This week, brands leaned into their funny sides with new campaigns that satirize pop culture phenomena. Catch up and get a laugh from their latest efforts in our Weekly Must Reads.

Tito’s Spokescart Pokes Fun at Celebrity Liquor Brands

As part of its new brand platform, “With Tito’s,” the vodka brand introduced its new “Spokescart” as a tongue-in-cheek play on liquor brands’ celebrity ambassadors. In four new ads, the autonomous Spokescart serves Tito’s fans in a variety of relaxing settings, helping to “make any moment better,” as the brand’s tagline goes. According to a Tito’s press release, they chose to utilize their Spokescart to “let the product speak for itself,” rather than rely on a celebrity’s following.

In addition to playing on the liquor brand spokesperson trend, Tito’s also leans into the artificial intelligence hype with its independently-moving bar cart. Check out the new ads and learn more about Tito’s marketing strategy here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/01/10/tito-s-unveils-new-brand-platform-with-tito-s

Away Luggage Spoofs Calvin Klein Ads

Last week, actor Jeremy Allen White’s new campaign with Calvin Klein underwear took over much of the Internet. In a brazen response, the up-and-coming luggage brand Away released their take on the campaign with a series of Instagram photos that showed their carry-on suitcases dressed with white Calvin Klein underwear. The photos were posted in black-and-white with the luggage posed against the Manhattan skyline, cleverly imitating the original CK images.

Within days, the post earned tens of thousands of likes and shares on Instagram. It even garnered a positive response from the official Calvin Klein account, which commented “Packed” on the photos. Learn more about Away’s fast-acting social strategy and success here: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/how-away-spoofed-jeremy-allen-whites-calvin-klein-ads/2536256

Kansas City Chiefs Go Hallmark for Postseason Campaign

Ahead of its first postseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off a new campaign, titled “’Tis the Postseason.” The first ad for the campaign is a spoof on cheesy Hallmark movies, starring popular Hallmark actors Tyler Hynes and Janel Parrish. It’s a comical spot with plenty of romance movie cliches, as well as nods to the Chiefs’ many headlines this season. Travis Kelce’s mom Donna Kelce makes a guest appearance in the ad, and naturally, there are also several Taylor Swift Easter Eggs scattered throughout.

To further drive interest in the postseason, the Chiefs created a line of merchandise based on items the characters wear in the spot. According to the team, one major goal of the campaign is to engage key audience segments across the US, particularly millennials and young women. Find out more about the Chiefs’ postseason marketing strategy here: https://variety.com/2024/sports/news/kansas-city-chiefs-movie-trailer-tyler-hynes-taylor-swift-1235867785/

Pepsi Targets Millennials with Wild Cherry Soda

With flavored sodas rising in popularity, Pepsi is bringing back its Wild Cherry flavor with a new campaign targeting millennials, and specifically millennial moms. The campaign, called “Get Wild,” plays with how these parents’ idea of what is “wild” has changed drastically in the last 10 to 20 years. For example, in the spot “Nursery Rhymez,” a new mom takes a sip of her Wild Cherry Pepsi before breaking out the 2002 classic “Get Low” as a lullaby for her newborn.

According to a Pepsi senior director, the new ads hope to resonate with young parents who “still know how to have fun…their indulgence just looks a little bit tamer these days.” The spots rolled out over the weekend during NFL playoff games, and additional ads will appear on podcasts and mobile games in the coming weeks. Learn more about the wild campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/pepsi-wild-cherry-targets-millennial-women-flavored-soda-sales/704321/