Did any brands fool you with their pranks last weekend, or did you think Pepsi’s latest rebrand was just another April Fools’ joke? Catch up on all the news you may have missed (or misunderstood) in our Weekly Must Reads.

Brands Troll Their Followers for April Fools’ Day

On April 1, brands once again gathered for the time-honored tradition of pranking their loyal followers. This year, many of the most-talked-about stunts followed a similar theme: teasing fans based on their common interests or inside jokes. For example, Tinder announced they were strictly banning all “fish pics” from their app, in reference to a running joke about some men’s choice of profile photos. Meanwhile, Duolingo partnered with Peacock to create a promo for a fake dating show where each contestant speaks a different language, playing on increasingly bizarre circumstances of new reality programs.

One of the most tongue-in-cheek examples comes from Subaru, which has a reputation for attracting “crunchy” customers. On April Fools’ Day, the car brand announced their newest product, “Subaru Forager Granola,” leaning into the joke in a pointed yet lighthearted way. Let us know in the comments: do you enjoy brands’ April Fools’ stunts, or are they overdone? Find more examples from this year here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/03/31/top-2023-april-fools-day-brand-stunts-and-gags-tinder-subaru

MLB Welcomes Fans Back

Ahead of Opening Day last week, Major League Baseball launched a new campaign titled “Baseball is Something Else” to help fans remember the joy of the game. The newest ads highlight the universal sights, sounds, and tastes of a baseball game just before first pitch. We’re treated to videos featuring the crack of bats during batting practice, the singing of the Star-Spangled banner, and the first bite of a perfect ballpark hot dog.

The nostalgic theme of the campaign is well-timed to complement new changes the MLB implemented to renew interest in the game. By speeding up the time between pitches and limiting defensive shifts, the league is hoping to create a more exciting experience that brings more fans back to the ballpark. Check out their latest ads here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/03/30/us-ad-the-day-mlb-knocks-opening-day-out-the-park-with-baseball-something-else

Pepsi’s Latest Rebrand

Unlike their main competitor, Coca-Cola, Pepsi loves to refresh their brand on a regular basis. Fourteen years after their last rebrand, the soda giant has unveiled their latest logo iteration. The new design places the name Pepsi in a bold, black, all-caps font inside their enduring red, white, and blue striped icon. The icon itself received only a few updates, including a more equal distribution of color and slightly darker, more vibrant shades of blue and red.

According to Pepsi, the new logo is the direct result of recent market research. The brand’s findings revealed customers consistently placed the word Pepsi inside their icon when asked to draw the logo from memory. Instead of trying to correct the audience’s mistake, Pepsi leaned into it and rebranded to match their existing brand perception. Read more about Pepsi’s customer-centric rebranding strategy here: https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/after-14-years-pepsi-has-a-new-logo-it-finally-fixes-1-of-biggest-problems-facing-every-company.html

Shake Shack Partners with Super Mario Bros.

With the premiere for the new “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” just days away, burger chain Shake Shack created an exclusive restaurant experience for fans of the franchise. Based in Brooklyn last weekend, the restaurant featured visuals and props from the movie, as well as giveaways for new Shake Shack x Super Mario Bros. merchandise. On the menu, fans could find tie-ins to the classic video game, including the Gold Star Shake and ‘Shroom Burger. The ‘Shroom Burger is also available for a limited time at other Shake Shack locations across the US. To further boost engagement and sales, Shake Shack will enter any guest who mobile orders a ‘Shroom Burger into a contest to win tickets to the film.

While movie tie-ins are a popular tactic among restaurant brands, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” marks one of the first opportunities to reach both moviegoers and video gamers. As video games continue to grow in popularity among consumers, will we see more game-inspired films and marketing activations in the future? Dive into all the details here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/shake-shack-super-mario-bros-movie-activation/646331