From quirky merchandise to major advertising platform advancements, we’ve got all the advertising and marketing news you need this week. Dive into the biggest stories in our Weekly Must Reads.

Chipotle’s “Water” Cup Candle

Chiptole has teased their customers for sneaking lemonade into their free water cups for years. Last week, the brand took the joke a step further. Chipotle just released a limited-edition soy candle named “The ‘Water’ Cup Candle,” that smells like – you guessed it – lemonade. The candle itself is designed to mimic the look of a Chipotle water cup, and each purchase comes with a coupon code for a free lemonade.

The new merchandise is a clever, lighthearted way for Chipotle to show their loyal customers they’re in on the joke. However, it’s certainly a bold strategy for a restaurant to seemingly encourage consumers to steal more of their soft drinks. Check out the candle and the full story here: https://www.foodandwine.com/news/chipotle-stealing-lemonade-water-cup-candle

Pepsi’s Perfect Fridge for Game Time

Though Pepsi pulled the plug on their Super Bowl halftime show sponsorship, they’re still launching major campaigns that tie into the NFL season. The brand recently held a new contest for a Pepsi Gametime Fridge TV. The TV includes a 16-can mini fridge that slides out from behind the 55-inch screen, perfectly sized for Pepsi Zero Sugar cans. To enter, Pepsi asked fans to use the hashtags #GametimeFridgeTV and #PepsiSweepstakes and tag who they’re watching the games with this season.

The idea for the Gametime Fridge TV came from an age-old problem: when should football fans get off the couch to grab another drink? In addition to the contest, Pepsi also created two new commercials illustrating their drinks as the perfect complement to game day food. Find out more about the campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/pepsi-nfl-gametime-fridge-tv-better-with-pepsi/629908/

Mercedes Faces Backlash from Environmental Ads

Mercedes recently launched a new environmentally focused campaign to promote its electric car options. The series of ads use photos of nature with a white circle laid on top to create variations of the Mercedes logo. Within days, the brand faced backlash online from consumers and experts who pointed out Mercedes’ parent company, Daimler AG, is currently embroiled in a legal battle in Germany over its environmental practices. In response, a sustainability group called WhereFrom created similar ads, but instead used images of wildfires, drought and famine.

Mercedes tried to distance itself from the campaign, claiming it was created locally by Mercedes-Benz Mexico without corporate approval. However, WhereFrom noted digital ads are inherently global by nature, and that major agency Leo Burnett created and promoted the campaign on their own channels. Learn more about the controversial ads here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/08/18/mercedes-distances-itself-environmental-ads-it-s-called-out-greenwashing

TikTok’s New Shoppable Ads

TikTok is the latest in a growing line of platforms to test out shoppable advertisements. The social media site recently launched three new ad formats that brands can begin testing. The options include Catalog Listing Ads, which allow companies to promote products on Recommend Products in the search function; Live Shopping Ads, which display links in a live video on users’ For You page; and Video Shopping Ads, which highlight one or more products on a regular video ad.

The shoppable features are welcome news for brands looking to tap into TikTok’s exploding popularity. The platform boasts nearly two billion users, and experts predict their ad revenue will exceed $11 billion this year. However, it still lags behind advertising giant Meta, which generated nearly $115 billion in ad revenue in 2021. Dive into more details about the new shoppable options here: https://www.adweek.com/commerce/tiktok-unveils-shopping-ads-suite-of-3-commerce-products/#