25 things you missed in April

Ever wonder what we talk about all day at TJA? Check out this curated list of the top 25 reads that fuel our kitchen conversations and Slack channel gifs. From quirky news to data-nerd articles full of stats and metrics, if we’ve read it and loved it, it’s here. Join our epic article journey starting at Snoop Dogg and ending with a social media slow-down.

“The first spot, titled “Pass It,” was created by Doner CX, and will run across TV, music streamers, social media and digital content hubs starting May 4. It features Snoop Dogg and Stewart lighting a candle while using the EZ Reach lighter. Snoop Dogg jokingly asks Stewart to share a bowl, but she pretends not to understand.” – Adweek

“This adds a new and significant level of consideration to any marketer looking to make an out-of-home (OOH) buy as the US continues to open up. While purchasing OOH ads in the top-10 markets (like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and a handful of other key metro areas) used to be the only box a marketer needed to check, things have changed – even if clients haven’t recognized it yet.” – The Drum

“Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey has made live audio chatrooms a key product focus in recent months. Dorsey has said he believes audio communication is an important part of Twitter’s future, and the company tried unsuccessfully to buy Clubhouse for about $4 billion, Bloomberg News reported a month ago.” – AdAge

“Impossible Foods, the Silicon Valley-based tech startup that’s seen explosive retail growth in the past year-with a leap from 150 grocery stores to 20,000-launches its first national ad campaign … with a message sure to rattle the cage of the Big Beef industry.” – AdWeek

“White Claw is launching a line of high-ABV hard seltzers that it is calling Hard Seltzer Surge. You’ll have two flavor options-Cranberry and Blood Orange-when you’re looking for an 8% ABV version of the hard seltzer so ubiquitous that it’s close to being the Kleenex of the hard seltzer world.” – Thrillist

“The [lunch delivery] offshoot used existing partnerships with non-perishable food brands to let customers buy others a variety of artisanal snacks. … The inspiration, [the founder] said, came from seeing about 80% of Stadium customers ordering additional snacks and beverages with lunch.” –  Modern Retail 

“Trade Coffee, which sells customers hundreds of roasts from 55 roasters, saw its subscription business increase tenfold in March 2020. Since then, according to the company, sales have remained steady; Trade’s sales grew by more than 2x since the start of 2020, with new customer signups jumping 44% between the third and fourth quarters of 2020. While this growth helped digital coffee sellers scale exponentially, sustaining long term customer loyalty isn’t easy.” –  Modern Retail 

“Petco is one of many retail players testing out livestream shopping, including Walmart and Nordstrom. While it hasn’t become mainstream in the U.S. just yet compared to countries like China, moves like these signal that video commerce is starting to pick up steam.”  –  Modern Retail 

“Last summer, 7-Eleven advertised on TV for the first time in five years. Doing so was a “test case” for the convenience store brand to assess the impact of television advertising on the business, according to 7-Eleven CMO Marissa Jarratt.” –  Digiday

“Clothing retailer Hollister is joining a growing list of advertisers that include Budweiser Lite and Wendy’s that aren’t content with playing the role of the free-spending sponsor. They’re trying to build their own mini-events around some of the most popular titles as a way to avoid coming across as cold, corporate sponsors to a gaming audience notorious for being ad-resistant.” –  Digiday

“RXBar and Blink Fitness are doubling down on their organic video content creation across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. It’s a move made in an effort to keep up with pandemic-induced consumer habits shift as in-person activity now takes place online, marketers at these brands say.” –  Digiday

“Demand is also growing for these products. In the U.S. alone, 50 to 70 million adults suffer from a sleep disorder, according to the American Sleep Association. We’re ‘a very sleep-deprived society,’ said Dr. David Rapoport, a professor of medicine and pulmonary disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.” – Adweek

“The campaign film focuses on how playing with dolls with diverse identities allows them to become more empathetic, inclusive, generous and thoughtful-all proven through Cardiff University’s neuroimaging study conducted while kids played with Barbies.” – Adweek

“As it seeks to reverse a sales slide brought on by the pandemic, Expedia is taking a literal approach to the term “helping hand.” The online travel agency teamed up with singer Joe Jonas on a collaboration that includes the distribution of 3D-printed replicas of Jonas’ hand.” – AdAge

“You picked blue because it signifies trustworthiness? Then you better hope you have the budget to compete with the 43% of Fortune 500 companies with blue logos.” – Fast Company

“The chain restaurant … announced plans to launch a green packaging pilot program, focussing on the eight items its customers use the most-forks, spoons, knives, straws, drink lids, Frypods (aka fries containers), Whopper wrappers, and napkins.” – Fast Company

“The branding is inspired by the forms and shapes that make up the campus itself, highlighting the traditional art deco style. This, paired with new color palettes, a fresh typographic system, and new graphic elements, transports the visual language of Rockefeller Center to a new era with nods to its historic past, while honoring the future of one of New York’s most famous landmarks.” – DGUSA 

“The “Flamin’ Hot Face-Off” utilizes two tactics that have remained popular with marketers looking to engage younger consumers: branded merchandise and influencer partnerships. Almost half (44%) of Generation Z has made a purchase based on a recommendation from an influencer, compared with 26% of the general population, per researcher Kantar.” – Marketing Dive

” Amazon is bringing more ads to Fire TV and its streaming video sites in a product update that comes as brands are looking to increase their presence within the e-commerce giant’s sales and content machine.” – AdAge

“It started out as just something to do – a challenge to try to see the familiar through fresh eyes. Soon it blossomed into a celebration of traveling at home.” – New York Times

“These ‘chop suey fonts,’ as American historian Paul Shaw calls them, have been a typographical shortcut for “Asianness” for decades.” – CNN

“LinkedIn has added some new job title options to help users address career gaps in their profiles, while also making some changes to how freelance positions are listed, in order to make it easier for users to provide transparency in their professional experience.” – Social Media Today

“Taco Bell wants to turn a certain phase of the lunar cycle into the fast food fan’s equivalent of the Bat Signal.” – AdWeek

“Owners of successful brands don’t spend a lot of (or any) time warning you to avoid them, but Ryan Reynolds continues to be an exception to most of marketing’s rules.” – AdWeek

“The overall message for 2021 is to slow down. Unlimited growth narratives don’t resonate with today’s youth who are finding solace in slower, safer online spaces. Brands will turn to social media to deliver joy, share news and truth and amplify user creativity. In 2021, revisit your post frequency, consider protopian solutions and build intimate communities.” – WGSN

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