Chipotle, Sparkling Ice® beverages, Rémy Martin…. and other brands targeting the U.S. consumer right now. Check our prior Sales Leads columns.
Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill celebrated the 21st year of Boorito, a fan favorite Halloween event, by becoming the first restaurant brand to open a virtual location on Roblox, a global platform bringing millions of people together through shared experiences. In the Chipotle Boorito Maze experience, Chipotle made US$1 million in free burritos available* and offered access to new virtual Halloween costumes and exclusive Roblox items.The experience went live at 3:30 pm PT/6:30 pm ET on October 28. To continue the Boorito tradition, Chipotle fans in the U.S. can get a US$5 burrito, bowl, salad, or taco entrée from 5 pm to close local time on Halloween with the digital-only promo code “BOORITO” at checkout, exclusively on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com**. The offer does not require participation in Roblox and is limited to one (1) per transaction on October 31 only. Guests cannot use the promo code in-restaurant.”As a digital innovator, we are always experimenting on new platforms to meet our guests where they are,” said Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer at Chipotle. “Roblox’s popularity has boomed over the past year, and we know our fans will be excited to celebrate the next evolution of Boorito in the metaverse.”
Sparkling Ice® beverages
Talking Rain Beverage Company, the maker of Sparkling Ice® beverages, has created an online version of Lotería, the iconic Mexican board game where players can earn and redeem points in exchange for exciting prizes, or give back with a donation to JDRF, the leading global non-profit funder of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.Lotería, which means lottery in Spanish, features a card—or tabla—with 16 colorful images. The aim of the game is to match all the images with cards picked from a deck of 54 by an announcer. Players can play in rooms of up to 8 people, playing against friends, family, and Lotería lovers across the world. The game, available in English and Spanish, includes a special Sparkling Ice customized tabla highlighting some of the brand’s most popular flavors, in addition to its own images for la botella (the bottle) or la lata (the can).Players can play online, earn points for every game played, and then redeem their points for prizes from Sparkling Ice Rewards, such as branded Sparkling Ice swag, Sparkling Ice YETI coolers, and more. Players can also pay it forward using their points to have Talking Rain donate to JDRF to help children with diabetes. With the rising rate of Hispanic children being diagnosed with T1D, Sparkling Ice is teaming up with the non-profit to sponsor its first-ever Spanish language Bag of Hope®. The Bag of Hope® provides accessible educational materials, support and comfort to newly diagnosed families.To play Lotería and start earning rewards, users can visit https://www.sparklingice.com/loteria/en/play-now/.
Rémy Martin
Iconic Cognac house Rémy Martin continues its long-standing commitment of honoring the best that communities and cultures have to offer by teaming up with renowned chefs, Stephen “Chef Papi” Rodriguez and Chef Diana Dávila to celebrate Latinx culture. Together, they highlight Sobremesa, a post-dining tradition that embraces the appreciation of people and time; values that have been at the heart of Rémy Martin since inception, for nearly three centuries.The globally celebrated concept of Sobremesa is simple: it is the time spent at the table after eating filled with laughter and easy conversation that only the pleasure of a big meal can inspire. At Rémy Martin, a talented team of people and the influence of time is what shapes the taste of each unique Cognac. Hand in hand, Rémy Martin and the chefs offer a look into the Sobremesa experience where lively conversations of company, and the refinement of flavorful foods are celebrated. The partnership is an extension to Rémy Martin’s “Team Up For Excellence” initiative. The brand recently announced a global partnership with MICHELIN Guide to support the Star Ceremonies, and promote the Green Star, which highlights restaurants that stand at the forefront of sustainable gastronomy.Rémy Martin will celebrate Sobremesa with Chef Papi in New York and Chef Diana Dávila, in Chicago with intimate, curated events that focus on spending quality time with loved ones over a great meal and exceptional Cognac.
https://youtu.be/MiZuqrTttQ0
General Mills
General Mills has expanded its presence in functional kids products with the launch of Doolies, a new line of snacks and beverages containing fiber and probiotics to help prevent and treat occasional constipation in children.The second launch from Gworks, General Mills’ corporate venture studio under its “Disruptive Growth Office”, Doolies quietly debuted in May on the brand’s website. The brand notes that it is “still ramping up,” focusing on selling direct-to-consumer as it improves its products and possibly launches new SKUs. A spokesperson for the brand shared that General Mills was inspired to launch the product line after finding that constipation was a growing concern for parents, who largely are “unsatisfied” with current treatment options — “particularly pharmaceutical laxatives that are heavily recommended by pediatricians.”
Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC
Coca-Cola Beverages Florida has expanded its Polk County footprint, in line with a continued commitment to invest in associates, customers, and the communities it serves, by purchasing a 407,000 square foot warehouse in Winter Haven’s Central Intermodal Logistics Center. The strategic purchase, which includes 37 acres of land, significantly expands operational capacity and positions the company to meet the demands of the fast-growing customer and consumer base of Polk County and surrounding areas.On September 10th, Coke Florida transitioned the service of more than 2,500 customers, including warehousing and delivery of over 7 million cases annually, to its new Polk County location. Since moving into the facility, which is still being built out, the operation has already expanded to support the work of over 3 million incremental cases for customers along Florida’s Nature Coast. The build-out of the new location is expected to conclude in the Spring of 2022 and will complete an investment of over US $30 million.The Winter Haven expansion is just one of many investments Coke Florida is making as part of its ongoing growth strategy and network optimization.
Mattel Barbie
Mattel is giving the iconic Barbie doll her own TikTok page, Adage reports. The toy company tapped Attn’s TikTok studio to create the content for the page, which will be stop-motion videos of physical Barbie dolls with voice overs.Mattel also gave card game UNO its own channel on Oct. 28 as part of the game’s 50th anniversary. UNO content will feature celebrities and creators playing the game. While Mattel doesn’t have its own official TikTok, the hashtag #Barbie has more than 13 billion views and #uno has 2.5 billion views. The content on Barbie’s TikTok will be aimed at older consumers, according to Isaac Quiroga, Mattel’s VP of digital engagement. The goal is to tap into the nostalgia of playing with these toys, while keeping them relevant via TikTok trends. The Barbie TikTok will also showcase the diversity of the dolls beyond the original skinny blonde.
Phillips Distilling Company
Phillips Distilling Company, a pioneer in breakthrough flavors and spirits innovation for more than 109 years, announced Revel Stoke® has introduced a bold new line of flavored whiskies that speaks to today’s independent whisky drinker.With 12 unique flavors, Revel Stoke is great to sip neat, over ice or in dozens of simple cocktails. The drink possibilities are endless with mixers like lemonade, ginger beer, cider or soda.Starting this Fall Revel Stoke® will feature a new tagline “Stoke Your Wild™.” The brand also will launch the largest integrated marketing campaign in Phillips Distilling Company’s history, aimed at “Zillennial” men ages 21-34 years old who embrace the freedom to pursue what matters most to them. Out-of-home billboards will run in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa to drive awareness and trial.Additionally, the campaign will feature a wide array of digital components including social media, influencer partnerships, streaming audio, e-commerce and delivery app promotions and “text to save” offers via PayPal and Venmo.
Popeyes®
Restaurant Brands International’s (RBI) Popeyes Chicken has announced a deal with JK Capital to expand throughout Mexico over the coming years. Currently Popeyes operates only in the city of Guadalajara with 3,400 locations worldwide. The expansion throughout Mexico will build further on the brand’s global presence.Since its Mexico arrival in 2017 with several restaurants in Jalisco, Popeyes will now add more restaurants in Mexico City, including different areas of the city such as Liverpool Insurgentes, Forum Buenavista, Polanco, Santa Fe, Interlomas, among others.To celebrate its expansion in Mexico City, Popeyes teamed up with El Chapulín Colorado© to redefine Mexico’s most iconic CH to instead make it representative of the love for the Chicken Sandwich.Popeyes is making its entrance in Mexico City well known by arriving via the most famous heart of Mexico: the heart of El Chapulín Colorado©. Popeyes flipped the well-known CH heart logo that was always worn by El Chapulin Colorado – a fictional super hero figure who has garnered great fame across Mexico since 1973 – and turned it into the heart of the most beloved Chicken of Mexico.Starting today, the CH campaign will appear throughout Mexico City in various advertisements, including out-of-home billboards. #ILoveChicken
