Need a refresher on the latest marketing and advertising news? We’ve got everything you need to know in one place. Catch up on the top stories with this week’s Weekly Must Reads.

Pro Athletes Parody NCAA Commercial

A day in the life of a student-athlete isn’t as fun as the NCAA might lead you to believe. After releasing a commercial that depicts the “day in the life” of a student-athlete, dozens of current and former college athletes mocked and criticized the video for painting a much more cheerful scene than they experienced in real life. Former University of Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho even went as far as creating and posting a parody video of a “REAL day in the life.”

The NCAA’s video shows a student-athlete who is eagerly attentive in class, jogging with teammates and meeting with other students before heading back to bed. In Acho’s video, on the other hand, he gets up at 5 am to lift weights, rolls his eyes in class, gets yelled at by a coach during practice and turns down plans with a girl because he’s too tired. Do you agree with the athletes that the NCAA’s video is tone-deaf? Watch both videos here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/03/21/ex-nfl-player-parodies-ncaas-widely-mocked-student-athlete-day-life-video/?utm_term=.c099228af392

Brands Unite for a McSweepstakes

Three brands have joined together to promote perhaps the laziest giveaway ever. McDonald’s recently announced a sweepstakes for their Uber Eats customers to win a special “McDelivery Couch.” If customers tweet about their favorite McDonald’s delivery item, they’ll be entered to win a La-Z-Boy couch complete with a cooler, phone charger, cup holders and adjustable seats. The promotion not-so-coincidentally launched at the start of the NCAA basketball tournament, a peak time for both lounging and food delivery.

The social media-based promotion hopes to reach a younger audience. Generation Z consumers show more interest in fast-food brands, while millennials are more likely to use food-delivery apps like Uber Eats. Plus, rising numbers of young consumers prefer to stay in rather than go out to eat. Do you think a couch is enough to entice customers? Find out more here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/mcdonalds-and-la-z-boy-partner-on-mcdelivery-couch-sweepstakes/550856/

America (Literally) Runs on Dunkin’

Runners and donut-eaters, unite! Ahead of next month’s Boston Marathon, two Boston-based brands, Dunkin’ and Saucony, released new donut-themed sneakers. The shoes bear Dunkin’s orange and pink logo across the side, along with the word “Boston” splashed along the heel. Dunkin’ revealed the shoe on Instagram and quickly garnered tens of thousands of views, as well as comments reporting that some sizes are already sold out.

This partnership may be surprising to some, but not to Saucony. The shoe company says the collaboration honors “the good that runners get from coffee and donuts after putting in the miles.” The two brands also actually released a similar, albeit less-branded sneaker last year. Do you love Dunkin’ enough to buy their shoes? Check them out here: https://abcnews.go.com/style/story/saucony-drops-dunkin-sneaker-collaboration-celebrate-boston-marathon-61836495

The Stories Behind the Biggest Brand Names

Have you ever wondered where brand names like Lululemon and Venmo come from? Now you can find out. Founders from some of the world’s most well-known companies have explained the inspiration behind their distinctive names. Some are logical: for example, Nike is named after the Greek goddess of victory, and Starbucks was taken from the Moby Dick character. Others, like Panera, are inspired by other languages. And then there are the nonsensical: both Haagen-Dazs and Rolex are made-up words designed just to sound upscale. Check out more brand name stories here: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-brand-names-mean-2017-4#jcpenney-is-named-after-its-founder-whose-name-is-just-too-good-to-be-true-24