This week brought several wild and wacky new campaigns from brands around the globe. Learn how companies are using fortune cookies and sandcastle sculptures to reach their audience in our Weekly Must Reads.

Have an Ad with Your Fortune Cookie

Watch out, marketing world. The hottest new ad platform might just be inside a fortune cookie. Gary Vaynerchuk, co-founder of VaynerMedia, recently invested in OpenFortune, a company that places ads on paper slips inside fortune cookies. OpenFortune currently works with nearly 50,000 restaurants and delivery services in the US to supply fortune cookies that contain messages from advertisers on the backside of traditional fortunes. The company boldly compares their reach to that of a Super Bowl commercial, citing that 35% of their advertising partners have shifted their budgets away from sports sponsorships.

According to OpenFortune co-founder Shawn Porat, the fortune cookie format works because the message reaches consumers when they’re not distracted and feels much more personal than mass market approaches. Could fortune cookies become the next great advertising platform? Learn more about Vaynerchuk’s new investment here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/fortune-cookie-ads-are-the-new-super-bowl-spots-at-least-according-to-gary-vaynerchuk/?itm_source=parsely-api

easyJet’s Buckingham Palace Dupe

In honor of King Charles III’s coronation last week, British airline easyJet took to West Wittering Beach in England to create a three-foot-wide sandcastle replica of Buckingham Palace. The brand partnered with a 9-year-old boy, frequent beachgoer Levi Babin, and used a bucket modeled after the real Buckingham Palace to build the sculpture. EasyJet has noted that they will use the bucket to create more palace replicas based on consumer demand.

The stunt plays on recent polls which suggest many Brits are using the long coronation weekend to vacation in Europe or other destinations abroad. Along with their sandcastle sculpture, easyJet has also launched their “Holidays Fit for a King” campaign, which features exclusive flight and accommodation packages in select destinations. Find out more about their royal plans here: https://london-post.co.uk/worlds-first-buckingham-palace-sandcastle-bucket-created-to-celebrate-royal-coronation/

Resy Drops Reservationships

When an exclusive restaurant goes viral on social media, reservations often become coveted and hard to come by. To highlight the so-called “reservationships” consumers build with these restaurants, Resy launched a new campaign to drop a limited number of extra reservations for select restaurants. The campaign kicked off with a pop-up in New York City last week where people could stop by to grab a reservation at one of 20 high-profile restaurants in the city. The reservations also include access to off-menu items and exclusive merchandise.

In addition to the New York event, Resy is also dropping “reservationship” spots this week in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami and Chicago. Learn more about why restaurant reservations having been soaring this year and how Resy hopes to connect with its users here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/resys-new-campaign-launches-with-flatiron-pop-up-reservation-tent/649292/

Minute Maid’s Empty Billboards

Minute Maid is making a splash with a new series of billboards that are…empty? To highlight its products’ vitamin D content, the brand launched a new campaign that includes see-through billboards in order to let the sun shine down on passers-by. Other new ads from Minute Maid include a billboard made from reflective materials to reflect the sun’s rays, as well as bus stop posters that create a seat outside of the stop’s shelter.

According to Coca-Cola executives, “Minute Maid has always brought the essence of nature into people’s homes,” and the campaign hopes to bring “the sun and its benefits to people in places that need it the most.” The brand will continue to focus on the importance of vitamin D and connecting with nature in its ongoing “Filled with Life” messaging. Check out the new billboards here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/05/04/ad-the-day-minute-maid-s-hollowed-out-billboard-lets-the-vitamin-d-pour-through