Campaign Trail: Purple fights 'Sunday Scaries'; LG rewards Netflix bingers; lobster-themed live streams

A DTC disruptor taps the weird talents of Tim and Eric, an electronics maker courts fans of "The Crown" and a Maine seafood collective wins Facebook viewers in our editors' picks.

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) , Sean Gibbons • July 20, 2018

Campaign Trail: Dollar Shave Club grows up; Kit Kat proposes; Dunkin's 'Fry-Day' song

A brand built, in part, on edgy humor in marketing shifts gears while two other marketers find clever ways to crash the party. 

By Natalie Black (Koltun) , Chris Kelly • July 13, 2018

Campaign Trail: 7-Eleven Norway's chlamydia ads; LG calls on Ryans; Tiffany Haddish returns to Groupon

A tourism parody courts controversy, while one marketer runs a name-specific promotion and another falls back on a rising star in this week's picks.  

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) , Chris Kelly • June 29, 2018

Campaign Trail: Burger King Russia's World Cup disaster; Snickers' apology tour; McDonald's debuts the 'Frylus'

Two brands are saying sorry, albeit for very different reasons, while another marketer goes for a repeat with oddball novelty products in this week's picks. 

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) , Chris Kelly • June 22, 2018

Campaign Trail: Schwinn's 'Stranger Things' success; KFC's Bucket Björn; Tic Tac gamifies gum

Two marketers go retro — one with an infomercial, another with 8-bit games — while another offers an odd interpretation of a baby carrier for Father's Day.  

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) , Chris Kelly • June 15, 2018

Campaign Trail: IHOP's mystery name change; Wendy's ditches the snark; Planet Fitness examines 'dad bods'

"IHOb" sets Twitter into a frenzy, while a burger chain leaves behind the beef and a Father's Day promo misses the mark. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Chris Kelly • June 8, 2018

Campaign Trail: Pedigree plays virtual fetch; Tums delivers 'TummerTime' relief; A1's meat-scented candles

Marketers jump into summer early with cross-platform mobile experiences, a Twitter service targeted at millennials and a goofy Father's Day gag gift. 

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) , Chris Kelly • June 1, 2018

Campaign Trail: Cintas maps bathroom stops; Ikea lulls people to sleep; Vitamin disruptor delivers

An app tailor-made for Memorial Day road-trippers, along with innovative print and mobile promotions, make our editors' picks ahead of the long weekend. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • May 25, 2018

Campaign Trail: 3 ways marketers are celebrating the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Brands get it right with DIY tips and royally-themed products, but mostly miss the mark with viewing parties. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • May 18, 2018

Campaign Trail: SpikedSeltzer, JetBlue nurture niche audiences with food and drink

Flying NYC pizza to Los Angeles and serving alcoholic sparkling water to brides on the day of the British royal wedding could create loyal fans for the brands.

By Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • May 11, 2018

Campaign Trail: Facebook's mea culpa; Realtor.com makes odd pairing; a viral self-parody

A social platform's apology tour manifests in syrupy marketing while two other brands shoot for humor, with mixed results, in this week's roundup.  

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • April 27, 2018

Campaign Trail: 'Handmaid's Tale'-inspired lingerie; Baskin-Robbins twerks; a powerful message on LBGT rights

Quality truly runs the gamut this week with epically tone-deaf sleepwear, a meme-heavy ice cream campaign and a powerful push raising awareness about discrimination.

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • April 20, 2018

Campaign Trail: Deadpool sells out; Nike holds sneaker therapy; Del Monte reaches millennials

 A flimsy movie tie-up, Boston Marathon marketing and smart use of Oracle data define this week's most notable efforts. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • April 13, 2018

Campaign Trail: Starbucks's fortune-telling Frappuccino; AR T-shirt explores the human body

Dual-purpose products make a splash with a drink that also predicts the future and apparel that's part educational toy. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode • March 23, 2018

Campaign Trail: Who will score a digital marketing touchdown at Super Bowl LII?

With in-game, 30-second spots now costing an average of more than $5 million, brands are getting smarter with mobile, social and creative to wring the most bang out of their buck. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Feb. 1, 2018

Campaign Trail: Ikea's pee ad; Diet Coke courts millennials; Adidas's kicks access public transit

The Swedish retailer's pregnancy test stunt takes the ad world by storm, while new sneakers come embedded with an annual subway pass and a refreshed soda brand still feels flat. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Jan. 12, 2018

Campaign Trail: Brands say happy holidays with nostalgia, airline Santa and boozy caroling

Captain Morgan and EasyJet deploy costumed ambassadors to spread good cheer, while Toys R Us hearkens back to the golden days before its bankruptcy.  

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Dec. 21, 2017

Campaign Trail: How Yoplait boosts brand interest; Samsung's artsy feature film; Jim Beam opens voice-ready decanter

One brand's mission to defend moms delivers results, while two others take decidedly non-traditional approaches with an experimental movie and connected hardware.

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Dec. 1, 2017

Campaign Trail: Marketing we're thankful for from Kraft Heinz, GE Appliances and Wild Turkey

A poultry-themed Snapchat filter, stuffing-patterned pants and a celeb-centered giveaway provide a little warmth — and a side of laughs — for the Thanksgiving holiday.

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Nov. 21, 2017

Campaign Trail: Grubhub's scrambled Snapchat game; will Casper's print mag be a sleeper hit?

Two digital disruptors this week lean into old-school cool, albeit in very different ways. 

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Nov. 10, 2017

Campaign Trail: Maroon 5 tunes in UGC; Febreze sniffs out Bad Moms; Ben & Jerry's tasty take on AR

The brands focus on audience participation by encouraging consumers to appear in a music video, be naughty during the holidays and catch virtual marshmallows.

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Nov. 3, 2017

Campaign Trail: Super spooky Halloween marketing from Burger King, Fanta and Angry Birds

To get readers in the right mood for some Halloween fun, Marketing Dive rounds up a few of the best brand tricks and treats, including creepy clowns, Iron Maiden and a 4-D elevator ride.

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Oct. 27, 2017

Campaign Trail: M&M's tells interactive ghost story; Snapchat brings Dancing Hot Dog to life; Bud Light parodies hipsters

The brands take messaging in new directions by telling a story over several weeks, bringing a digital character to life and using mockery.  

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Oct. 20, 2017

Campaign Trail: Gillette's 'Justice League' push; Pedigree adopts Facebook masks; Toyota zigs and zags

Brands featured this week use a variety of approaches to make a connection with specific demographic segments. 

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Oct. 13, 2017

Campaign Trail: The best — and geekiest — marketing plays from New York Comic-Con

A Fandom Food Truck caters to busy attendees' hunger pangs, while Campbell's Soup installs a Star Wars-inspired "canstallation" and PepsiCo promotes Xbox through AR.  

By Peter Adams , Chantal Tode , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Oct. 6, 2017