It’s been a big week for important announcements and refreshing new campaigns from some of the biggest organizations. Catch up on all the marketing and advertising news you may have missed in our Weekly Must Reads.

Google Set to Phase Out Cookies in 2024

Google has finally set a date for its first step in phasing out third-party cookies, a move the company originally announced in January 2020. Beginning in early 2024, Google will disable cookies for approximately 1 percent of its users. While 1 percent may sound insignificant, the plan will allow Google to test the real-world impact of Privacy Sandbox, the new platform Google is implementing to better protect and anonymize individual users’ data. The company confirmed it is still on track to completely remove third-party cookies by late 2024.

Though Google won’t begin migrating some users over to the Privacy Sandbox until 2024, developers can start accessing the tool in Q4 2023 so they can begin testing their new solutions. Through the Privacy Sandbox, advertisers will still be able to serve tailored ads, but they’ll have to choose from broader interest groups rather than specific user data. Learn more about the coming changes here: https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/18/google-will-disable-third-party-cookies-for-1-of-chrome-users-in-q1-2024/

LL Bean’s Social Media-less May

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, LL Bean announced their second annual “Off the Grid” initiative. On May 1, the brand posted that they would be staying off social media for the next 31 days and instead focusing on spending time in nature. This year, LL Bean also partnered with fitness app Strava to encourage consumers to get outside more, with a goal of reaching a combined 500,000 hours in nature. If they reach the goal, LL Bean will donate an additional $25,000 to Mental Health America.

Despite the month-long pause, LL Bean has actually seen an increase in impressions on their past posts, with 8.5 million post impressions through the first half of May. Find out more about their strategy to support mental health and get people outside here:  https://www.marketingdive.com/news/llbean-social-media-mental-health-awareness-month-may-2023/650571/

IKEA Is “Proudly Second Best”

The latest campaign from IKEA is getting a lot of praise on social media, and for good reason. In each of their three new ads promoting several furniture products, IKEA shows a parent caring for their child, with a related IKEA product labeled nearby as “proudly second best.” For example, in one ad, a mother lays next to an empty IKEA crib with her child asleep in her lap instead. The resounding message of the ad is that while their products are often helpful, nothing can truly replace the love and care from a parent.

The ad works so well because it prioritizes brand values over product promotion, and it resonate with an important customer demographic for IKEA: parents. Watch the ads for yourself here: https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/ikeas-new-ad-claims-they-are-proudly-second-best-whole-thing-isa-stroke-of-genius.html

FIFA Drops the 2026 World Cup Logo

Last week, FIFA unveiled the branding for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in Mexico, Canada, and the US. The logo for the tournament includes an image of the World Cup trophy on top of the numbers 2 and 6, which are stacked on top of each other in the background. Along with the logo, FIFA also announced the tournament’s “We Are 26” campaign, which each of the 16 host cities will use to promote the 2026 World Cup in their community.

Though the logo marks the first time the tournament’s trophy is used in a design, the branding received an underwhelming response from graphic designers and soccer fans. While FIFA called the logo “timeless,” others see it as bland and uninventive, especially because the 2026 World Cup will be the first to have three different host countries and the first to include a record 48 teams. Check out the branding for next World Cup and let us know what you think here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2023/05/18/fifa-2026-world-cup-logo-brand-social-media-debate/70233211007/