Sources: Amazon is ramping up ad spending on X, as companies re-evaluate their stances in a changing political climate; source: Apple considers a return to X
The Wall Street Journal one liner lacks all context or data. “recent weeks” would have been before the Nazi salute too. … Parker Ortolani / @parkerortolani.com : This one is odd because Tim is one of a handful of CEOs who clearly can get Trump's ear as easily as Elon can. And it's even possible Trump personally likes Tim more. He's got no reason to suck up to Musk the way others might feel they have to. Riley Testut / @riley.social : Name a company better at reading the room than Apple (spoiler: literally any) Wesley Hilliard / @hilli.tech : People are quick to react, but note it's a one liner in a report on Amazon ramping up spending. There's no other details. — Apple could have “considered” resuming advertising at any time. That doesn't mean it will happen. — And “recent weeks” would mean before the Nazi salute, so. We'll see. … @ultranova13 : Note to Americans - corporations are amoral entities that have no inherent values or ethics beyond maximizing profits. Everything else is marketing blather. @cbusguy : Companies showing us who they are, again. But then I don't see any ads around here 😂 [embedded post] Mike Masnick / @mmasnick : Ah the previously targeted billionaires are all passing money around to the politically connected billionaires. If only there were some way to describe this... www.wsj.com/business/med... @dsic : Never going back. [embedded post] Ryan Mac / @rmac : Is the raise from $100 to $1000? Is it in the millions? — Similarly we hear Yaccarino and Musk talk about advertisers “returning” without ever giving hard ad spending figures. Without numbers, the story gives that same vibe. Ryan Mac / @rmac : Numbers are hard to get, but it feels like this story would be better served explaining how much — even if just a ballpark figure — Amazon is committing to spend on X to back up the idea that it is indeed raising ad spending — www.wsj.com/business/med... [images] David Binkowski / @davidbinkowski.com : Who doesn't love a 90%+ click fraud rate tho [embedded post] @valkayec : 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Just when users are abandoning X/Twitter en masse. [embedded post] @jeffreyabomb : Boo. Fucking boot lickers. [embedded post] X: Elon Musk / @elonmusk : Much appreciated Alex Jones / @realalexjones : Another sign, the globalist are capitulating to the tide of history! LinkedIn: Patrick Notaro : Amazon is making a significant shift in its advertising strategy by increasing its ad spending on Elon Musk's X. This move comes as a major reversal … Jessica Toonkel : Amazon CEO Andy Jassy was directly involved in the decision to up spending on X. Meanwhile Apple is discussing spending on Elon Musk's social media platform again after pulling ads off X in 2023. … Forums: r/antiwork : Amazon (which hates its workers) Raises Its Ad Spending on Elon Musk's X, in Major Reversal r/elonmusk : WSJ: Amazon raises its ad spending on Elon Musk's X, in Major Reversal MacRumors Forums : Apple Highlights Hearing Health Issues Leading Up to Super Bowl LIX See also Mediagazer
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple's possible return would reverse its 2023 pause of X advertising after brand-safety concerns, while Amazon's increase would bring a major advertiser back into a platform still rebuilding demand.
The move contrasts with the period when marketing agencies advised brands against advertising or posting on X. It matters because two large marketers reassessing the platform could influence how other advertisers judge its commercial and reputational trade-offs.
First-order effects
- Amazon increases its X ad activity, giving the platform additional demand from a major marketer; Andy Jassy's reported involvement makes the decision a senior-level business choice.
- Apple is evaluating, rather than committing to, a return to X advertising, leaving its previous pause in place until a decision is made.
Second-order effects
- Other brands and agencies gain a new reference point for reconsidering X, especially if Amazon's expanded spending and any Apple return prove durable.
- X's ad-sales effort can lean more heavily on large-brand momentum alongside its earlier push to recruit SMB advertisers through outside sales support, rather than relying on either segment alone.
Third-order effects
- If major advertisers increasingly separate platform access from past brand-safety objections, political and executive relationships may become a more visible input to media-buying decisions.
- That shift would not eliminate brand-safety scrutiny, but it could make advertiser participation on X more cyclical and contingent on the broader political environment.
The trend: Major advertisers are reassessing politically charged platforms as reputational risk, audience access, and corporate-government relationships are weighed together.