The marketing world this week is full of conversation around bitcoin, baseball and backlash. Find a quick recap on all the stories you need to know in our latest Weekly Must Reads.

Volkswagen’s April Fools Fail

Last Monday, a few days before April 1, Volkswagen of America issued a press release announcing their name change to “Voltswagen” to show their commitment to the future of electric vehicles. As the story quickly spread among news outlets, VW was forced to release another statement the same day explaining that the announcement was an early April Fools joke. The brand, which has been seeing steady increases in its stock price this year, quickly saw its shares drop this week in response to the prank, which many saw as inappropriate given the subject matter.

In the past, other brands, such as IHOP, have faked name changes to varying degrees of success. However, some felt that electric vehicles and sustainability are topics that are too serious to be joked about. Volkswagen has also been judged more harshly for the stunt due to their history of misreporting vehicle emission numbers. Read more about the April Fool joke gone wrong here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-30/volkswagen-s-u-s-name-change-was-an-april-fool-s-joke-gone-awry

A Bitcoin Burrito Day

No April Fools this time – on April 1, Chipotle gave away $100,000 in free burritos and $100,000 of bitcoin in honor of National Burrito Day. To unlock the prizes, customers had to guess the six-digit code on the brand’s “Burritos or Bitcoin” landing page. The first 10,000 to guess correctly earned a free burrito, and a select number of customers also received bitcoin ranging from $500 to $25,000. To enter the contest, users do need to register with Chipotle, which will help the brand build its growing base of first-party data.

Chipotle’s campaign follows a number of other recent cryptocurrency-related effort from brands, including Michelob Ultra, Pizza Hut and Charmin. With Elon Musk announcing that Tesla will soon accept bitcoin as payment for their vehicles, we expect to see more marketers joining the digital currency conversation soon. Find out more about National Burrito Day here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/chipotle-gives-away-100k-in-bitcoin-for-national-burrito-day/597455/

Chevy’s “Field of Dreams”

After a 2020 season marked by pandemic chaos, Major League Baseball made its return last week to the excitement of baseball fans. To support MLB’s Opening Day, Chevrolet launched a new ad, appropriately titled “Field of Dreams,” to highlight the many ways baseball can bring people together. The commercial includes James Earl Jones’ famous speech from the 1989 baseball movie set to nostalgic baseball scenes, from kids’ T-ball games to classic MLB moments.

By focusing on togetherness and the enduring presence of baseball through the ages, perhaps Chevy can help the MLB appeal to a broader audience. The league has been attempting to attract younger crowds for years now. Just last month, the MLB created its own TikTok channel in hopes of reaching Millennials & Gen Zs, who typically have lower viewership than their older counterparts. Watch Chevy’s new Opening Day ad here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/major-league-baseball-and-chevy-channel-field-of-dreams-in-a-hopeful-opening-day-ad/

Nike vs. Lil Nas X’s Satan Shoes

Last week, rapper Lil Nas X released his limited edition “Satan Shoe,” which quickly became the latest controversial conversation topic on social media. The campaign topic is polarizing on its own, but now it’s also sparked a lawsuit from Nike. The shoe brand claims Lil Nas X and his streetwear partner MSCHF committed copyright infringement by using Nike’s Air Max 97s as the base sneaker behind their design.

This practice, known as upcycling, is not uncommon among artists. In the past, many companies have turned a blind eye when their products are altered and resold to avoid offending the audience. For Nike, though, the Satan Shoes were one step too far. In the lawsuit, Nike cites the right to maintain control of its own brand and choose exactly which products may use the trademarked Nike Swoosh. Read up on the controversy and lawsuit updates here:  https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/what-nikes-lawsuit-against-lil-nas-xs-satan-shoes-means-brand-image-and-future-upcycling-trend/2325086