Need to catch up on the most recent marketing news? Get ready for stories of rebrands, product rollouts and pop-up shops coming your way. Find out all the details in our new Weekly Must Reads.

Victoria’s Secret Kicks Off Its New Marketing Approach

After decades of a hyper-sexualized marketing approach, Victoria’s Secret is restarting in a new direction. Helping them is the newly-appointed VS Collective, a group of spokeswomen that includes Megan Rapinoe and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The brand’s new mantra is “here for her,” and according to the new CMO Martha Pease, they’re “absolutely dedicated to shifting the role we play in her life to be one of advocacy.”

Signing stars who are regarded as empowering women is certainly a step in the right direction, but as many have noted, Victoria’s Secret’s future still depends on the direction they take with these partners. Competitors like Aerie and Third Love have been focused on body positivity for years and have already built loyal customer bases. Can Victoria’s Secret make up their lost ground? Catch up on all the new details here: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/victorias-secret-overhauls-overly-sexualized-image-with-purpose-driven-partners-megan-rapinoe/2344591

Ricky and Morty’s Pop-Up Restaurant

“Rick and Morty” is back, and so is their partnership with Wendy’s. Last weekend, the fast food chain ran a themed pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles that offered menu items inspired by the show, including the Jerry’s Single and Pickle Rick Frosty. Fans on the go could also experience the restaurant through an “out-of-this-world” drive-thru. In addition, from now until August 22, consumers can also try two new themed soda flavors in Wendy’s stores across the US.

Wendy’s has partnered with the show’s parent network, Adult Swim, for years. Ricky and Morty made an appearance in one of Wendy’s ads in 2020, and the two brands have also collaborated on April Fool’s pranks in the past. Check out more information about the new promotions here: https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/rick-and-morty-get-their-own-wendys-drink-flavors-and-restaurant-pop-up-for-season-5/?itm_source=parsely-api

Volkswagen’s Virtual Test Drive

Volkswagen has debuted its first all-electric vehicle, and to promote it, they’re taking a slightly unexpected approach. Last week, the brand began using Pinterest to drive consumers to a “test drive” of the ID.4 SUV, which includes a virtual simulation and 360-degree viewing of the vehicle’s interior. Over the next month, Pinterest creators will join Volkswagen to virtually walk users through their favorite features of the electric car.

With this new campaign, Volkswagen is hoping to engage with an environmentally conscious target audience on Pinterest. It’s a smart strategy, as Pinterest users tend to be 55 percent more concerned about their carbon footprint than other Internet users, according to the brand’s announcement. Learn more about the new electric SUV and Volkswagen’s clever campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/volkswagen-targets-pinterest-auto-shoppers-with-virtual-test-drive/601802/

Instagram Launched Reels Ads

Last week, Instagram announced its Reels platform has added another feature to keep up with rival TikTok: paid ads. These short-form video ads can be liked, commented or saved just like all other Reels videos, and may be up to 30 seconds in length. In recent months, brands including BMW, Netflix and Uber have participated in early ad tests across various countries with seemingly positive results. Instagram plans to treat Reels ads much like its other advertising options with an auction-based payment model. The company hasn’t released details on average prices or performance metrics, but on TikTok, ads placed on the app’s home page are currently going for more than $1.4 million.

Paid ads seemed like a natural next step for Instagram Reels to drive revenue, but some wonder why Instagram hasn’t yet taken advantage of its Shops feature to allow Reels users to make purchases directly from videos. Such a step would certainly differentiate Reels from its growing number of competitors. Find out more details and let us know your thoughts here: https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/17/instagrams-tiktok-rival-reels-rolls-out-ads-worldwide/