability after running spots on the app.

Havas Boondoggle wants interns who are looking to eat, breathe and sleep advertising — literally. The Amsterdam-based agency is using Airbnb as a recruiting tool to attract its latest crop of interns, asking them to submit their portfolios via the platform while letting them “rent” its loft for an affordable 10 euros a night. The only house rules are that the interns don’t finish all the beer in the mini fridge, don’t feed the pet Chihuahua and don’t bring the party home. “If you want to make it in the industry, you have to eat, breathe and sleep advertising — so why not offer them that option?” asked Sander Tacx, CEO at Havas Boondoggle Amsterdam.

Now that creative talent is in demand by tech startups, the ad industry has had to do a better job at attracting and retaining talent. One response, by JWT Brazil, for instance, is to bring levity to boring tasks. The agency turned the task of filling out timesheets into a hackathon. If they’re filed on time, everyone gets free beer — an idea that has spread to some other JWT offices across the world, including Thailand. Brazilian agencies are also opening up their doors to more global talent and accounts.

We rounded up the buzziest news from this week in just under a minute. Watch and be a little smarter going into the weekend.

It’s back-to-school season, so in the spirit of continued education, we asked top editors for their book picks for the fall. Cosmo editor-in-chief Joanna Coles recommended “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow for lovers of American history. The forthcoming memoir of Carrie Brownstein “Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl” was Mental Floss editor-in-chief Jessanne Collins’ pick for creatives. And The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson chose style over substance with “The Elements of Eloquence” by Mark Forsyth.

There’s “Movember,” where men sport mustaches every November in support of men’s health. But don’t be surprised if you start seeing people trying to balance spoons on their noses in support of “Spoontember.” In a bid to bring attention to the problem of hunger in America and support September as the “Hunger Action Month,” nonprofit Feeding America is launching a campaign encouraging people to share a “spoon selfie” — pictures of themselves balancing spoons on their noses.

Revenue-hungry publishers have been cramming more high-impact ads onto their sites, but the growing spectre of ad blocking could be the nail in the coffin for some of those obnoxious units. Early data from Moat Ad Blocking Analytics suggests 10 to 15 percent of all premium publishers’ desktop ad inventory is being blocked. On mobile, less than 5 percent is blocked. That, coupled with the awareness that those ads could be a reason people install ad blocking software, could dampen their use, industry observers say.

Nonprofit Central Park Conservancy, which maintains New York’s Central Park, is largely credited with its post-’80s revival. Today, it has found a powerful new weapon to help it in its mission: social media. The Conservancy maintains a robust social media presence for the park across platforms — from Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram to Twitter and even Periscope — focusing on pushing out different types of content on different platforms. While it uses Facebook and Twitter for general announcements regarding closures or events, Instagram, Tumblr, Vine and Periscope are prioritized for promoting engagement and advocacy among visitors.

To date, 1,400 musical acts have spent a combined total of 11,200 hours recording with Converse.

From Nicki Minaj calling out Miley Cyrus to Kanye West setting the stage for a presidential run in the next election, the MTV Video Music Awards was one of the most buzziest events online this year. Brandwatch says that 16.5 million tweets were registered last night, more than the Super Bowl or Grammy Awards. West’s speech was the most tweeted about moment.

We’ve recapped the buzziest news of this week in under a minute so you can sound just a little bit smarter at happy hour today.