Build-A-Bear is partnering with Walmart to extend its bear making workshops to 2,000 US Walmart stores, in honor of National Teddy Bear Day.
For three days from September 7-9, guests can participate in in-store, interactive activities at Walmart. In honor of the holiday, Build-A-Bear is also launching a limited-edition bear, with a price tag of $6.50, available at its own stores worldwide as well as US Walmart stores.
The brand’s mascot, Bearemy, will be visiting landmarks and local communities around the world. For every photo fans snap with him using the hashtag #nationalteddybearday, from September 2-9, Build-A-Bear will donate a teddy bear to charitable organizations in the US and UK to help children in need. Up to 50,000 teddy bears globally will be donated.
Build-A-Bear’s purpose-driven campaign is based on the finding that the hug of a teddy bear can help children build self-confidence and act as a therapeutic tool.
Earlier this year, Build-A-Bear launched a dating app called “Build-A-Bae” inspired by the brand’s Make Your Own Furry Friend process. The app uses a proprietary algorithm to match adult singles based on a deeper understanding of what they’re looking for in a perfect match. Build-A-Bear was inspired to create the app after many fans said via social media that they’d like to see the customizable experience of creating stuffed animals applied to making real-life connections
In another campaign in April, Build-A-Bear announced its third annual partnership with American Red Cross to donate teddy bears to families amid disaster.
PUMA opened the doors to its first North American flagship store in New York City, with a focus on fully immersive experiences via tech-driven sports engagement zones, a customization studio and digitally connected activations.
At the store’s PUMA x YOU customization studio, consumers can personalize PUMA footwear, apparel and accessories with patchwork, dips, dyes, 3D-knitting, laser printing, embroidery and material upcycling. Renowned artists and designers will hold residencies every two weeks to help bring customers’ visions to life.
Even more customization options will be available with the store’s launch of Chinatown Market University this Labor Day weekend. Sneaker fans will be able to customize their purchases using the fashion label Chinatown Market’s state-of-the-art printing technology. Creatives can also source inspiration from the DIY and customization classes that Chinatown Market will be teaching.
PUMA has something in store for sports junkies too. Visitors can virtually race down the streets of New York City in professional-grade F1 racing simulators, the same ones PUMA brand ambassadors Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen use to train when they’re not on the track. Soccer fans can also test the latest PUMA boots via an in-store simulator that mimics the pitch of San Siro Stadium while PUMA brand ambassadors and professional footballers virtually coach them. A basketball zone will feature a large screen gaming experience with PlayStation game NBA 2K and quick release (QR) codes placed on all products.
Through iMirror by NOBAL, an interactive mirror, customers can view products in alternate colors and styles then shop alternative selections based on items they try on.
The 18,000 square foot store spans two floors and will carry the full range of PUMA products.
In recent years, the brand has upped its spend on experiential marketing. In 2018, PUMA signed Korean pop group BTS as global ambassadors and announced its re-entry into the basketball sneaker market for the first time in 20 years. The brand announced Jay Z as the creative director for PUMA Basketball. This year, PUMA used an augmented reality (AR)-enabled mobile app to promote its LQD Cell Open Air sneakers. The app gave users access to an AR running game and additional AR filters.
Twitch has announced the third annual SUBtember, a month-long marketing campaign where members of the Twitch community can show love for their favorite streamers through discounted subscriptions. In partnership with Subway, the activation offers Twitch users a 50 percent discount on Tier 1 subscriptions made on a web browser or the Twitch desktop app.
Subscribers who sign up for SUBtember between September 3 through September 24 will receive access to ad-free viewing, subscriber badges and exclusive subscriber content with the added benefit that they can subscribe to an unlimited number of channels using the half-off promotion. Twitch creators will continue to receive the full subscription value during SUBtember.
This year, in addition to its regular SUBtember offerings, Subway will gift subscriptions in various channels throughout September as well as throw in 10 percent more Bits—Twitch currency—when subscribers Cheer, or tip streamers, 10 or more in any affiliate or partner channel.
Subway and Twitch launched the first SUBtember campaign in 2017.
In a nod to its extreme fans, Gears of War is treating players of the Xbox game to pop-up events around the world where dedicated fans will receive bespoke tattoos from some of the best tattoo artists. The promotion is part of the kickoff of its fifth series, Gears of War 5. The events will take place for one night in Los Angeles, Berlin, Melbourne, London, Paris and Mexico City between September 4 and 6.
Gears Ink events are inspired by the culture of permanent art that the game’s fans have created over the years since its inception in 2006. Ahead of the game’s fourth drop in 2016, Xbox launched a four-minute video spot showing passionate players getting tattoos inspired by their experience with the game. The video shows each fan getting inked by acclaimed tattoo artist Steve Soto as they shared the backstory behind the family, friendships and memories they’ve associated with the game.
To further create hype around the game’s fifth launch, Gears of War partnered with clothing brand AAPE by A Bathing Ape to create a limited edition capsule collection, available at the brand’s Los Angeles and New York stores. The pieces include a hoodie, T-shirts and a hat that fans can also purchase on Xbox’s digital store starting September 3. Gears of War is also introducing an in-game customization pack for players’ avatars featuring a camo hoodie and weapon set designed by AAPE.
Additionally, gaming hardware brand Razer launched a peripheral line in honor of Gears of War 5 including a headset, mousepad and wireless mouse for PC and Xbox users. The game also announced an exclusive Gears of War Horde Lager via Instagram which it unveiled at the Xbox Open Doors event in Germany.
During this episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Anas Ghazi, growth officer at Kantar. Ghazi’s path to Kantar stems from his background in computer programming, his work in data analysis at TransUnion and then data analytics and digital marketing roles at American Express. He then headed to WPP, working on their data alliance initiative, where he eventually became CEO, before moving to his current role of driving growth and partnerships at Kantar.
Ghazi discusses growing up in Wembley outside of London, watching a lot of Sylvester Stallone movies and initially becoming an actor. He also talks about transitioning to a data engineer at TransUnion in Chicago and working on portfolio reviews for customer banks. Ghazi also opens up about his move to New York with American Express, as well as his early days of digital data at WPP working on the company’s data alliance initiative. We also talk about the current state of WPP’s proposed sale of a majority stake in Kantar and how Kantar is transforming and consolidating under the parent brand.
What did Ghazi do when he went from Chicago at TransUnion over to New York City, the center of the world’s financial markets, to work for American Express? “I was a part of the analytics and capabilities group, and for about four weeks, my role was to oversee the relationships with the credit bureaus.” But his role changed quickly, as he was immediately tapped to help the company’s digital transformation efforts for risk management and card management units and bring in data partnerships. Anas then made another leap over to WPP, “I started off as a director, moved to work on partnerships, then began doing expansion and then moved my way up from director to global director to managing director, and then to CEO in about three and a half-ish years.” Anas on his latest role at Kantar, “We are in really exciting times at Kantar. We are a data, insight and consultancy firm. We do all three, and we do them well.”
Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:
Anas Ghazi introduces himself and his experience once pursuing a career in acting. (01:24)
Anas talks about his business experience at TransUnion. (04:33)
What was the prompt for Anas to go from TransUnion to American Express? (11:13)
Has data been the common thread for his career? (14:52)
Anas talks about his transition into WPP. (17:00)
What was it that brought Anas over to Kantar? (23:34)
Multi-skilled people that think outside of the box are often overlooked in the business world. (30:30)
What types of thoughtful and meaningful work is Kantar doing? (33:02)
What does the recapitalization of WPP mean? (35:35)
How can businesses effectively apply diversity reports? (37:26)
Is there an experience in Anas’s life that has defined who he is today? (38:00)
What advice would he give to his younger self? (45:15)
What fuels Anas to keep going in his career and life? (46:08)
Are there brands that we should pay attention to? (46:56)
Where does Anas see the future of marketing going? (50:48)
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.
Back to school can be an exciting or stressful time, especially with so much to do and buy. While plenty of brands woo budget-conscious parents and students with discounts, many others attempt to stand out by focusing on how consumers can showcase their individual tastes while doing good for others.
As long as there have been schools, children and teens have concerned themselves with how they will be perceived by their classmates. Instead of trying to look the same as everyone else, however, Gen Z consumers are highly focused on individuality that transcends brand names and gender norms.
According to a 2019 Barnes & Noble College Insights study, 86 percent of Gen Z students believe people “should have the freedom to be whoever they want.” That doesn’t mean that young consumers aren’t looking to one another for inspiration, however, especially when it comes to style.
Social Campaigns Lean On Influencers and Cross Promotions to Promote Individuality
Recently, influencer Piper Rockell modeled several Fashion Nova outfits on Instagram to her two million followers, while Hot Topic partnered with musician Yungblud to reach an edgier crowd.
For its most recent back to school campaign, teen apparel brand Hollister’s partnered with influencer Emma Chamberlain. The teen filmed a low-budget, behind the scenes video of a photo shoot for the brand in which she picked her own outfits to model. Hollister’s delivery was the same style as her popular YouTube videos, making the campaign feel like a natural extension of her own brand. The young star also partnered with Romwe for back to school fashions.
In a more polished example, Macy’s, the exclusive sponsor of the original Snapchat show The Dead Girls Detective Agency, integrated “swipe up to shop” ads, brand mentions and product placements during the show. The legacy department store also created the “All Brand New Challenge” for musical video app TikTock. Mobile users were invited to record videos and share their back to school style.
Mobile Shopping Becomes the Norm
Brands are turning to mobile for back to school campaigns, and for good reason. According to AdColony, 70 percent of online shoppers do so on a smartphone. Advertising is influential, respondents admitted. Just over half (53 percent) said they have purchased something on their mobile device directly from an ad. Seventy-five percent said they would purchase something on their mobile device directly from an ad if the product was relevant to them.
Price is the most important consideration when choosing where to shop for back to school among consumers, according to Deloitte’s 2019 Back to School Shopping report. Even so, 31 percent said they planned to donate an average of $51 in school supplies for the less fortunate.
Socially Conscious Campaigns Go Mainstream
According to MNI Targeted Media, 50 percent of Gen Z consumers state that knowing a brand is socially conscious influences purchase decisions. And brands are listening and acting.
Zappos and Amazon partnered with basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to launch school supply drives across the U.S. that benefit Communities in Schools (CIS), a program that provides school supplies to low-income students.
Quaker Chewy launched a cause marketing campaign with AdoptAClassroom.org and actor Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) to help cover classroom costs that are largely assumed by teachers. The organization will donate $1 for every Chew granola bar UPC code entered on its microsite, up to $250,000.
Rice Krispies Treats partnered with the National Federation of the Blind to add Braille stickers and re-recordable audio boxes to create accessible Love Notes in the form of Braille stickers and re-recordable audio boxes. Sensory Love Notes come in a pack with four heart-shaped stickers, each with a different texture designed for autistic children who enjoy tactile experiences.
Families with K-12 students plan to spend an average of $696.70 on back-to-school shopping in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), compared to $684.79 last year. NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay noted that it’s not parents who are spending, either.
“Members of Generation Z are clearly becoming more involved with back-to-school purchasing decisions rather than leaving the choices up to mom and dad,” Shay said. “Over the years, both teens and pre-teens are spending more of their own money on back-to-school items.”
Doritos is launching a campaign called, “Another Level,” that will remove its iconic triangle logo from all advertisement and social media content and will be replaced by content crowdsourced from fans who share what “Another Level” means to them. The campaign includes digital ad buys that target Gen Z including partnerships with NTRWK and Uproxx, making it Doritos’ largest digital investment for a brand equity campaign.
To launch the anti-ad campaign, Doritos created a 60-second video spot that features flashing imagery and video of possible Gen Z interpretations of the Doritos logo.
The spot debuts on August 26, the night of the MTV Video Music Awards, followed tomorrow by spots on national television. “Another Level” will extend to out-of-home (OOH) ads that feature the words, “An ad without a logo? That’s another level.” On the campaign launch day, Doritos updated its Twitter bio to:
“The account for a chip so iconic, We don’t need to name it. Taste it. Wipe the dust on your street clothes, Rhymes with ‘I need those’ Pass the _____.”
The campaign, informed by a study that Doritos conducted across generations, is part of the brand’s ongoing attempt to strengthen Gen Z appeal and its play on young snackers’ love for self expression. The brand was named one of Gen Z’s favorite brands in a Morning Consult survey.
“A couple of years ago we really started to understand that Gen Z was different and that self expression and being authentic was so much more important [to them]. That translated into this philosophy and mantra around ‘Another Level.’ We help them take what they love to the next level” by helping to promote their self expression via such venues as social media,” Rachel Ferdinando, senior vice president of core brands for Frito-Lay, toldMarketing Daily.
Doritos’ anti-ad initiative follows a string of recent marketing efforts meant to attract Gen Z. Ahead of the Spider-Man: Far From Home release, the brand announced a global campaign inspired by the movie that included an online game for fans called “Spidey-Sense Challenge.” More recently, Doritos re-launched its “Spark The Beat” challenge, which encouraged vocalists and beat makers to create their version of a song from rapper Lil Baby. Winners received $100,000 and an in-studio session with the singer.
ActionAid is building an interactive maze in London to illustrate the injustices women and girls affected by violence face. The maze is in support of the brand’s “Justice for Women” campaign that seeks to support global campaigners who are fighting to fix the broken legal systems that protect abusers and will appear following Women’s Equality Day on August 26.
Visitors are encouraged to walk through the maze to engage with the realities for women when they attempt to seek justice for violence perpetrated against them. The maze will feature statistics and case studies that reflect the obstacles women face—such as unaffordable legal costs, outdated laws and misogynistic beliefs—brought to life through mirrors, doors and dead ends. The “Maze of Injustice” will pop up in front of Marble Arch on August 29 for five hours.
The purpose-driven campaign is partly based on a survey conducted by ActionAid that revealed more than two-thirds of women who have been sexually harassed did not report it to the police. The figure is followed by 50 percent who didn’t report it because they believed it “would be pointless.” Additionally, ActionAid found that 57 percent of women involved in a court proceeding that was a negative experience felt they were blamed for the incident.
“The maze of injustice may shock, but we wanted to show the very real barriers women face when accessing justice for crimes committed against them. Women around the world are so often cheated by the justice system–abusers are protected while survivors are punished,” said Jean Mclean, deputy director media, campaigns and public engagement at ActionAid UK.
ActionAid UK is one branch of ActionAid, a non-governmental justice federation whose aim is to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication worldwide.
Reebok announced that it will be releasing its “Crystal Coated” Club C sneakers via a new device Skill (voice feature) on virtual assistants Alexa and Google Home. Part of the brand’s “Sport The Unexpected” global campaign, the voice-enabled initiative will allow Alexa and Google Home owners to enter to win one of two editions of the limited-edition shoes.
Fans can start the Reebok Club C experience with a prompt such as, “Hey Google, open Reebok Sneaker Drop.” To enter the giveaway, they must return to their Alexa or Google Home on September 7 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Eastern Time and say, “Hey Google, ask Reebok Sneaker Drop if I won.” Then, they need to reveal the password provided by the brand: “Get my Club C’s.” Reebok is awarding the sneakers, each pair uniquely numbered, to 50 winners.
The unconventional sneaker drop follows Reebok’s recent approach to a new generation of marketing. Earlier this year, the brand kicked off its “Sport The Unexpected,” a fully integrated campaign across digital, social and traditional platforms, with a peculiar and almost comedic television spot that takes place at the scene of a street ball game. Further conveying its commitment to defying conventions, Reebok partnered with Cardi B on a short film that featured a creative concept similar to the aforementioned and inspired the recent voice-enabled sneaker drop.
“Reebok has been its most successful when we’ve been bold and provocative–when we’ve had a strong perspective on culture and embraced being daring and different. If you look at the marketing coming from our industry over the years, it looks similar. With this campaign, we’re breaking convention and offering an alternative point of view on sport and life. We want consumers to know there is an alternative in the category. We want them to be proud to sport the unexpected,” Reebok’s global head of marketing and brand management, Melanie Boulden, said about the campaign.
With all the nostalgia marketing campaigns today, you’d think you woke up back in the 80s or 90s. This pull on our childhood heartstrings is frequently employed by legacy brands with a vast marketing history. Meanwhile, emerging brands create innovative ways to form an emotional bond with consumers through partnerships and creative campaigns, even if they weren’t technically a part of the “good old days.”
Regardless of how a brand approaches nostalgia marketing, success hinges on more than a reminder of the past.
A 2019 study published in The International Journal of Research in Marketing asserts that nostalgia, “the creation of enchantment,” is achieved by “rendering the ordinary into something special.” The authors found three ways of evoking a feeling of enchantment: re-instantiation, re-enactment and re-appropriation.
Re-instantiation is a symbolic retrojection into a past, creating “throwback” experiences that remind us of pleasant memories. Last August, streaming platform VRV launched a 90’s-themed experiential marketing campaign called “Childhooding Zone” that invited guests to watch Nickelodeon programming while eating breakfast cereal.
The second method observed in the study is re-enactment—”reflexively informing the present with past-themed brands and practices.” A number of legacy CPG brands including Doritos and Coca-Cola have relaunched discontinued packaging or products that appeal to our younger selves.
One recent example is Foot Locker. In August the company launched a nostalgia-fueled digital campaign called “We Live Sneakers” that celebrates the sneakerhead culture and the evolution of Nike’s “Swoosh” logo.
The campaign highlights significant moments in a sneakerhead’s life from waking up and deciding which shoes to wear to getting married or having a significant other who doesn’t understand their love. Each moment features a pair of sneakers from Foot Locker’s exclusive “Evolution of the Swoosh” collection as modeled by athletes, musicians and influencers.
“We Live Sneakers” was designed to demonstrate “what it really means to be a sneakerhead and what that emotional connection looks like,” Patrick Walsh, vice president of marketing at Foot Locker told AList.
“The younger members of the sneaker community might not be as familiar with the various changes the swoosh has undergone over the years, so the time was now to honor Nike’s legacy with this unique ‘Evolution of the Swoosh’ collection,” said Walsh, adding that Foot Locker is connected to many of life’s milestones, sneakerhead or not. “When consumers walk into a Foot Locker, they can’t help but think back to the pair of sneakers they bought before their first day of high school or the kicks they wore to prom. The bond they have formed with Foot Locker and their favorite sneakers create a feeling of nostalgia.”
The third “route of enchantment” noted in the study was through re-appropriation, defined as “ludic re-interpretation of the past.”
PepsiCo’s newly acquired sparkling water brand SodaStream has been around since 1903 so it has plenty to be nostalgic about. Rather than “throwback” to a product from the 90s, however, the company imagined one to coincide with the Beverly Hills 90210 reboot, BH90210.
On August 5, SodaStream partnered with Beverly Hills 90210 star Tori Spelling to release a transparent carbonation machine. The new product was designed to look like clear and neon landline phones that were popular in the 90s.
“We created the ‘90s themed Tori machines to celebrate this decade while it’s having a resurgence,” Matti Yahav, chief marketing officer at SodaStream told AList. “The machine alone encompassed the aesthetic and the vibe of the decade, but we wanted to pull in more 90’s culture to create a fuller, more nostalgic experience.”
Yahav says the machines sold out “almost instantly” and that Spelling’s involvement was two-fold.
“As an icon of the ‘90s and an advocate for hydration and the reduction of single-use plastic, Tori Spelling was the obvious choice,” Yahav said. “With our machine, we wanted to tap into the fond memories people have of the ’90 while also making a statement. Our goal is to reduce single-use plastic waste, and our message with this product was to remind consumers that not all trends should make a comeback.”
A more sweeping nostalgia for the 80s is also experiencing a surge thanks, in part, to the Netflix series Stranger Things. While the show is based in a fictional town, it stirs memories of the decade through toys, music, fashion and of course, brands. The story’s setting allows audiences to reminisce about what they were doing and which products they were using during that time.
Eggo waffles, the character Eleven’s favorite food, experienced a bump in visibility that inspired an official brand partnership beginning with Season Two. The symbiotic relationship continued into Season Three with a series of retro ads and the release of a limited-edition 1985 Eggo box in stores.
Nostalgia marketing, like many trends, will inspire brands to follow suit but fond memories go both ways—while consumers are happy to recall the past, they can also be protective of it.
When Warner Bros. released Ready Player One movie posters that paid homage to classic films, many fans said they felt insulted instead of nostalgic. Comparing a new film to their favorites, they complained, was seen as a kind of sacrilege. Others defended the campaign and its celebration of pop culture.
As brands seek to inspire enchantment among consumers, Yahav warns that nostalgia marketing is more than “just referencing something from the past.”
“It’s gifting consumers the feeling of joy, love or fun they once had,” he said. “The product is a catalyst to remind people of that time and the wonderful experience they once had with or around the product.”
