Ah, April Fool’s Day – the most confusing marketing day of the year. Find out which tricky campaigns made a splash last week, and catch up on all the other need-to-know stories in our Weekly Must Reads.

April Fool’s Day Roundup

This April Fool’s Day marked the busiest one for brands in years. After avoiding gags during the height of the pandemic, companies like T-Mobile and Bud Light created prank social posts on Friday for the playful holiday. Many of the jokes involved fake product launches, and several chose to team up with other brands in a phony collaboration. For example, Hellman’s partnered with Butterfinger to tease a candy-flavored mayonnaise offering, while Papa John’s and Pot Noodle paired up for to create the so-called “Pot Pizza.”

Some brands got in on popular consumer debates and inside jokes, as well. platforms themselves got in on the jokes, too. Twitter quipped they were working on an edit button for tweets (a long-requested user feature) and British delivery service Deliveroo temporarily banned pineapple pizza toppings on its app. Catch up on all the weirdest and funniest brand jokes here: https://www.adweek.com/commerce/funniest-weirdest-wildest-brand-stunts-april-fools-day-2022/

McDonald’s Is Taking Out the Trash

McDonald’s latest campaign takes a surprising angle on environmentalism…by framing its own food as trash. The print, digital and out-of-home ads encourages consumers to “take away your takeaway,” highlighting photos of McDonald’s food and drink containers scattered on the ground. The out-of-home ads are also accompanied with branded trash cans, with the Golden Arches pointing down into the bin.

The campaign tackles the oversized role takeout plays in worldwide littering and waste, while aiming to frame McDonald’s as a leader in sustainability efforts. Find out more about the creative ads here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/mcdonalds-norway-displays-iconic-trash-in-bid-to-reduce-littering/621173/

Molson Coors Scores Valuable First Party Data

Brands everywhere have begun to prioritize first-party data, with the extinction of Google’s cookies looming on the horizon. One company leading the way is the brewery Molson Coors, who has recently run sweepstakes to entice consumers to provide their personal information. Their giveaways have included appealing prizes, such as gingerbread “dive bar” houses, shoe-shaped koozies, and a backyard bar setup. The strategy works because customers willingly enter their information for the chance to win an item they find valuable, and the brand receives marketing data they desperately want.

In addition to giveaways, Molson Coors has invested in other innovative marketing strategies, including virtual bars in the metaverse, a partnership with Latino singer J Balvin, and limited-run creative bottle designs. Learn more insights into the beer corporation here: https://adage.com/article/podcast-marketers-brief/molson-coors-uses-creative-ways-collect-first-party-data/2409436

The Marketing Value of Women’s Sports

For years, fans, organizations and brands alike have given women’s sports the cold shoulder in favor of heavier focus on the men. This year, that dynamic has finally started to change. For the first time, players in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament are receiving the same promotions and accommodations as their male counterparts, and the women’s games have drawn more TV viewers than ever.

Perhaps most notably, female college athletes are now also receiving more endorsement money on average than male student-athletes. While football players sit at the top of the NIL-earning list, women’s basketball players are actually out-earning the men, and women’s swimming, diving and volleyball are receiving more endorsements than any other remaining men’s sports. The New York Times calls it a “revolution,” and one that is well-deserved for these talented women. Check out more details on how female student-athletes are running the sports marketing world here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/sports/ncaabasketball/womens-march-madness-endorsements.html