From viral ranch moments to digitally aged reality TV stars, it’s been a bizarre week of promotions in the marketing world. Catch up on the latest and strangest campaigns in our Weekly Must Reads.

Heinz Appeals to Swifties With “Seemingly Ranch”

Less than 24 hours after Taylor Swift broke the Internet when she showed up at Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs game, Heinz announced a new limited-edition product playing on one of the night’s many viral moments. During the game, a Taylor Swift fan account on X tweeted a photo of Swift eating a piece of chicken with ketchup and “seemingly ranch,” as the post called the condiment. By Monday, Heinz released imagery of their new product, naturally called “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch.” The brand plans to release details on how fans can grab one of the limited-edition bottles in the coming days.

Along with Heinz, several other condiment and food brands have quickly rolled out their own “seemingly ranch” promotions. This week, both McDonald’s and Primal Kitchen used the phrase in new ads to promote their products. Find out more about why “seemingly ranch” is causing such a stir and how it fits into Heinz’s overall brand message here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/heinz-seemingly-ranch-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-viral-condiment/695090/

Monopoly Celebrates Its Ruthless Spirit in New Campaign

In honor of their 100^th anniversary this year, game company Hasbro is celebrating with a brand campaign for their most well-known game: Monopoly. The promotion, called “All is Fair in Monopoly,” calls out the intense rivalries that often develop when playing the classic game. The first commercial for the campaign depicts a young girl as a ruthless real-life Monopoly character, increasing rent and evicting tenants from her Park Place Apartments. Another shows a grandmother acting as the game’s banker, slyly stealing money from her family members.

According to an official Hasbro statement, “playful mischief” is at the heart of their brand and the new campaign. The promotions will run through December on television, streaming, social media, podcasts, and other digital platforms. Check out the first two ads for the campaign here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/monopoly-players-embrace-their-inner-villains-in-hasbros-mischievous-campaign/

Fruit of the Loom Mascots Return to TikTok

If you watched much television in the 90s and 00s, you probably remember commercials featuring the iconic Fruit of the Loom fruit mascots. After disappearing from TVs for more than a decade, the Fruit People are back, starring in funny new TikToks for Fruit of the Loom. The premise of the videos is that the Fruit People are working with the brand’s chief TikToker in hopes of going viral by chasing the latest TikTok trends.

For Fruit of the Loom, the new strategy focuses on nostalgia and connection with millennials and Gen Z, who may remember the brand’s original ads from their childhood. Fruit of the Loom currently has more than 17,000 followers on TikTok, and their first video featuring the Fruit People has earned more than one million views. Learn more details about the nostalgic campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/fruit-of-the-loom-resurrects-mascots-TikTok-Y2K-nostalgia/694727/

Mint Mobile Pokes Fun at The Golden Bachelor

Cell phone service brand Mint Mobile brand has never shied away from mocking pop culture topics with owner Ryan Reynolds’ signature sarcasm. Their newest ad stars original reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag to tease the premiere of The Golden Bachelor, a spin-off of the popular reality franchise. In the commercial, Pratt and Montag are edited to look like the senior version of themselves as they discuss the key to their 15-year marriage. (Hint: it’s communication, despite the elderly Pratt struggling to use the voice-to-text feature on his Mint Mobile phone.)

According to the brand’s chief marketing officer, Mint Mobile “likes to play in big cultural moments,” like the launch of a new reality show. Watch the latest ad and find out more about their ongoing marketing strategy here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/09/29/mint-mobile-celebrates-abc-s-the-golden-bachelor-with-aged-heidi-montag-spencer