8 marketing trends to watch for in 2021 as aftereffects of a volatile year linger

Brands will continue to feel pressure to fill gaps during a patchwork pandemic recovery, while digital channels like streaming and gaming have become enshrined as consumer favorites.

By Peter Adams , Chris Kelly , Natalie Black (Koltun) • Jan. 4, 2021

Ford rouses the Griswolds for 'Christmas Vacation' ad promoting electric Mustang

Creative built around nostalgia for a holiday classic continues a trend that started around the Super Bowl and has endured despite COVID-19 disruptions.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 22, 2020

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Consumer Packaged Goods

If CPGs can adeptly adjust to emerging mandates, they have an opportunity to strengthen their brands.  

By Marketing Dive staff

How Sonic Drive-In swapped its iconic pitchmen for a 'pandemic-proof' campaign

Chief marketing officer Lori Abou Habib explains how the QSR shifted its focus from its long-running "Two Guys" to real families — right before COVID-19 upended the year.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 22, 2020

Doritos brings back nostalgic favorite with TikTok challenge

A cone-shaped version of Doritos returns as the brand re-teams with Ali Landry, who starred in an iconic Super Bowl ad that introduced the snack in 1998.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 22, 2020

Burger King sends customers $1 via Venmo to push new value menu

A cash-app promotion for the $1 Your Way lineup arrives as Congress is set to vote on a pandemic stimulus package some view as a short-term fix to broader economic woes.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 21, 2020

Mtn Dew opens 'direct-to-gamer' store for DTC sales, loyalty rewards

The website can help parent company PepsiCo collect first-party data on younger consumers who are interested in gaming and esports.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 21, 2020

Super Bowl viewers support social justice ads, study says

The Super Bowl LV experience is likely to be different from past years, with 70% of viewers avoiding parties and 60% open to social justice messaging.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 21, 2020

Campaign Trail: Rebooted Cheerios spot points to influencers' marketing power

After more than 20 years, the sentimental video of a grandma and baby has reemerged thanks to a viral TikTok clip by Cori Spruiell, who has over 200,000 followers on the app.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Dec. 18, 2020

Why Kraft Heinz leaders say their new strategy will drive growth beyond the pandemic

The CPG giant is upping its marketing spend 30% as it seeks to understand how consumers connect to its brands.

By Megan Poinski • Dec. 17, 2020

Pepsi teams with Fox on game show inspired by Wild Cherry flavor

With "Cherries Wild," the soft-drink maker is targeting younger consumers via a branded integration.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 17, 2020

Tracking every ad buy for Super Bowl LV

Here are all the spots that ran during the big game, including Bruce Springsteen's ad debut for Jeep and Cadillac's "Edward Scissorhands" revival.

By Nami Sumida • Updated Feb. 8, 2021

Velveeta gives Miami Dolphins fans prime stadium seating with queso-themed couch

The Kraft Heinz brand's socially distanced Quesofa is the latest activation to try and accommodate fans whose in-person attendance options remain limited.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 15, 2020

McDonald's celebrates 'Golden M' hairdo with virtual barbershop

In Sweden, the chain linked an iconic 1990s haircut with its Golden Arches logo and sold out of virtual hairdressing appointments in two hours.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 15, 2020

Microsoft, Warner Bros. court 'Space Jam' game designers with online contest

To get teens interested in coding, the brands are promising two winners the chance to see their ideas brought to life in a video game inspired by the sequel starring LeBron James.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 15, 2020

Pepsi taps Desus and Mero for holiday push supporting New York City bodegas

The Bodega Boys hosts bring levity to a regional marketing effort that still recognizes the personal and economic loss impacting the city at the end of a brutal year.

By Peter Adams • Updated Dec. 11, 2020

Mtn Dew, Papa John's power up gaming fans with controller that can order pizza

The connected hardware was introduced during a livestream pitting the NBA's Jamal Murray against online celebrity Dr DisRespect.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 11, 2020

Ben & Jerry's debuts ice cream flavor honoring Colin Kaepernick

Change the Whirled's theme aligns with the brand's history of activism and amplifies Kaepernick's stances around divisive issues like defunding the police.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 11, 2020

American Standard wants people to flush 2020 away with toilet paper giveaway

A survey commissioned by the fixtures maker found — along with COVID-19 — consumers want to leave behind the expression "new normal," "virtual everything" and canceled vacations.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 10, 2020

Coors Light builds a 'Beerman' who's ready to chill during the holidays

The disheveled snowman, who performs a rendition of Boston's "More Than a Feeling" in an ad, is the "holiday hero we need in 2020," the brand claims.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 10, 2020

Cheez-It recreates college football experience with animatronic cheese wheels

Custom avatars have the chance to appear as a "Wheel Live Fan" in the end zones during the Kellogg brand's namesake bowl game.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 9, 2020

Haribo makes adults sound like kids with Instagram AR lens

As consumers increase their candy purchases during the holiday season, the brand is giving Instagram users a chance to win a year's supply of free sweets.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 9, 2020

Stella Artois lifts curtain on private Broadway performance contest

Fans can win a livestreamed performance of songs from the musical "Jagged Little Pill" as the pandemic keeps New York City's theaters closed.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 9, 2020

Unilever scoops up 'Office' star Angela Kinsey to swap bad gifts for ice cream deliveries

An online "Ice Cream Exchange" doles out deals for brands including Talenti and Magnum through popular delivery apps and retailers.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 9, 2020

Marketer of the Year: Unilever

Amid historic challenges, the marketer of brands like Dove and Ben & Jerry's continually met the moment with resonant messaging while advancing its business in critical areas like e-commerce.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 9, 2020

Campaign of the Year: Procter & Gamble's 'The Choice'

A sparse ad directly addressing systemic racism punctuated the CPG marketer's history of purpose-driven initiatives.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Dec. 9, 2020