All articles tagged with #marketing
An Illinois federal judge ruled in Buffalo Wild Wings’ favor in a false-advertising case over ‘boneless wings,’ concluding that a reasonable consumer wouldn’t view the product as truly deboned wing meat; the suit was dismissed for lack of factual detail and the ruling applies only in that district, leaving room for potential appeals or broader action elsewhere.
The piece questions whether MLS will see a genuine World Cup bump in 2026, noting mixed past evidence of attendance and viewership impacts, and arguing that any boost may be modest; MLS is pursuing a large, league-wide marketing push and heavy Apple TV exposure to capitalize on the US-hosted World Cup, but experts caution the effect is unlikely to dramatically alter the league's trajectory.
TechRadar’s take on Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem marketing notes a deliberate delay and secrecy around demos, despite Leon Kennedy’s late-2025 reveal and a February State of Play. With a February 27 launch date across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, fans frustration over no pre-launch demo is weighed against the idea that releasing a full, spoiler-free experience later could pay off by heightening anticipation and reveals at launch.
Frida Baby’s bold, humorous branding grabbed attention but sparked controversy when old packaging and posts used sexual innuendo; after an initial silence the company deleted outdated posts and updated its stance with a measured statement. The episode offers branding lessons: test tone against product context, delete content that no longer fits before backlash grows, have a plan for controversy, and balance cheeky wit with empathy to avoid alienating a mass audience.
Polymarket staged a “free grocery store” pop-up in New York’s West Village that drew hundreds on opening day, only to be delayed by late deliveries; inside, shelves and supplies looked unusually polished, and reporters documented the scene as a marketing stunt tied to the crypto platform. The event is framed by Polymarket as a philanthropic‑first effort, including a pledge to donate $1 million to the Food Bank for NYC, while sparking questions about brand-washing and gambling optics.
McDonald’s is giving away a limited Valentine’s Day kit that includes a 1-ounce tin of McNugget Caviar, crème fraîche, a Mother of Pearl caviar spoon, and a $25 McNuggets gift card, with 11 a.m. ET start at mcnuggetcaviar.com/countdown. Described as an upscale, effortless celebration, the promo aims to boost brand awareness and sales during cautious consumer spending. The move comes as McDonald’s notes chicken sales at parity with beef and reports modest earnings momentum—global sales up about 1% for the year and US comps up roughly 2.4% in Q3—while the giveaway itself is limited in quantity.
USA TODAY's Ad Meter ranked the top 10 Super Bowl 60 commercials, with Budweiser's "American Icons" taking the top spot at 4.00, followed by Lay's "Last Harvest" and Pepsi's "The Choice" in second and third. The lineup also includes Dunkin' "Good Will Dunkin’", Michelob ULTRA's "The ULTRA Instructor", Xfinity's "Jurassic Park…Works", Novartis's "Relax Your Tight End", NFL's "Champion", Bud Light's "Keg", and Ring's "Search Party". The event came as 30-second ad prices climbed to about $8–$10 million and inventory sold out, highlighting a year of celebrity-led storytelling as the Seahawks claimed the Lombardi Trophy.
AI-generated ads dominated this year’s Super Bowl but largely looked cheap and disjointed, failing to convincingly sell AI’s value. From Artlist’s quick, animal-clip spot to Svedka’s Brobot and the de-aged stars in Xfinity and Dunkin’ spots, brands triggered debate over whether AI or sloppy editing produced the visuals, underscoring that current generative tools haven’t yet delivered premium, resonant advertising.
Facing economic headwinds, this year’s Super Bowl commercials lean into health, care and humor, with high-profile spots from Uber Eats (Bradley Cooper and Matthew McConaughey), Kellogg’s Raisin Bran (William Shatner), and other brands like Pepsi and Budweiser aiming to boost recall and audience goodwill.
Advertisers paid record prices for Super Bowl 60 slots—about $8 million on average, with some spots topping $10 million—and the lineup emphasizes AI-enabled campaigns, star-powered spots, and heartwarming storylines. Anthropic and other AI players are showcasing their tech alongside big brands like Amazon, Meta, and Google, while celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, George Clooney, and Matthew McConaughey anchor many ads. Health and telehealth messages, along with family- and pet-centered tales, dominate as brands seek escapism and lighthearted appeal amid turbulent times, signaling a mood favoring entertainment and humanity in advertising.
Advertisers are tightening talent costs for the Super Bowl as entry prices for 30-second NBC slots reach around $8–10 million and all‑in costs can exceed $12–20 million, prompting a shift toward ensemble casts and lower star fees (often $3–5 million for A-list talent) while AI features prominently in production and creative, signaling a broader industry shift in how celebrity and technology shape the game‑day ads.
Vanessa Friedman argues that the Kennedy Center screening of 'Melania' functions as the launch of a broader luxury-brand strategy rather than a documentary, emphasizing fashion and branding aesthetics (black-and-white design, tailored outfits) and signals about family values to build a multi-category lifestyle brand for Melania Trump.
Svedka’s 30-second Super Bowl spot, featuring Fembot and Brobot, is billed as the first known ad created largely with AI, using AI-generated choreography and visuals with the human twist of a TikTok contest winner selecting the dance. The campaign leans into AI as a storytelling tool while delivering a pro-human message—the robots remind people to be social and human—airing just after halftime to spark conversation about humans versus technology.
WIRED analyzed 1,398 Melania showtimes across 329 theaters near 64 US cities and found only two screenings sold out on opening day—12:55 pm at AMC CLASSIC Indian River 24 in Vero Beach, FL, and 1 pm at AMC Independence Commons 20 in Independence, MO—despite heavy promotion and Amazon MGM Studios’ roughly $75 million in rights and marketing. Most showings had seats available, with some early screenings discounted. UK sales were also weak, and a Florida listing that briefly appeared sold out later showed two seats, highlighting limited nationwide demand for the documentary.
Amazon paid $40 million for Melania Trump’s documentary and is dedicating roughly $35 million to its marketing—an unprecedented level for a documentary—prompting questions about motive, editorial control, and whether the push signals political maneuvering around the film’s association with director Brett Ratner, with the movie rolling out in theaters worldwide and a related docuseries before landing on Prime.