This week saw exciting new rebrands and collaborations from disruptors and big players alike. Check out all the latest marketing news you need to know in our Weekly Must Reads.

Super Bowl Ads: Social vs. Traditional

Last week, we covered the most notable commercials from the Super Bowl, but big game ads now extend far past the TV broadcast. According to Marketing Dive, Super Bowl LVII earned 113 million viewers – the second most-watched football game in history. Still, social media drew even more attention. On TikTok alone, the hashtag #SuperBowlLVII had 225 million views on Super Bowl Sunday. Given consumers’ increased focus on digital media, some major brands chose to advertise exclusively on social during the game. For example, State Farm, who had naming rights to the host stadium, ran with a paid TikTok campaign rather than a traditional commercial.

In addition to the potential to reach more consumers, social media ads also offer a lower price point, and therefore an easier opportunity to earn a return on the investment. Doritos advertised with both a big game commercial and TikTok campaign, and while the former cost the company $7 million, the latter cost just $550,000. Dive into more details about the benefits of both social and traditional Super Bowl ads here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/social-media-tv-marketing-Super-Bowl/642842/

Jeni’s Ice Cream Wins Ted Lasso Tie-In

Ahead of Ted Lasso’s season 3 premiere next month, the hit series partnered with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream to launch a new, highly anticipated product. For a limited time, fans can get Biscuits with the Boss-flavored ice cream – a play on a running bit from the show. The product flavor will be available at grocery stores starting March 2.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is an artisan dessert brand that frequently sells creative or limited-edition flavors. For example, the brand launched an “ice cream for breakfast” campaign last year that featured Maple Soaked Pancakes, Coffee with Cream, and Wildberry Lavender flavors. Find out more about how they’re engaging one of the biggest television fan bases today here: https://foodsided.com/2023/02/17/better-believe-jenis-ted-lasso-inspired-ice-cream-coming/

McDonald’s Duo Meal

There’s nothing more romantic than…a McDonald’s meal for two? To celebrate Valentine’s Day last week, McDonald’s launched a new celebrity meal with famous couple Cardi B and Offset. The meal marks the first time the brand has worked with a celebrity duo. The campaign is specifically meant to appeal to McDonald’s-loving or budget-conscious couples, with his-and-hers burgers, large fries and an apple pie to share.

McDonald’s past celebrity meals, which featured artists like Travis Scott and Saweetie, have been very successful for the brand. To build on that success, they’re supporting the new meal with dating app tie-ins and a “kiss cam” located in their Times Square restaurant. Learn more about the campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/mcdonalds-duo-meal-cardi-b-offet-valentines-day-marketing/642601/

7UP Launches a Brand Refresh

Soda brand 7UP has flown under the radar in recent years, but with a recent brand refresh, the business plans to change that. Last week, 7Up launched its first global revamp in more than seven years. The new branding keeps the classic yellow and green color scheme but replaces the old, animated icons with a bold, color-blocked drop shadow. The colors seem to pop more in the new branding, while also better representing the lemon-lime flavor profile.

According to parent company Pepsi, the refresh intends to “UPlift” audiences with a “bright and confident visual identity system.” They also plan to roll out a new advertising campaign in conjunction with the rebrand this spring. Check out the new designs here: https://www.creativebloq.com/news/7up-rebrand