Abstract
Drawing on Transformative Advertising Research (TAR), we frame advertising as a social institution shaped by — and capable of shaping — societal discourses around well-being and positive social change. We identify three forces that intensify this complexity: sociocultural shifts around identity and care, rapid technological change including the rise of agentic AI, and mounting environmental pressures around climate-conscious advertising. The six articles in this issue address these challenges across micro, meso, and macro levels, examining topics from digital advertising literacy among adolescents to stigma destigmatization and AI-generated models. We call on scholars to sustain momentum toward a responsible, inclusive, and transformative advertising agenda.