This week’s marketing and advertising campaigns were ruled by two digital giants: TikTok and Amazon. Find out how brands are creatively utilizing these two popular platforms in our Weekly Must Reads.

Amazon Promotes Prime Day on TikTok

Last week, Amazon celebrated its annual Prime Day sale, which typically includes major markdowns on some of the e-commerce platform’s most popular products. To promote its biggest sales, Amazon partnered with TikTok to create an interactive livestream at the beginning of the Prime Day event. The experience, called “Duel for Deals,” featured a game show that viewers could participate in by commenting answers in the comment section. In addition, Amazon also included shoppable content to make it easy for users to make purchases while watching the livestream.

To further engage their audience, Amazon worked with popular TikTok creators to host the game show during the live stream. Early reports show that this year’s Prime Day was another success for amazon, with total purchases over the two-day event topping 375 million. Learn more about Amazon’s TikTok strategy here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/amazon-tiktok-game-show-prime-day/686152/

Redbox Adds TikTok Content to Kiosks

Redbox, the DVD rental company that operates out of red kiosks stationed near popular retail stores, recently partnered with TikTok to introduce a new form of advertising in select locations. In an effort to bring in new revenue streams, Redbox has been experimenting with ad options and has started incorporating out-of-home ads into their kiosks’ touchscreens. Now that they’ve partnered with TikTok, Redbox will be able to feature trending videos from the app directly in the kiosks for customers to enjoy while they browse movies.

In addition to providing new content for Redbox, the partnership will also help TikTok reach new audiences and expand their platform outside of their mobile app. Read more about all the details of the partnership here: https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/12/tiktok-content-to-be-featured-on-3k-redbox-kiosks/

Taco Bell Mobile App Games

Back in the early 2000s, Taco Bell stationed classic Coin Drop games at the counter in all of their restaurant locations. Customers could drop their spare change into the top of the container and watch the coins race through neon slides to the bottom. The games brought in more than $41 million over the years, with the money benefiting student scholarship funds and community grants.

This year, Taco Bell is bringing Coin Drop back via its mobile app. Any time a customer opts to round up their total to the nearest dollar, they’ll be able to drop a digital coin into the game and have a chance to win a free menu item. The fundraiser will run for one month and will again benefit Taco Bell’s scholarship and grant fund. Find out more about the nostalgic campaign here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/taco-bell-revives-beloved-coin-drop-game-virtually-301873534.html

Betty Buzz on Amazon

During Amazon’s Prime Day sales, Blake Lively’s beverage brand Betty Buzz launched a playful new campaign to promote its line of sparkling sodas. The spot is simple, featuring an annoyed Lively flanked by a colorful toucan telling someone off-screen that she asked for two cans on Amazon – not a toucan from the Amazon.

Betty Buzz primarily used the Prime Day sale to inform customers that they can now purchase their favorite sodas on Amazon, allowing for more widespread access to the trending brand. Betty Buzz also recently expanded into the alcohol sector with a new line of canned cocktail beverages. Check out all the details on Betty Buzz’s success and Prime Day strategy here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/07/14/ad-the-day-toucans-surround-blake-lively-betty-buzz-amazon-order-goes-awry