For those of you who might not know, Rei Inamoto is a designer who has helped shape some of the most memorable marketing sites and brand campaigns of the last 20+ years. He put digital agency AKQA on the map and has been named as one of “the Top 25 Most Creative People in Advertising” in Forbes Magazine.

Inamoto has made some predictions for 2026:

1. TV advertising strikes back: Nike releases an epic film ad around the World Cup. Along with its strong product line-up, the stock bounces back, but not all the way.
2. Relevance > Reach: ON Running tops $5B in market cap; Lexus crosses 1M global sales.
3. The new era of e-commerce: Direct user traffic to e‑commerce sites declines 5–10%, while traffic driven by AI agents increases 50%+.
4. New form factor of AI: OpenAI announces its first AI device—a voice-powered ring, bracelet, or microphone.

Bracelet?! I hadn’t thought of that! Back in May, when OpenAI bought Jony Ive’s io, I predicted it will be an earbud. A ring or bracelet is interesting. Others have speculated it might be a pendant.