McDonald’s
Beginning Feb. 26, McDonald’s introduces the WcDonald’s universe in over 30 markets worldwide, including the U.S, featuring a new sauce, manga-inspired packaging, and anime shorts. Fans can try the limited-time Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce and collect manga packaging designed by Japanese artist Acky Bright. By scanning the packaging, fans can access weekly digital manga drops starring WcDonald’s characters. McDonald’s also partners with Studio Pierrot to produce four anime shorts, each corresponding to different subgenres. Four episodic shorts will take fans into the flavorful world of WcDonald’s, where a story about the WcDonald’s Sauce and WcNuggets unfold each week.Every Monday, from Feb. 26 until March 18, a new short will drop in tandem with new manga on WcDonalds.com. Additionally, on March 9-10, the first IRL WcDonald’s will offer an immersive dining experience in Los Angeles, blending entertainment with food. Reservations open on Feb. 28 via OpenTable.
Inter Miami CF/JPMorgan Chase
Inter Miami CF and JPMorgan Chase announced a naming rights partnership for Inter Miami CF’s 21,500-seat home venue, located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The electric home of Inter Miami CF will now be Chase Stadium.The major, multiyear partnership sees JPMorgan Chase become an official main partner of Inter Miami CF. The country’s largest bank has a select resume of relationships in the sports industry including with Madison Square Garden, the US Open, F1 Miami Grand Prix, Chase Center, home to the Golden State Warriors, and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, to name a few. The partnership with Inter Miami CF marks Chase’s first stadium naming rights deal in professional fútbol. The relationship yields exciting news for Chase debit and credit card clients. In addition, to celebrate the announcement, Chase will be providing their debit and credit card clients with a 25% discount at select concession stands (behind section North 109, South 124, and West 130) located at Chase Stadium during Inter Miami CF’s home opener on Wednesday, February 21. Inter Miami CF and JPMorgan Chase have come together over a shared commitment to investing in South Florida’s local communities and creating a stronger, more inclusive economy. Going forward, the two organizations will collaborate on methods to build thriving communities and drive sustainable impact across the region. Chase will have a visible presence throughout the stadium, with major signage on the interior and exterior of the stadium. Inter Miami CF will also introduce the J.P. Morgan Suite Level and VIP Entrance, and showcase the company’s brands on key visuals with LEDs and other stadium signage.
KFC
KFC announced the addition of the Chizza to its US menu, starting February 26, 2024. The Chizza, which is not a traditional pizza, consists of two 100% white meat Extra Crispy fried chicken filets covered with a zesty marinara sauce, melted mozzarella cheese, and topped with crispy pepperoni.The Chizza first appeared at KFC locations in the Philippines in 2015 and has since become popular in several countries around the world, including Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. Now, it’s making its way to the United States.To mark its US launch, KFC is converting its restaurant at 242 E 14th St. in New York City into a “Chizzeria” pop-up for a short time. On February 23 and 24, from 1 PM to 9 PM Eastern Time, visitors can taste the Chizza for free. This taste test event happens right before the Chizza becomes available across the country on February 26.Also making a comeback for a limited period at KFC restaurants is the Blackberry Lemonade, a sweet and tangy beverage perfect to pair with the Chizza.
Lays
Lay’s, the chip brand owned by PepsiCo and official snack partner of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), has launched No Lay’s, No Game 2024, rewarding fans game-day-ready with Lay’s throughout the tournament. Through an ambitious “Chip Cam” stunt featuring soccer superstars David Beckham and Thierry Henry and an immersive digital experience with the Lay’s Detector, Lay’s is delivering joy to football fans around the globe who watch the beautiful game with Lay’s in hand. This year, Lay’s took a bold approach to its campaign and invited Beckham and Henry to ask, “Do you have Lay’s?” to a crowd of 75,000 cheering fans at San Siro during one of the most anticipated matches of the UEFA Champions League season between AC Milan and PSG. Just before kick-off, Beckham discovered, and couldn’t believe, that Henry had eaten all of his Lay’s chips. To solve it in just five minutes, the two put out a call through the Lay’s “Chip Cam” – an unexpected spin on the traditional kiss cam. The campaign was created in partnership with Slap Global and directed by award-winning commercial and television director Andrew Lane. And while not everyone could be in the stands of San Siro, Lay’s is bringing No Lay’s No Game home. In partnership with Meta, Lay’s has created the Lay’s Detector, a digital experience that unlocks the chance to win exciting prizes for football fans in select countries around the world now through the end of the UCL tournament. How? Fans must prove they have Lay’s with them while watching a game. To use the Lay’s Detector, simply scan the QR code on Lay’s social channels or the No Lay’s, No Game commercial to unlock the effect. Then, fans will be prompted to verify that they have Lay’s with them – and if they do, they will be entered to win exclusive prizing, content and even tickets to the UCL Men’s Finals at Wembley Stadium in London. And if they don’t have Lay’s? Not to worry, fans will have more chances to show off their bag of Lay’s to win epic prizes throughout the rest of the season. U.S. residents can access the Lay’s Detector on Lay’s Instagram and Facebook. “We’ve heard from soccer fans from all over the world and they tell us the same thing: whether watching with a group of friends or at home solo, the experience is always better when sharing a bag of Lay’s,” said Ciara Dilley, vice president of marketing, Global Foods Group at PepsiCo.
Rockstar® Energy Drink
Rockstar Energy has unveiled their latest campaign, “You Can Own Any Moment”! Backed by a new scientific claim that supports the brand’s goal of meeting consumers’ need for an energy drink that delivers sustained mind-body energy. The campaign brings to light how having the right kind of energy allows consumers to be the best version of themselves. The new science-based claim was the result of a best-in-class clinical study in which the brand tested their proprietary Rockstar Energy formulas with nearly 80 individuals, measuring caffeine metabolism and evaluating consumers’ physical and mental energy levels over 12 hours. Combining these two measurements created a holistic picture of the benefits of Rockstar Energy. Results from this study validated that its formulas with at least 160mg of caffeine optimally deliver the function and benefit that consumers desire – steady energy for both their mind and body for up to 5 hours. This campaign is being announced on the heels of the brand’s new line of energy drinks, Rockstar Focus, which launched in late January.To showcase this concept of utilizing sustained energy, Rockstar Energy is also unveiling its new “You Can Own Any Moment” ad spot. The long-form ad spot depicts how being able to harness the right energy is everything. Timed with the campaign, PepsiCo refreshed the brand’s visual identity and designed a unique iconography system that communicates its product benefits of sustained energy for the mind and body, as well as icons for caffeine content, electrolytes, and more. Check out our interview with Fabiola Torres, SVP, CMO Energy Drinks / Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo.
At this exclusive event on April 11, 2024 brand decision-makers and marketing service suppliers will share and accelerate knowledge on crucial topics, including Latin American marketing, e-commerce marketing, and leveraging marketing technologies. To find out about thought leadership and networking solutions at Portada Live involving many brand decision-makers, don’t hesitate to contact Sales Director Irma Gutierrez at [email protected].
Cécred by Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter announced the launch of Cécred, a new haircare line that honors global traditions while delivering what hair craves. Cécred launches with the Foundation Collection, eight products that cleanse, condition, and visibly repair.Knowles-Carter’s passion for haircare is born from lived experience. She grew up sweeping hair in her mother Tina Knowles’ salon and saw firsthand how she thoughtfully mixed tech-forward formulas with natural butters and oils to cultivate healthy hair. Knowles joins Cécred as vice chairwoman, bringing her 40 years of influence as a hairstylist, salon owner, and entrepreneur. From launch, Cécred must invest in the stylist community, which globally serves as a sacred space for people’s personal hair journeys. Cécred will partner with Knowles-Carter’s philanthropic foundation, BeyGOOD, to create the BeyGOOD x Cécred Fund, which honors the knowledge and influence professional stylists have on hair health and the critical importance of advocating for the salon community. An annual US$500,000 will fund cosmetology school scholarships and salon business grants. Fostering talent, promoting professionalism, and supporting entrepreneurship within the industry will cement Knowles-Carter’s and Cécred’s enduring dedication to the professional stylist community.Cécred’s formulas, infused with a signature Temple Oud fragrance, are cruelty-free and formulated under strict global guidelines for ingredient safety. Knowles-Carter’s vision is to create a new standard in haircare that breaks down myths and helps to change the narrative in haircare. The Foundation Collection is now available on www.cecred.com.
Suzuki
Suzuki selected TMW Unlimited as its primary agency for creative, content, and CRM following a competitive selection process. The agency will be responsible for crafting cohesive campaigns and content across various platforms. They will kick-start operations promptly to introduce the new Suzuki Swift, leveraging the brand’s Good Different concept. Their tasks encompass above-the-line advertising for Suzuki’s automotive sector, generating content, and managing data and CRM for cars, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and marine engines.
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.
California-based Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (“Grocery Outlet” or the “Company”) announced that it has agreed to acquire United Grocery Outlet (“UGO”), an extreme value, discount grocery retailer operating throughout the Southeastern United States, from affiliates of Gen Cap America, Inc. and current and former UGO management. With 40 stores and a distribution center, the acquisition of UGO will expand Grocery Outlet’s presence into Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia.Founded 50 years ago, United Grocery Outlet offers customers tremendous savings within a treasure hunt shopping environment. UGO maintains strong relationships with national and regional brands, which enables it to provide quality food at extreme values. The acquisition is anticipated to close early in the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. In addition to the newly acquired UGO stores, Grocery Outlet plans to open 15 to 20 stores in existing markets in 2024, for a total of 55 to 60 net new stores this year. The acquisition is expected to be modestly accretive to the Company’s 2024 earnings and will be discussed in more detail on the Company’s fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2023 earnings call scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2024.BofA Securities acted as exclusive financial advisor and Honigman LLP and Gould & Ratner LLP acted as legal advisors to Grocery Outlet. Stout acted as financial advisor and Bass, Berry & Sims PLC acted as legal advisor to Gen Cap and United Grocery Outlet.
