Foot Locker ‘Celebrates’ Gen Z With Social Stars and Stripers

With the holiday season upon us, sports retailer Foot Locker is launching an online global campaign targeting Gen Z featuring some of social media’s biggest stars–and its own employees. Titled “Celebrate,” the in-house series of ads running on digital and social began with revealing content on Instagram and TikTok featuring “fit checks” and using the…

Social Confidential: Slim Jim on the Power of Meat, Memes and Community

For the latest episode of Social Confidential, Adweek’s Jess Zafarris is joined by Evan Weissbrot, president of agency 180 New York, and Amy Morgan, brand communications manager at Conagra Brands, the strategic minds behind Slim Jim’s meme-fueled, brilliantly chaotic social media presence. Evan and Amy explain how the brand tapped into the creativity of a…

Snoop Dogg’s Gin Indoggo Bottles His Persona

Snoop Dogg’s ever-expanding array of consumer products now includes a gin for people who share his taste for the botanical spirit. Specifically, his Indoggo is for drinkers who would prefer a little less juniper, the essential ingredient that unites all spirits called gin. Snoop has had marketing deals with Corona beer and Bic lighters (in…

After Series A Funding, Candy Digital Names Andre Llewellyn CMO

Looking to diversify its work in the digital collectibles space, non-fungible token firm Candy Digital announced the hiring of Andre Llewellyn as chief marketing officer. “My goal is to make Candy a beloved household name when it comes to sports fandom and digital collectibles,” Llewellyn told Adweek. “This won’t happen overnight because the space is…

The Future of eSports: Bridging Fashion, Gaming, Entertainment—and Legacy Pro Sports

When lockdowns and social distancing benched most professional sports leagues for long periods and kept fans out of the stands, eSports were the only game in town. But even as in-person gatherings have resumed to something approaching normal, the popularity of eSports is continuing to rise. In fact, rather than being influenced by legacy teams…

Have You Heard of Kum & Go’s Kyle Scheele Meale? A Look Inside the Stunt That Swept TikTok

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok over the past few days, you may have seen the story of author Kyle Scheele and Midwestern convenience store chain Kum & Go. It’s a rather wholesome stunt that has gained serious steam on social media. What many didn’t know, however, is that the entire concept was actually…

Dunkin’ Names Anomaly Its New Creative Agency of Record

Dunkin’ has named Anomaly as its new creative agency of record. Anomaly will lead overall creative strategy and development for Dunkin’. The agency will have direct responsibility for national broadcast, digital video and audio, social and out-of-home advertising development. Anomaly’s initial offerings for Dunkin’ is expected to debut in 2022. Dunkin’ has experienced many changes…

Twitch and AT&T Partner on Discovering the Next Generation of Streamers

Twitch and AT&T are working together to find the best and brightest of future streamers. Titled the Class of 2021, 12 streamers will be selected live on Friday, Nov. 19 at 12:30 a.m. ET on AT&T’s official Twitch channel. “This custom sponsorship program is about finding the next generation of up-and-coming streamers, celebrating them, and…

Renaming of LA Staples Center to ‘Crypto.com Arena’ Shows Digital Currencies’ Bidding for Awareness

As cryptocurrency continues its rapid ascent into the financial consciousness of investors, the brand Crypto.com is aiming to burnish its rather generic identity into the minds of consumers by taking over the naming rights of the soon-to-be former Staples Center in Los Angeles. On Christmas Day, the 20,000-seat venue that serves as the official home…

McCann Worldgroup Report Upends Conventional Wisdom About Consumers’ Environmental Concerns

A wide variety of conversations have been sparked by world leaders’ negotiations at COP26 these past three weeks. Much attention has been given to brand leaders who deliberated over their corporate responses to the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change meetings and agreements. There was also a great deal of lobbying by businesses designed…

From Baseball to Brand Investing, Alex Rodriguez Plays to What He Knows—and Keeps Learning

Former Yankee Alex Rodriguez made over $455 million playing baseball. Now, he’s made a particularly successful transition from home run king to investor, working to build on that fortune off the baseball diamond. During the Brandweek Sports Marketing summit, the former MLB MVP spoke to Adweek chief brand officer Danny Wright about networking and how…

Cameo Partners With Mattel to Connect Fans With Thomas the Tank Engine

Known for its ability to connect superfans with the celebrities and personalities they love, Cameo has waded deeper into the waters of fandom by partnering with brands looking to leverage their intellectual property. Cameo announced today a partnership with toy manufacturer and entertainment company Mattel to create personalized video messages from Thomas the Tank Engine….

Being a ‘Paradox Brand’ Is Key to Reaching Minority Consumers

American shoppers are more diverse than ever before. Recent figures from the Census Bureau show the probability of randomly selecting two U.S. residents who belong to different racial or ethnic groups increased from 54.9% in 2010 to 61.1% in 2020. Companies, naturally, are making efforts to reach the growing number of minority consumers living in…

Champs Sports x Eastbay Tackles Performance and Lifestyle With Brand Unification

Athletic apparel outfits Champs Sports and Eastbay are doing their best Gotenks from Dragonball Z impression by fusing together as one entity. Champs Sports x Eastbay, as the combo is now known, will operate under the Foot Locker umbrella as part of the retailer’s larger goal of appealing to Gen Z athletes. Guy Harkless is…

Supply Chain Panic Gives American Giant a Rare Opportunity to Prove Why American-Made Matters

It’s not unusual for a company to pepper its regular customers with emails about promotions, new offerings and other tidbits of news. On notable occasions, shoppers will even get one of those heartfelt “A message from our founder” emails. The anxious early months of the pandemic saw quite a few of those, in fact. But…

DoorDash Ups Its Game to Better Reach Gen Z and Millennials

DoorDash aims to boost delivery orders by millennial and Gen Z customers by plugging into the gaming community through a variety of new partnerships. In September, the platform hosted its first-ever gaming tournament called Battle of the Snacks, which aired on video streaming platform Twitch. The two-day event brought together teams of avid gamers representing…

Atari Re-Invades Gaming Space With Logo Celebrating 50th Anniversary

If video game consoles were cocktails, video game brand Atari would be an old-fashioned. Started in 1972, the brand took off soon after, with classic titles such as Pong, Asteroid, Pac-Man and Space Invaders, among others. To re-live some of those classic moments as well as look ahead to the brand’s future, Atari is celebrating…

Data Axle Genie Conjures a Solution for Aflac Amid the Pandemic

Supplemental insurance company Aflac was forced to adjust its lead generation strategy when the pandemic’s social distancing requirements put its main marketing tactic on hold. The company’s ability to upend its sales focus didn’t take a miracle, but it did rely on a form of marketing magic via its evolving three-year partnership with advertising analytics…

Burger King’s First-Ever North American CMO Ellie Doty Leaves the Brand

Ellie Doty is no longer North American chief marketing officer of fast-food chain Burger King, according to parent company Restaurant Brands International. “Ellie made the personal decision to leave the Burger King brand,” an RBI spokesperson told Adweek in an email. “We appreciate her many contributions to the brand and look forward to seeing what…

Grey Goose Twists, Shakes and Chills With Vive Le Martini! Campaign

Famously served shaken or stirred, the martini is an iconic cocktail. French vodka brand Grey Goose is honoring the classic drink with its new campaign, “Vive Le Martini!” debuting today. “The inspiration for the Vive Le Martini! film came from wanting to celebrate both Grey Goose as the quintessential vodka, and the martini as an…