As we head into the biggest advertising weekend of the year, brands will also have to react to likely one of the biggest news events in recent history. Check out the stories highlighting a major week ahead in our Weekly Must Reads.

Brands Mourn Kobe Bryant

Yesterday, the world learned of the shocking death of retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Fans, friends and brands expressed their grief and respect for Bryant all over social media, including companies Bryant endorsed, such as Nike and BodyArmor. Hashtags like #RIPKobe and #MambaForever flooded Twitter and Instagram. Fortunately, so far brands have chosen to respectfully mourn the beloved icon, rather than using his passing to promote a message.

Unfortunately, major media outlets have come under fire for breaking the news of Bryant’s death before his family had been informed. Some outlets also reported false and unconfirmed news. Take this as your reminder to double-check stories you see on the Internet, and to hold your loved ones close. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/media-mangle-and-mishandle-details-of-kobe-bryants-death

Adweek’s Super Bowl Bot

Ahead of the big game this weekend, Adweek’s team built an artificial intelligence bot that automatically generates advertising content for Super Bowl commercials. The bot is powered by descriptions of past Super Bowl ads, using their scripts to create new potential commercials. The results include all the classic elements of a Super Bowl commercial, like celebrity appearances, wild storylines and tear-jerking moments.

Be sure to tune in to the game on Sunday to see if the bot predicted any real-life commercials (and to watch some of the best advertising pieces of the year). Check out some of the best bot ad ideas so far, and tell us if you see bots as part of the future of marketing here: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/heres-what-we-learned-by-teaching-an-ai-to-write-super-bowl-ads/

Goodbye, Mr. Peanut

We’ve lost another brand mascot to Super Bowl ads. Last week, Planters announced the passing of its 104-year-old spokesperson, Mr. Peanut. The nut was “killed” while heroically saving his friends in a pre-Super Bowl ad, and his funeral will air this weekend in a commercial during the game. In response to the news, other brands and Mr. Peanut’s fellow brand mascots posted their condolences on social media.

Last year, Bud Light took a similar route when they killed off their Bud Knight (although his death was short-lived). Though this campaign was clearly planned months in advance, do you think it’s too morbid given the tragic events of the weekend? Read more and pay your respects to Mr. Peanut here: https://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/shell-shocked-brands-mourn-death-mr-peanut/2229651

Will You Accept This Rosé?

Smirnoff joined two major fandom communities last week – the hard seltzer sector, and Bachelor Nation. The new Smirnoff Seltzer became the official hard seltzer of the Bachelor TV franchise, marking the partnership with a new campaign called “Will You Accept This Rosé?” The campaign features a number of experiential promotions, including an event in Brooklyn where past contestant Mike Johnson handed out seltzers and roses. Fans of the franchise can also spot Smirnoff Seltzer cans on the current season of the Bachelor.

The Bachelor shows are known for having a loyal and dedicated fanbase who are highly active online. Fans also tend to be a highly segmented group of millennial women, who are a main target audience for seltzer brands. Find out more about the campaign and partnership here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/smirnoff-splashes-into-seltzer-sector-with-the-bachelor-tie-up/570839/