The Big Scoop on Unilever’s DTC Ice Cream Plans

The days of chasing the ice cream truck around the block may be long gone, but Magnum maker Unilever is continuing its play for consumers’ digital loyalty with an ambitious mission to grow its ice cream delivery service. The Anglo-Dutch group has bought 29 direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies since 2015, including Dollar Shave Club and Paula’s…

Scaling a CPG Brand in 2022 and Beyond

In the latest episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Mark Edmonson, CMO at Materne North America-GoGo squeeZ, joins Suzy founder and CEO Matt Britton to discuss marketing in a rapidly evolving environment. Edmonson shares his journey and demystifies the process of growing and scaling a major brand like GoGo squeeZ. Edmonson is responsible for…

How Libby’s Came to Dominate the Canned Pumpkin Market

For Thanksgiving 2021, we got to the bottom of why Ocean Spray labels its cranberry sauce upside-down. In 2022, we’re looking at another popular canned good this time of year: Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin. The nearly 200-year-old brand calls itself the No. 1 canned pumpkin in the U.S., and claims to sell “enough cans to…

How Insomnia Cookies Became a Late-Night Staple for Hungry Students

According to the National Sleep Foundation, up to 96% of college students report functioning on less than eight hours of sleep per night. During final exams it gets worse, with the average student eking by on a little more than six hours of sleep. While health experts have long warned that pulling all-nighters isn’t good…

Velveeta Wants to Be Part of Your Next Booty Call

Velveeta wants to be invited to your next late-night call. As a way to satisfy fans’ unbridled snack cravings, Velveeta is inviting pleasure seekers everywhere to rethink that standard booty call with the launch of “Velveeta Foodie Call,” a new part of its existing “La Dolce Velveeta” platform. The brand is offering fans everywhere the…

Liquid Death Tazed Its Haters and It’s Still Not the ‘Worst Water Ever’

The people of the internet are not generally known for being easy to please, and the willingness to dub anything from random movies to National Parks as “the worst ever” has made it clear that quite literally everything is a matter of taste. Most companies are happy to let negative comments slide, but every now…

Marketing Morsels: Post-Coital Velveeta, Ranch on a Branch and More

This week’s edition of Marketing Morsels is stuffed with delightful samplings from Velveeta, Josh Cellars, DoorDash and many more. Enjoy the assortment! Morsel #1: Velveeta upgrades the booty call Booty call? How about a Foodie Call? Based on survey results saying that more than half of fans would give up sex for cheese, and 70%…

A Cheetos Blender Is Coming for Fans Who Can’t Get Enough Orange Dust

There was likely a time during Cheetos’ 70-year history when the orange residue the snack leaves behind was seen as a liability. In recent years, however, the brand has taken great pains to embrace the dust, dubbed Cheetle, as an integral component of the Cheetos experience. In a 2015 tweet, mascot Chester Cheetah described Cheetle…

McDonald’s Star-Studded World Cup Ad Finds Common Ground in Soccer and Fast Food

With the World Cup around the corner, McDonald’s is launching the same campaign across more than 75 of its markets for the first time ever. The brand’s largest global campaign to date plays on the simple truth that there are a couple of things that can unite people from around the world: a love of…

With an Intentional Communications Strategy, Cultural Sensitivity Is Built In

With KFC’s recent social media firestorm surrounding an automated promotional message, it’s important for brands and agencies to reflect on how to prevent communication missteps. All across the advertising world, teams are under pressure to always be creating content, whether it’s to satisfy ever-changing and often capricious algorithms on platforms or to juice more engagement…

McDonald’s Sentimental Holiday Ad Gives a New Meaning to Christmas Wish Lists

As a kid there’s nothing quite so exciting as grabbing a crayon or a felt tip pen and scrawling out a hopeful list addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole. The postal method is, of course, always optional. This year, McDonald’s is giving a new meaning to this Christmas tradition with a campaign from Leo Burnett…

Magnolia Bakery Ships Its First-Ever TV Spot to Homes Nationwide

Sex and the City. Broad City. Saturday Night Live and The Devil Wears Prada. What do they all have in common, besides serving as iconic pop culture representations of New York City? At some point, they all featured another New York City icon: Magnolia Bakery. Established in 1996, the shop has exceeded local popularity to…

Marketing Morsels: Taylor Swift Multiplies, Elton John Marmite and More

This week’s edition of Marketing Morsels is stuffed with samplings from Capital One, Goldfish, Pillsbury, Jimmy Dean and many more. Enjoy the assortment! Morsel #1: Taylor Swift is multiplied for Capital One Capital One The queen of Midnights, Taylor Swift herself, appears in a newly dropped ad for Capital One’s Venture X Card that is…

Living Your Best Life Pairs Well With Pineapple Juice in Dole’s New Ads

A woman named Michelle, a former manager, has finally surrounded herself with coworkers who lower her blood pressure instead of spike it. And serial dater Rebecca, after decades of searching, has located the person of her dreams. Could their similar choice in beverages have something to do with their newfound happiness? While a new campaign…

Thought Tropicana Toothpaste Was Weird? Check Out Its Mimosa Maker

It’s a pity that the name of Frank Meier is largely lost to history because he made significant contributions to it. As the longtime bartender at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, Meier–well placed to listen to conversations that SS officers had during the German occupation of the city during WWII–passed valuable secrets to British intelligence….

Can Brands Spot Gold In A Celebrity Chef’s Food Hall? 

When Hurricane Sandy made landfall 10 years ago, New Yorkers had no idea the powerful storm would wash away more than errant street debris. The historic, punishing storm swept away a swath of lower Manhattan’s financial district. One major casualty was the local shopping mall Pier 17, which for years was a hotspot for dining…

Early Canned Cocktail Brand Siponey Looks to the Next Phase

The canned cocktail industry has matured. But as the ready-to-drink space has grown up, early entrants are facing new challenges after initially overcoming doubts about their viability. Whiskey-focused Siponey Spritz Co. is one canned cocktail pioneer looking to ride the acceptance of RTDs. But the marketplace for respectable booze in a can is now being…

Liquid Death Launches Water Giveaway in Georgia So That ‘Thirst Dies and Democracy Lives’

Liquid Death, saying it wants to ensure that “thirst dies and democracy lives,” has partnered with nonpartisan voter registration group HeadCount to help Georgia residents “hydrate and be heard” for the midterm elections. The water giveaway comes as early in-person voting has begun in the Southern state, with more than 1 million residents showing up…

McCain’s Roblox Experience Aims to Educate Gen Z on Farming Issues

Perhaps agriculture and frozen chips aren’t the likeliest inspiration for an online game but joining the stampede from brands to launch their own virtual experiences, McCain Foods has opened a space on Roblox that will aim to educate consumers about regenerative farming. This latest ‘metaverse’ project sees the world’s largest manufacturer of potato products introduce…

The 17 Most Spellbinding Halloween Ad Campaigns, Products and Brand Stunts of 2022

This Halloween is shaping up to be a big one. Scary big. S&P Global Market Intelligence forecasts U.S. households are expected to spend a record-breaking $3.2 billion on candy during the spooky season. And brands are looking to get their slice of the pumpkin pie. Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 23, for example, companies spent…