Ever wondered what a bologna face mask would look like? Or pondered how Old Navy could create a social media-sourced commercial? Curious why Burger King’s new ice cream looks like poop? If you’re as curious as we were, check out the 25 articles below that answer those burning questions. Good luck out there.
Our top 5 reads:
1. Bud Light brews up limited-edition NFTs to launch zero-carb beer
“To promote the better-for-you beverage, the brand will launch the Bud Light N3XT Collection composed of 12,722 unique tokens designed in the blue and white color hues of the new brew’s packaging. The tokens, priced at $399 apiece, are age-locked to consumers 21 and older and available only in the U.S. to those who purchase using ethereum or fiat currencies.” – Marketing Dive
2. Oscar Mayer gets in your face with a beauty-inspired bologna mask
“In a move that has prompted surprise, confusion and perhaps even a little revulsion, Oscar Mayer recently branched out from its vast selection of packaged deli meats and wieners with its new product: a hydrating facial mask inspired by b-o-l-o-g-n-a.” – The Washington Post
3. Mood Board: How Old Navy turned TikTok comments into a commercial
“Marshall and the Martin Agency team combed through about 1,500 TikTok comments to write scripts for the spot. The process was time-consuming, but she said that the exercise helped refine for the team what makes an Old Navy commercial an Old Navy commercial-through the eyes of consumers.” – Morning Brew
4. Why Burger King’s new ice cream looks like a poop emoji
“The ice cream is actually not made of feces-it’s completely free of artificial ingredients, and the idea is to highlight the fact that Burger King no longer puts s**t into its products. The company has vowed to remove 100% of all artificial ingredients from its sandwiches by 2025.” – AdAge
5. ‘Silence, Brand’: How to avoid corporate cringe on social media
“In today’s social media landscape, brands are desperate to outdo each others quirkiness and finally win over a generation of socially-conscious consumers that are often at war with big corporations. But when brands participate in fleeting trends to which they have no connection and are overly reliant on humor as a social strategy, many experts believe they do more harm than good for their image.” – AdWeek
The runner-up’s:
6. Corona launches Sunbrew non-alcoholic beer with Vitamin D
“Global beer brand Corona has launched worldwide Corona Sunbrew 0.0%. This first-of-its-kind, non-alcoholic beer contains 30% of the daily value of Vitamin D per 330 mL serving in Canada and 60 calories per serving.” – Food Engineering
7. Instagram shares new insights into how users express love across the US [Infographic]
“Marking the occasion, Instagram has published a new overview of which US states say “I love you” the most (and least), based on text included in both Instagram Stories and regular posts.” – Social Media Today
“Following a landmark Supreme Court decision last year that opened the door for college athletes to make money, sponsors have scrambled to nab the highest-profile NCAA players. But Adidas is playing the game differently.” – CNN Business
9. 2022 Social media trend predictions
“Why build a brand from the ground up when over 50 million people consider themselves to be a creator and have an audience and expertise to offer your brand? Hootsuite explained this best when they shared that “the smartest brands in 2022 will tap into creator communities to learn more about customers, simplify content creation, and build brand awareness and affinity.”– Homemade Social
10. ‘Scream’ marketing offers lessons for brands and other franchises
“Despite growing concerns about the Omicron variant’s effect on movie releases, the fifth installment in the “Scream” horror franchise, simply titled “Scream,” slashed into theaters earlier this month, earning a killing at the box office.” – AdAge
11. This bot is calling out brands’ gender pay gaps for international Women’s Day
“The Twitter account bio reads: “Employers, if you tweet about International Women’s Day, I’ll retweet your gender pay gap.” Using U.K. gender pay gap data, which by law requires companies with 250 or more employees to publish their figures, the mysterious account is shining a light on discrepancies between men’s and women’s median hourly pay.” – Adweek
12. Cesar sends dogs on job interviews to promote pet-friendly offices
“Its [Mars Petcare dog food Cesar] new campaign from BBDO New York, called “Hire My Dog,” features social videos of dogs appearing in real virtual interviews for jobs.” – AdAge
13. Record low BBC and NBC ratings as Winter Olympics audience dwindles
“US Olympics rights holder NBC recorded an audience of 16 million for the Beijing Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday, down 43% on the PyeongChang Winter Olympics Ceremony, which drew 28.3 million in February 2018.” – The Drum
14. Amazon launches a ‘live radio’ app, Amp, which lets you play DJ with music and call-ins
“Amazon’s Clubhouse competitor has arrived. The retail giant on Tuesday launched a new mobile app called Amp, which allows people to create live “radio shows” where they can act as a DJ by taking callers and playing tracks from its catalog of tens of millions of licensed songs, ranging from classic titles to today’s music.” – TechCrunch
15. Fritos taps country music star Thomas Rhett for first TV spot in 20 years
“Fritos hasn’t released a TV spot since the early 2000s, but now it’s back with a 30-second ad featuring singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett. The ad is centered around scenes of wholesomeness and seeks to position Fritos as an iconic American snack.” – The Drum
16. TikTok looks to expand content horizons with new, integrated ‘Stories’ test
“As TikTok continues its rapid ascent, with the app now on track to reach 1.5 billion users in 2022, it’s also seeking to expand its content horizons, with a view to increased monetization of that collective attention, and providing more capacity for creators to generate revenue from their clips.” – Social Media Today
17. Jack in the Box trolls McDonald’s over broken ice cream machines
“Jack in the Box will take over McBroken.com, a website that helps consumers find out whether their local McDonald’s has a working ice cream machine, for the month of March, per details emailed to Marketing Dive. Starting today (March 3), the QSR will run banners on the site, which will also direct consumers to their nearest Jack in the Box location.” – Marketing Dive
18. Walgreens replaced some fridge doors with screens. And some shoppers absolutely hate it
“But for customers who just want to peek into the freezer and grab their ice cream, Walgreens (WBA) risks angering them by solving a problem that shoppers didn’t know existed. The company wants to engage more people with advertising, but the reaction, so far, is annoyance and confusion.” – CNN Business
19. LimeWire is back… as an NFT marketplace
“In May, LimeWire is relaunching as a “mainstream-ready, digital collectibles marketplace for art and entertainment, initially focusing on music.” Its backers believe that it will be a place for artists and fans to create and sell digital trinkets without the “technical hurdles of the current NFT landscape.” – Engadget
20. YouTube adds nearly 4,000 free episodes of TV as it plays catch-up with the competition
“Now YouTube is shifting strategies and going after the growing segment of ad-supported offerings referred to as FAST, or free ad-supported streaming TV services. So far, Tubi, Xumo, Plex, Roku, and even a few TV makers give users access to free content. YouTube is behind the times but can take advantage of having 2 billion active users who are already browsing the app or webpage.”- Gizmodo
21. Ad of the Day: Duolingo to do over dodgy mistranslated tattoos
“To mark World Tattoo Day on March 21, language learning app Duolingo is offering to fix people’s mistranslated ink for free.” – The Drum
22. Netflix to test paid features to stop users from freely sharing their accounts
“The streaming giant announced Wednesday it’s testing new features which would require current members to pay extra if they want to share their account with someone outside their household.” – USA Today
23. Match Group launches its latest dating app, Stir, aimed at single parents
“Dating app giant Match Group, already home to Tinder, Match, OkCupid, Hinge and others, is today launching the latest addition to its dating services lineup with Stir, an app designed exclusively for single parents.” – TechCrunch
24. Google updates search algorithm to highlight better quality product reviews
“This week, as part of its regular Search algorithm tweaks, Google has provided an overview of how it’s looking to improve the quality of the reviews that it displays within Search results.” – Social Media Today
25. Arizona is the first state to accept digital driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet
“Starting Wednesday, Arizona residents with TSA PreCheck can present their digital driver’s license or state ID by tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch at select Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.” – CNN Business
