The first full week of 2024 has already resulted in viral moments and major ad tech news. Catch up on all the biggest marketing stories and what we can learn from them in our Weekly Must Reads.

Pop-Tarts’ Viral Bowl Game Moment

This year, for the first time, Pop-Tarts sponsored a college football bowl game in Orlando, previously known as the Cheez-It Bowl. While the idea of a Pop-Tarts Bowl is comical to begin with, the brand further capitalized on their moment with a meme-able mascot who appeared on screen throughout the game. The mascot’s true time to shine came at the end of the game, when they ceremoniously lowered him into a toaster and passed out pieces as a post-game reward to the winning Kansas State players.

Naturally, such a ridiculous stunt was a huge hit on the Internet. Social media users quickly turned the Pop-Tarts mascot into a viral meme that took over X for several days. According to data from Apex Marketing, the bowl game earned Pop-Tarts more than $12 million in media exposure, which was more than five times the cost for the sponsorship. Find out more details about this weird yet successful story here: https://www.fastcompany.com/91003792/the-pop-tarts-bowl-featured-the-ritual-sacrifice-of-the-brand-mascot-it-was-weird-but-was-it-smart

Studying the Stanley Cup Craze

Last week, when Stanley released a line of Valentine’s Day themed tumblers at Target, videos went viral of consumers running through the store at opening to secure one of the limited-edition cups. It’s the latest installment of the Stanley Cup saga, which has seen the 100-year-old Stanley company suddenly become one of the most popular brands among young women. While the brand previously catered to campers and outdoorsy types for decades, they shifted their focus in recent years to target younger generations through influencer campaigns and limited-edition color drops.

By leveraging the social media craze around their products, Stanley has transformed their brand into a more luxurious and aspirational persona, which has had huge consequences for its sales numbers. Since 2019, Stanley’s annual revenue has grown from $74 million to $750 million. Learn more about their successful strategy here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/01/04/whats-up-with-the-stanley-cups/72108927007/

Tinder Leans Into “Dating Sunday”

As part of its ongoing global campaign “It Starts With a Swipe,” dating app Tinder released a series of new ads in anticipation of “Dating Sunday” on Jan. 7. Tinder’s data suggests that the first Sunday after the new year is the most active day on their app, with high activity continuing until Valentine’s Day. The new commercials are filled with bright colors and dating scenarios that poke fun at Tinder’s reputation as an app for hookups.

According to Tinder’s senior vice president of global marketing, the new campaign aims to reflect the “fluidity and diversity of Gen Z relationships” and showcase how Tinder can help create “meaningful connections for all.” Check out the ads and find out more about Dating Sunday here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/tinder-expands-global-brand-platform-ahead-of-dating-sunday/703632/

Google’s Cookie Phase-Out Begins

On Jan. 4, Google officially began phasing out access to third-party cookies. They released a new browser feature called Tracking Protection, which disabled tracking through third-party cookies for 1 percent of Google Chrome users across the world. Google selected the first test group randomly, and those users will now see the option to “browse with more privacy” when they open a Chrome browser. According to Google, they will gradually roll out Tracking Protection to a broader group during the second half of 2024.

According to digital media experts, the initial 1 percent rollout is unlikely to affect most advertisers immediately. However, brands who want to continue gathering valuable web data should start testing alternative options now before more cookies are phased out later this year. Dive deeper into Google’s latest move here: https://www.adweek.com/media/google-chromes-cookie-phase-out-everything-you-need-to-know/