When the business world gets busy, it’s easy to get behind on reading the latest news. Luckily, you can catch up on the latest marketing and advertising stories you need to know in our Weekly Must Reads.

“Barbie” Film Posters Spark a New Viral Meme

Last week, the first full trailer for the highly anticipated “Barbie” movie finally dropped. While clips from the trailer quickly went viral, the film’s official selfie generator may have stole the show. Part of the movie’s marketing involves showcasing a headshot of each character within the classic Barbie logo. With the generator, anyone can input their own photo and turn themselves into a Barbie. Naturally, brands jumped on the new meme in minutes. The reality show “The Bachelorette” promoted their newest star within the movie poster format, while Tom Brady’s BRADY brand used the trend to show their founder “living his best life in retirement.”

With consumer interest in “Barbie” reaching a fever pitch, we predict this is just the beginning of the film’s marketing strategy. In the coming months, expect to see plenty of activations highlighting one of the world’s most beloved toys. Learn more about the brands and consumers living in a Barbie world here: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/barbie-movie-trailer-memes-rcna78542

DirecTV’s “Succession” Spokesperson

DirecTV recently kicked off their latest advertising effort with the help of an “Overly Direct Spokesperson” – aka “Succession” star Brian Cox. The new ad with Cox marks the start of a new brand strategy campaign for DirecTV, titled “Entertainment Without Compromise.” The spot features Cox channeling his “Succession” character’s cynical and intense persona, giving TV watchers some tough love about their common complaints and problems. The overall campaign will continue to promote DirecTV’s customer service experience and unique programming features over their competitors.

Naming Cox as their new brand spokesperson continues DirecTV’s recent approach of using television stars in the advertising. In the brand’s recent Super Bowl commercial, they featured members of the “Real Housewives” franchise. They also famously used actor Rob Lowe as a spokesperson for years. Watch their newest spot here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/directv-brian-cox-overly-direct-spokesperson-succession-campaign/647036/

Dove Fights Filler Use

In a continuation of their effort to address body image issues in our society, Dove is raising awareness about the rising number of teen girls using cosmetic injectables. Their new OOH ad was built out of 50,000 medical syringes. According to the brand, each syringe represents a girl aged 14-17 who used Botox or filler in the past year. To create the art piece, they painted each syringe to illustrate a girl’s face and the highlighted statistic.

While the billboard stood for just one day in a Toronto area shopping mall, it’s part of Dove’s ongoing Self-Esteem Project, which aims to improve youth body image and self-esteem. Dove will continue to promote their concerns about rising use of cosmetic injectables on digital channels in the coming weeks. See the billboard and learn more about Dove’s efforts here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/04/06/ad-the-day-dove-makes-billboard-out-syringes-pierce-toxic-beauty-trends

Busch Light’s Case Against Space

In honor of Earth Month, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Busch Light is making “A Case Against Space.” The beer brand partnered with famous former astronaut Doug Hurley to create an ad that explains why saving the Earth is a more pressing issue than space travel. (Most importantly, the ad notes, there’s no beer in space.) In coordination with the video ad, Busch Light also released space-themed merch and plans to donate all proceeds to the nonprofit One Tree Planted.

The final component of the “Case Against Space” campaign is a social media-led contest. Consumers can head to their platform of choice to explain why it’s better to drink beer on Earth for the chance to win a year’s supply of Busch Light and a space helmet. Check out the brand’s new ad and more details of the campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/busch-light-against-space-doug-hurley-astronaut-earth-month/646620/