Levi's Taking Initiative

Levi's has recently announced that paid leave for families has finally become a priority for the brand; U.S. workers, corporate employees working 20+ hours a week and retail employees working 30+ hours a week, have been given the right to eight weeks of paid leave for certain family situations, as discussed in Adweek's article. 

As a brand that heavily values family, love and acceptance, it is difficult to believe that a step like this one is only now being made for Levi's employees. However, many brands are in the same position as Levi's, except Levi's is the brand that has stepped up in not just talking the talk but walking the walk. Countless companies expose their brand to consumers as wholesome, accepting, caring and other qualities consumers want to believe, and maybe do considering the product being presented. Yet, these values and beliefs are not always carried out in the company itself. Ultimately, disconnecting the brand from the company.

The brand that consumers see in ads should accurately reflect how the company's employees feel about the company and the product. So, good job Levi's for taking the initiative and showing other companies that it is time to care about the company's employees just as much as the company cares about its consumers. 

https://www.adweek.com/retail/levis-introduces-industry-leading-family-paid-leave-policy/

Kevin's Famous Chili

Bush's Beans' latest ad depicts The Office's actor Brian Baumgartner cooking up some good old chili. Except, it's not just any ordinary chili; it's Kevin Malone's famous chili, passed on for many generations. Any fan of The Office understands the humor behind this commercial the second it appears on screen.


With the well known Bush's Beans dog having unfortunately passed away in 2018, Bush's Beans has been on the hunt to find its new brand representative. When choosing celebrities to represent brands, it is common to pick celebrities that are currently in the public scene since there is an evident and current following for that celebrity. However, Bush's Beans made a bold decision and looked towards the past for a character that incorporates values and interests similar to their own.

This strategy could not have been more successful as Baumgartner has embraced his fame for his beloved character, Kevin. Kevin clearly loves his chili, a recipe that most make with beans, and, as the episode states, has been passed down in his family. Bush's Beans stands behind that same value, family being at the core of their brand. So, not only has Bush's Beans done a great job in finding their new spokesman for the bean brand, but they have also gained an advantage among the millions who consider themselves fans of The Office.

https://www.adweek.com/creativity/the-offices-brian-baumgartner-is-back-to-cooking-chili-this-time-with-bushs-beans/

XFL - The Future of Football Advertising

America loves football. The NFL is watched religiously by millions of people from September until February. Once the Super Bowl concludes, it seems like the world stops since there is no more football to watch. To fill that void, WWE CEO Vince McMahon launched the XFL last month – a winter and spring professional football league. Unlike the well established NFL sports league, the XFL can be more open and innovative in how they implement advertising.

Executives at Anheuser-Busch, the maker of the new Bud Light Seltzer was very smart to jump at the opportunity to be the official sponsor of the XFL. Not only was their logo placed on the back of the Dallas Renegades in Week 1, Bud Light Seltzer also gets great exposure on social media. Celebratory shotguns, field goal chugs, and creative team locker room celebrations have caused another source of competition between teams to see who’s best with a Bud Light Seltzer in their hand. St. Louis Battlehawks defensive tackle Jake Payne currently is the king of celebrations, but there are many weeks left in the inaugural season.

The XFL currently serves as a marketing laboratory for more established sport leagues. Depending on the success of this more lenient advertising strategy with sponsorships, it will be interesting to see if the NFL makes this transition within the next couple of years if it proves to be beneficial for the league to stray away from traditional commercial advertising interruptions.

The NHL Not at the Olympics

There was once a time were NHL players were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. One of the most famous games during this time period was dubbed "The Miracle on Ice," you have probably heard of it. This is when a group of college students somehow beat the Russian super team. The Olympic rules have since changed, allowing the top talents (NHL players) around the world to compete in the games, so politics no longer get in the way. For multiple decades NHL players have been promoting the sport of hockey around the globe by competing in the Olympics, however, this year may be a different story. The NHL is considering to not allow its players to compete in the Olympics in 2022. One of the biggest reasons why people watch the Winter Olympics is because they get to watch the best players in the world compete for their country. Like the NBA has done, the NHL is trying to grow the fanbase overseas, particularly in China. Since the 2022 Winter Olympics are being hosted in China, having the top talent in your league compete at the games would be the best way to advertise the sport to get new people in that market interested in it. To understand more about the NHL's interest in the Winter Olympics, check out this article on Forbes.  https://www.forbes.com//the-2022-olympics-nhl-talks/

Stuck in a Pringles Commercial

When you think of the food brand with the best SuperBowl commercials, normally you think of Doritos hilarious ads. Well this year Pringles gave them a run for their money by incorporating the new hit adult cartoon, Rick and Morty. If you're are one of the millions of Rick and Morty fans or just have a good sense of humor, then it would catch your eye and make you laugh. I personally enjoyed this advertisement because it didn't feel like an ad at all; it felt like a normal episode of Rick and Morty because it used the exact same humor style. The advertisement is so effective because it catches the viewer off guard because it seems more like the tv rather than an ad. The ad shows off how you can stack different flavored Pringles chips together to create your own unique flavor. This advertisement was so successful that Rick and Morty now appear on the Pringles home page, showing people how to stack chips to create flavors. Pringles.com

Google, What is "Corona Beer Virus?"

Believe it or not, some people around the world are literally associating the deadly coronavirus with the beer brand Corona. Barron's article states that Google searches for "corona beer virus" spiked just last Monday. 


Initially, I thought this virus had to have taken a toll on the beer brand since a small percentage of the public is associating the two. However, since there has been some confusion among some about the virus and its relations to the beer brand, could this deadly virus in actuality have provided some free advertising for the beer brand?

Countless memes, like the one seen above, are being created in spite of this coincidental, unfortunate and false association. Additionally, many people and organizations are taking to social media clear up this created confusion and to express their opinions regarding the situation at hand and the people who believe there is a connection between coronavirus and Corona beer.


Barron's article claims that Corona beer is no longer losing profits due to this worldwide spreading disease. Yet, we should continue to look at Corona beer's brand engagement and audience favorability down the road since thousands of customers have taken to defend this classic brand.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/corona-beer-coronavirus-abinbev-constellation-brands-51583165067 

Made to Chill

Everyone one has heard of Coors Light. It's one of the most commonly drank light beers in America. In an attempt to reach a younger crowd, Coors Light has moved away from the "World's Most Refreshing Beer" campaign, and started the "Made to Chill" campaign. People who consume alcohol latch onto a specific beer as their favorite right in their twenties, and with some many light beer options available in today's market, differentiation in advertising is key. Coors believes that people in their earlier twenties will use anything as an excuse to drink a beer. Coors is completely correct in their thinking, which is what makes their advertising strategy so effective.

The Coors Light advertisement below is of a group of friends golfing, except they don't seem to care that much about the game. The group of guys are golfing just for the excuse to drink beer. This is spot on the what so many young drinkers do, it's incredibly relatable. The music is relaxing, prompting that this isn't a beer you drink at a party, but this is a beer you drink with your friends when you are having fun. 

The new campaign may be striving away from the DNA of older campaigns, however its working well. Young drinkers are going out and trying Coors Light because the campaign is so relatable to their lifestyle choices. Ad Age does a great breakdown on the rest of advertisements in the campaign. It is highly suggested that you check the site if you are interested in learning more. https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/coors-lights-new-made-chill-campaign-breaks-its-mountainous-past/2188001

Brotherhood of Muscle

Dodge has been continuing to brand itself as the top American performance automobile brand. Dodge used to just build fast cars and create traditional automobile advertisements, until they discovered the power of movie franchises. For years the hero car in most the the Fast and Furious movies has always been a Dodge Charger, and it is also a favorite movie series among car enthusiasts. Dodge partnered with Universal to help advertise the movies and the cars. It has been so successful that every time a new Fast and Furious movie is released, that a new wave of Dodge advertisements are released, called "The Brotherhood of Muscle."

This specific advertisement is the first Brotherhood of Muscle ad created, and it features the star of the Fast and Furious franchise, Vin Diesel. The advertisement was created to build hype around the V8 engine lineup Dodge was offering at the time,  including the new Hellcats, and to build hype for the new movie Fate of the Furious. The advertisement was not created to capture a traditional car buyers attention, instead going after people who have a deep passion for performance cars.

As mentioned this advertisement was so successful that it spawned a series that is going on for 3 years now and doesn't look to be stopping anytime soon. The advertisements are so popular that Dodge has them featured on their website's home page. Head over to check it out. https://www.dodge.com/

Gambling and Advertising

          From my personal experience, I have seen television commercials for casinos and gambling, however there is always a disclaimer placed after the ad. This feature always perplexed me. Gambling is something that can change lives. It can be seen as an addiction, and protecting people from following a detrimental financial habit is an important responsibility for the advertising industry.
          The ASA or the Advertising Standards Authority is noticing the increase of gambling advertising and ads that are targeted to younger audiences. People that are more vulnerable to acquire a gambling addition, such as young children, are being bombarded with gambling advertisement. This is not just from television, but also from gambling sponsored championships, sponsored t-shirts, and other sponsorship arrangements. According to the ASA's research, children under the age of 18 were exposed to advertising ads 151 times and 5 companies broke the laws regarding advertising to minors. This bombardment of gambling advertisements to younger audience creates a mistrust in the advertising industry as a whole. The ASA through The Gambling Commission is looking for ways to control these ads. It is difficult for them to make policies because they cannot regulate the quantity of ads. The ASA is looking for more funding in order to be able to regulate the gambling industry more effectively.

Marketing Week Article

Is it "jif" or "gif"?

Jif peanut butter has joined in the new age internet debate with a social media campaign. The new campaign insists that gif, short for graphics interchange format, is pronounced with a hard "g" to distinguish it from Jif peanut butter, pronounced with a soft "g" or "j" sound. 

In tandem with the new social media campaign, Smuckers, the company behind Jif peanut butter, has released a limited edition version of their peanut butter labeled "Gif: Animated Looping Images" instead of "Jif: Creamy Peanut Butter" available on Amazon. The ad campaign also partnered with Giphy to release branded gif's on their website to coincide. The entire ad campaign lines up with national peanut butter day on March 1st. 

This ad campaign capitalizes on the debate between how to pronounce the two words in a humorous manner while also taking a stance in the matter. It's a fun and creative ad campaign that is sure to grab people's attention in the internet age. Gif's have become extremely popular, and what better way to launch an internet campaign than to focus on one of the most popular things on the internet?

https://adage.com/article/digital/jif-peanut-butter-finally-incorporates-gif-campaign-what-took-so-long/2240076