Need a quick update on the biggest marketing and advertising stories? Today’s your lucky day. Catch up on the news you need to know in our Weekly Must Reads.

Crypto Brands Respond to the Crash

Following the historic crypto crash, exchange platform Coinbase is firing back at the doubters. Their latest ad, called “Long Live Crypto,” illustrates how many times users have tweeted “Crypto is dead” in the last 10 years. The simple 30-second video makes a much larger argument – that their industry has survived every other change in the market, and it will survive this one, too.

However, it’s also worth noting that Coinbase recently announced they were pausing their hiring plans for the year and placed short-term projects on hold. Instead, Coinbase’s Chief Product Officers stated, “the down market is a great time to build for the longer term.” Check out more crypto updates here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/05/19/week-the-metaverse-coinbase-hodls-gap-opens-roblox

Doja Cat Is Taco Bell’s Perfect Partner

With her unfiltered Twitter feed and unpredictable antics, Doja Cat isn’t the most traditional celebrity spokesperson. But for Taco Bell, partnering with the young star has boosted their presence across all social media platforms and helped capture the Gen Z audience. The partnership came together organically after Doja led a Twitter campaign calling for Taco Bell to bring back former menu items. Since then, the brand has leaned into their “anti-hero’s” hijinks with partnered TikToks, commercials, and shout-outs during the singer’s Coachella performance.

The partnership works for both parties because it feels authentic to who they are. It doesn’t appear that Doja Cat is participating just because she wants the endorsement check. As one expert pointed out, it’s often hard to tell which messages are sponsored, and which are just Doja’s own stream of consciousness. Read the full story here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/doja-cat-marketing-taco-bell-brand-partner/?itm_source=parsely-api

A Pepsi-Roni Pizza Party

Last Friday was National Pizza Party Day, and to celebrate, Pepsi created cola-infused pepperonis, or Pepsi-Ronis. The soda brand partnered with the Culinary Institute of America Consulting to create the new product, which combined sweet Pepsi Zero Sugar with traditional spicy pepperoni. A Pepsi pop-up shop in New York served slices of Pepsi-Roni Pizza on Friday, and customers in other cities could receive $3 off a Pepsi product with purchase of a pizza at participating restaurants.

The campaign is part of Pepsi’s larger “Better with Pepsi” push. Last year, the brand ran a similar stunt illustrating how consumers prefer Pepsi over Coke when eating a burger. Catch all the campaign details here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/pepsi-pepperoni-pizza-better-with/624022/

The Smell-o-Verse

We’ve all heard about the future of the metaverse – but what about the smell-o-verse? Companies like OVR Technology has created scent cartridges that can be loaded into virtual reality headsets to release scents based on digital cues. OVR argues that scents elicit real emotions and responses, and are therefore essential to creating a complete, immersive metaverse. Though the digital scent industry is still in its early stages, we’ve already seen metaverse creators eagerly consult outside sources, including fashion designers and architecture firms, for their expertise. However, some tech experts consider scent integrations to be expendable features that can be added once metaverse technology has been further developed.

Scent associations aren’t a new phenomenon in the marketing world. Hotels have created signature scents that they use across all locations for brand consistency, while retailers frequently create their own perfumes that give their stores and products a recognizable scent. Sniff around this story here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90744828/inside-the-smell-a-verse-meet-the-companies-trying-to-bring-smell-to-the-metaverse