Between Spotify Wrapped and new holiday ads, some of the most anticipated campaigns of the year have finally arrived. Get the rundown on the marketing news you need to know about in our Weekly Must Reads.

A Playful Spotify Wrapped

Last week, Spotify dropped their highly anticipated annual Wrapped campaign. While users could check and share their individual stats for the year in their Spotify app, the brand also promoted Wrapped with out of home ads. Their theme for Wrapped this year was “interactivity and play,” and Spotify leaned into those themes with word search billboards and trivia questions about popular artists. In addition, Spotify added new and shareable features to users’ Wrapped reviews, including “Listening Personalities” and genre breakdowns by time of day.

Spotify Wrapped continues to be one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year, due in large part to its shareability. According to Spotify, more than 120 million people shared their Wrapped results on social media in 2021. After adding more than 70 million listeners this year, that number is sure to rise again. Read more about Wrapped here: https://adage.com/creativity/work/spotify-2022-wrapped-word-search-murals-trivia-and-your-listening-personality/2455626

Disney Partners With Snapchat Ahead of “Avatar” Film

Ahead of their new “Avatar: The Way of Water” film, which hits theaters next week, Disney partnered with Snapchat to create a custom AR lens. Snapchat users can try the new filter to transform their face to look like a blue Na’vi character from the franchise. So far, Disney has promoted the lens on Instagram with help from the new movie’s stars.

Disney has partnered with Snapchat to create custom experiences several times in the past. Earlier this year, Snapchat helped Disney create an AR mural on Cinderella’s Castle and also added custom lenses to the brand’s My Disney Experience app. In this case, given the new film’s 3D features, using an AR lens feels like another natural choice. Find out more about the partnership here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/disney-snapchat-ar-lens-marketing-avatar/637267/

HelloFresh Hits the Elves’ Main Food Groups

Everyone who’s seen the movie “Elf” will remember the iconic scene where Buddy the Elf makes his new family breakfast using spaghetti and lots of candy. In honor of the holiday favorite, HelloFresh meal delivery is promoting a Buddy the Elf meal kit to help fans recreate the dish. The kit serves two and goes on sale Monday, Dec. 5 – no existing HelloFresh subscription required.

The spaghetti toppings include some of Buddy’s choices from the movie, such as maple syrup and crushed Pop-Tarts, while also making substitutions to make the dish more “chocolate-forward.” According to the brand, the meal kit will help families “treat every day like Christmas,” just as Buddy intended. Check out more details here: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/hellofresh-releases-buddy-elf-inspired-spaghetti-box-christmas

Pepsi’s Pilk and Cookies

Have you ever tried mixing Pepsi with milk? Whether you’ve heard about the trend from TikTok or a Laverne & Shirley episode, Pepsi is encouraging customers to give the drink a try this holiday season. The brand’s new ad stars Lindsay Lohan enjoying “Pilk and cookies” and leans into the drink’s “dirty soda” nickname it earned on TikTok. In addition to the video ad, Pepsi is challenging fans to share a photo of their drink and treat of choice using #PilkAndCookies. Select participants can win cash prizes to cover their holiday gift giving.

Lohan is fresh off the success of her new film, “Falling for Christmas,” a Netflix holiday romance. The star admitted she was “skeptical” of the Pepsi and milk beverage, but after trying it, she’s “very excited for the rest of the world to try it.” Catch Pepsi’s new ad here: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/pilk-and-cookies-pepsi-lindsay-lohan-tiktok-dirty-soda/