Marketers have been busy this week gearing up to address major events, from the presidential election to the 2028 Olympics. Check out all the latest updates on the news you need to know in our Weekly Must Reads.

LA28’s Creative New Logos

The Los Angeles Olympic & Paralympic Games may still be eight years away, but that hasn’t stopped its committee from unveiling their logos. Yes, that’s logos, plural – 26 logos, in fact, with more in the works. Each version of the logo features a different “A” in the word LA that was designed by famous Olympians, artists and creators, including Allyson Felix, Billie Eilish and Reese Witherspoon. In order to showcase the logos, LA28 put together a minute-long video showing each version morphing into the next and shared it across their social media channels.

According to Amy Gleeson, CMO of LA28, the logos represent the creativity and diversity of Los Angeles as well as the digital-first focus of this decade. The overall marketing campaign for the 2028 Games is also specifically targeted to consumers who will be in their 20s and 30s when the Games happen. Which of the 26 logos is your favorite? Check them all out here: https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/la-2028-unveils-dynamic-olympics-logo-updated-athletes-and-celeb-creators/2278011

Apple Warns Against Over-Sharing

In our digital world, there always seems to be a company in the news facing a data breach, hack or criticism of their privacy practices. Apple’s latest ad aims to convince consumers that their devices will keep all personal information safe and secure. The ad humorously explores how inappropriate it would be to announce private details of your life to strangers in real-world settings. For example, in the first scene, a man informs a bus full of people that he’s browsed eight sites for divorce attorneys today.

Although Apple has used marketing to position itself as a privacy leader in recent years, the company does still have its share of scandals. In 2019, there was a small bug in the FaceTime app that allowed people to eavesdrop on calls, and Apple also faced accusations of allowing human contractors to listen to Siri requests. Watch the ad and find out more about Apple’s complicated relationship with privacy here: https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/3/21420108/apple-new-over-sharing-ad-privacy-security-iphone

Uber’s Bold Antiracism Message

With the US still locked in controversy over racial injustice, ride-sharing app Uber has made their stance clear. In a new digital and out-of-home campaign, Uber is sending consumers a simple message: “If you tolerate racism, delete Uber.” In addition to the advertisements, the brand also sent emails and in-app notifications to users with the antiracism message, along with details of the Uber-sponsored March on Washington last week.

To help quell criticisms that the campaign is self-serving, Uber also emailed users a link to their community guidelines around discrimination and provided details of its long-term commitment to support the antiracism movement. However, Uber is also in the midst of battling a California lawsuit over their labor practices. Uber currently classifies their drivers as contractors rather than employees, which does not guarantee as many protections for these gig workers, who are often people of color. Do you think the campaign will make the difference Uber hopes it will? Read on here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/uber-urges-those-who-tolerate-racism-to-delete-the-app/

Pinterest Pulls Ads Around Politics

Social media platforms are all being put under a microscope for their political advertising policies during this election year. Pinterest, which banned all political ads in 2018, has taken their handling of political content a step further. In order to cut down on misinformation, the app will hide ads of any kind from appearing on election-related search pages. Pinterest also announced they would direct users to non-partisan voter registration sites when they search for information on how to vote.

In a similar move last year, Twitter announced that it would pull all political ads from its platform. After years of criticism of their political advertising policies, Facebook announced last week that it would block political ads the week before Election Day this November. The social network hopes this move will cut down on misinformation and interference without completely banning political speech. Learn more about the political ad policies of all the majority social platforms here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/elections/pinterest-reins-in-advertising-related-to-political-terms.html