Many of our favorite marketing campaigns are creative, timely, and just a little bit out-there – and brands are delivering this week. Check out the news you need to know now in our Weekly Must Reads.

Oreo Thins Releases Kid-Proof Packaging

Parents with cookie-loving kids don’t have to fight over their favorite treats anymore. Oreo Thins, the “ultimate cookie for adults,” released new packaging that mimics products kids might find less than exciting, such as a bag of Green Giant frozen vegetables and a Ford owner’s manual. The “Thins Protection Program,” as the campaign is called, kicked off recently with an ad featuring Kevin and Danielle Jonas who successfully outsmart their kids thanks to the easily camouflaged Oreo packages.

Oreo Thins lovers can also use their clever hiding spots to win an enviable prize. Customers that share their best attempt at hiding their cookie packages and use the hashtag #THINSProtectionProgram will be entered to win one of the limited-edition Thins packages and up to $25,000. Check out more details about the campaign here: https://adage.com/creativity/work/oreo-thins-protection-program/2350266

Oscar Meyer’s Solution to “Hot Dog Injustice”

If you’re a fan of 90s movies, you might remember the iconic scene in “Father of the Bride” in which Steve Martin ends up in jail after a meltdown in the grocery store over the uneven number of hot dogs and buns provided in each package. The man had a point – it makes no sense to sell 10 hot dogs but only 8 hot dog buns! After all these years, Oscar Meyer is finally offering a temporary fix. For a limited time, the brand will sell two-packs of hot dog buns to provide consumers with an even number to match their hot dogs.

The age-old debate over dogs and buns was renewed earlier this month, when ketchup brand Heinz created a petition to rectify the “hot dog injustice” that eventually scored a segment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. When Heinz’s original tweet and petition went viral, Oscar Meyer promptly responded with their proposed solution. Find out more details on this long-standing issue of inequality here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/oscar-mayer-offers-to-solve-the-age-old-problem-of-mismatched-hot-dogs-and-buns/

7-Eleven Joins the Space Craze

Slurpee from space, anyone? 7-Eleven is capitalizing on the recent space craze and plans to launch its famous Slurpee drinks into the atmosphere on a private space flight. When the drinks land back on Earth, the convenience chain will give the commemorative cups to select customers who order from the 7-Eleven app. In addition, fans can choose the lucky Slurpee flavor that makes it to space by ordering their choice through the in-app delivery service.

7-Eleven’s promotion couldn’t be timed better, with billionaires including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos currently developing private space flights. Earlier this month, Richard Branson became the first to test a private flight with his new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic. Get caught up on all the Slurpee “delivery to space” details here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/7-eleven-to-launch-slurpee-into-space-in-a-nod-to-its-delivery-service/603218/

Goodbye, Fleets

Last week, Twitter announced that it would soon begin phasing out Fleets, their answer to the popular Stories feature successfully adopted by many social media platforms. Unfortunately, Fleets failed to catch on with users in the same way. Twitter first introduced Fleets in 2020 in hopes that the 24-hour time limit might engage users who were hesitant to Tweet. However, after more than a year, it’s clear Fleets is only popular with heavy Twitter users looking to further publicize their own Tweets.

According to social experts, Fleets simply didn’t provide as much value to its users as other Story features. Twitter’s existing format already lends itself to short, timely and informal posts, which is the main appeal of disappearing content on other platforms. Learn more about Twitter’s decision here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/07/14/rip-fleets-twitter-s-snapchat-copycat-sails-the-sunset