From Pride to the Women’s World Cup, there are many summer events coming up for brands to celebrate with clever campaigns and innovative advertising. Catch up on the latest news you need to know in our Weekly Must Reads.

How Brands are Celebrating Pride

For the last few years, many large brands have embraced Pride Month as a straightforward way to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community. However, the recent negative responses to Bud Light and Target’s campaigns have changed the stakes for brands. According to a marketing professor at Drexel University, some corporate executives are now feeling “more skittish” and anxious about potential backlash. Still, some major brands like Walmart and North Face are committed to following through on their Pride promotions, despite the risk of alienating some potential customers. These brands, among others, are continuing to offer themed merchandise and voice their support on digital channels.

In part, the controversies have helped expose the ways in which brands celebrating Pride Month in the past was more performative than a sign of true support. The press secretary for the Foundation at the Human Right Campaign noted that not enough people realize that “allyship is often uncomfortable,” and that in the future, brands need to be prepared to take a real stance if they wish to participate in events like Pride. Read more about the news surrounding this year’s Pride month here: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/pride-month-was-once-an-easy-win-for-brands-now-the-stakes-are-much-higher/

Jimmy Dean Launches Misspelled Billboards

Ahead of the Scripps National Spelling Bee last week, breakfast food brand Jimmy Dean ran a billboard campaign testing the public’s spelling knowledge. The billboards, which are on display throughout the site of the Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., feature misspellings of common words, like “brekfast” and “morneeng.” Consumers who caught the mistakes could DM Jimmy Dean on Instagram with the correct spelling for a chance to win $100 worth of free breakfast products. Jimmy Dean also pledged to donate $100 to support children’s literacy for each DM.

The new campaign is not only a playful take on the annual spelling competition, but it also helps boost Jimmy Dean’s engagement rate on social media with an increased rate of direct messages. Check out the misspelled billboards and learn more about the brand’s strategy here: https://www.lbbonline.com/news/breakfast-brand-jimmy-dean-turns-its-ads-into-spell-checking-brain-teasers

Frito-Lay to Sponsor the Upcoming Women’s World Cup

Frito-Lay has been an official FIFA sponsor for years, but their recent sponsorship of the upcoming Women’s World Cup marks their largest investment in women’s sports in the company’s history. The brand, which will be the Official Snack of Team USA, plans to launch a campaign for the tournament this summer that includes exclusive packaging for select Frito-Lay brands and an activation with the Cracker Jill popcorn brand.

Parents company PepsiCo has long been a supporter of women’s sports, dating back to a 1996 Gatorade ad featuring Mia Hamm, but in recent years they’ve worked to increase their involvement with several of their brands. The support comes at a time when women’s soccer is experiencing record viewership, with 14.3 million people tuning into the 2019 Women’s World Cup Final between the US and the Netherlands. Learn more about Frito-Lay’s upcoming campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/frito-lays-fifa-womens-world-cup/651602/

Formula 1 Rethinks Traditional Car Advertisements

We’re now in the thick of racing season, and this year, a Formula 1 team has revolutionized the way brands think about advertisements on cars. For the first time, McLaren installed a digital panel on their F1 cars to rotate through more than 40 advertisements from their partners. The small panels can be seen up close when TV programs switch to the driver’s on-board or helmet camera view, providing a highly visible ad placement for their sponsors.

In addition, McLaren plans to further incorporate digital messages in the future with panels added to their drivers’ helmets. Other sports have also recently implemented new, digital-focused ways of incorporating advertising into their games, such as the MLB’s backstop ads and the NHL’s digital board ads. Find out more details here: https://www.insider.com/f1-mclaren-team-digital-ads-car-helmet-2023-3