Lidl, e.l.f. Beauty, California Pizza Kitchen, and Six More Brand Initiatives

• Lidl

  Lidl US, a leading European grocer, has launched its first U.S. campaign with the newly appointed creative agency of record, MONO. The national campaign, titled “The Super-est Market,” marks the introduction of a refreshed brand look and feel, which leans into Lidl’s distinctive primary color palette and a more irreverent and humorous tone that nods to the one-of-a-kind feeling shoppers feel when at Lidl — just in time for the 2024 holiday season. MONO was named creative agency of record for Lidl earlier this year after a competitive pitch. The Minneapolis-based advertising and design agency will serve as a business partner to the brand, helping Lidl enhance its positioning as a US grocery market leader. The agency will spearhead brand strategy, brand design, in-store design, creative development, as well as lead the brand’s inter-agency team. Through this work, MONO will increase brand awareness and tap into new and existing audiences. With global headquarters in Germany, Lidl U.S. aims to build brand awareness and drive sales in support of its expansion efforts, reintroducing the brand to U.S. consumers. The retailer has ambitious plans to enter new markets in the coming years. Lidl opened its first 10 stores in the U.S. in June 2017 and currently has about 170 stores and counting across nine states, primarily on the east coast. “We are excited by the grocery and retail expertise our new partners at MONO have brought to the table across creative and brand storytelling,” says Michael Chao, Marketing VP of Lidl. “This is an exciting time for Lidl as we continue bolstering our presence in the US market, and we are confident we have the right team in place to enter this new era.”

• California Pizza Kitchen

  California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), announced the completion of an integrated agency team led by the brand, creative and social agency of record, Iris. Additional agency partners include Blue Engine for public relations, Acadia for performance media and Push for special projects and brand extensions.
  CPK’s newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer, Dawn Keller, has tasked the new agency partners with doubling down on creativity, culture, and craveability in all consumer-facing communications. With a nearly 40-year history and restaurants across nine countries and 27 states, CPK is positioning itself for a new era of growth. Keller is charged with rejuvenating the beloved global brand and building a world-class team to drive significant gains in traffic, sales and customer lifetime value through brand and digital marketing strategies and culinary innovation. Iris will lead all brand, creative, and social work for the casual dining brand, marking the first time an agency has been awarded all three functions for CPK. Known for its laser focus on driving consumer engagement through brand, social, and digital strategies, Iris will take a cultural and consumer-forward approach to all marketing efforts through a refreshed brand voice and positioning. With a nearly 40-year history and restaurants across nine countries and 27 states, CPK is positioning itself for a new era of growth. CMO Keller is charged with rejuvenating the beloved global brand and building a world-class team to drive major gains in traffic, sales and customer lifetime value through brand and digital marketing strategies and culinary innovation.

• Emirates

As the NBA’s Official Global Airline Partner and the inaugural title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup, Emirates is celebrating the arrival of the much-anticipated 2024-25 NBA season with a head-turning, nose-to-tail livery dedicated to the league. The livery captures the spirit of the Emirates and NBA marketing partnership and will begin making its way across the airline’s global network with flights starting next week. The new livery features a striking blue gradient across the fuselage, punctuated by the NBA logo and bouncing basketball. The distinct Emirates lettering has transformed from its unique gold font to red. The fuselage is complemented by vibrant red engine cowls emblazoned with Emirates’ distinct white calligraphy logo.The Emirates-NBA A380 livery, A6-EOD, was a full repaint project fully executed in-house by Emirates’ teams over 19 days.It is scheduled to operate to New York JFK as EK201 on 22 October, with services to Cairo, Brisbane, and more destinations planned.
From 1 November and until 17 December, to coincide with the Emirates NBA Cup, passengers across all cabins will experience on-board NBA offerings on flights to and from 14 points in the U.S. and Canada, and enjoy a limited-time NBA-themed menu at Emirates’ lounges in Dubai, New York JFK, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. Basketball fans can watch Emirates NBA Cup games live on Sport24 on ice, Emirates’ inflight entertainment system. Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand said: “We are proud to be the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA and the inaugural title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup. The new livery is a celebration of the marketing partnership and the game which brings people together from around the world, and we hope to spread the passion and connect with fans across basketball-loving nations across our network. We also look forward to showcasing unique onboard experiences starting next month, with a host of NBA-themed products and services to inspire and delight our customers.”

• Foot Locker

Impact.com  announced its powering of Foot Locker Storefronts. This platform enables qualified influencers and content creators to work with the Foot Locker brand, a global leader in footwear and apparel retail and sneaker culture. The platform will allow qualified content creators and Foot Locker to work in tandem to engage with new and existing sneaker fanatics by offering a customized digital storefront intended for the creator’s United States audiences via their social media channels. The Foot Locker Storefronts platform equips the Foot Locker brand to find best-fit creators, manage their engagements, and reward creators and influencers at scale, subject to the storefront program’s terms and conditions. Working with creators will allow the global sneaker retailer to engage authentically with their community of sneaker fans. Meanwhile, it will enable creators to monetize their social media feeds by giving them an opportunity to receive a commission, subject to the program’s applicable payout terms, on qualified sales they generate through their respective Foot Locker Storefront. Through the platform, influencers can create custom, shoppable storefronts featuring Foot Locker products.  “Leveraging the authenticity and cultural influence of creators is vital to engaging the consumers we serve at Foot Locker,” said Holly Tedesco, VP, Marketing, NA at Foot Locker, Inc. “The Foot Locker Storefronts platform significantly expands our ambassador program, delivering the opportunity for value to the creator community, our brand partners, and sneaker enthusiasts. It redefines how consumers shop and discover our trend-driven, premium product assortment by forging powerful partnerships with creators who shape sneaker culture and fashion trends.”

Find out about Portada Live events planned for 2025. Portada Live events are highly curated events. Their agenda is designed to maximize knowledge-sharing and networking between top brand marketing, media agencies, and media executives. To find out about thought leadership and networking solutions at Portada Live and Portada digital media offerings, don’t hesitate to contact Sales Director Irma Gutierrez at [email protected].

• Papa John’s

Papa John’s announced the return of its famous Shaq-a-Roni pizza in the U.S. for a limited time, celebrating its 5^th year on the menu this fall. Crafted in partnership with basketball legend and Papa John’s franchisee, Shaquille O’Neal, for every Shaq-a-Roni sold at participating locations, Papa Johns donates $1 to The Papa Johns Foundation. “I’m excited to bring back the Shaq-a-Roni for the 5th consecutive year,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “It’s not just about great pizza – I’m proud that every pizza sold helps support the communities we serve.” The Papa Johns Foundation is committed to building stronger communities through initiatives focused on youth leadership & entrepreneurship and food insecurity. Over the past four years, Papa John has raised $13.1 million through Shaq-a-Roni sales and, since 2021, has invested more than $4 million through the Foundation’s Building Community Fund. This grant program supports franchisees’ local community initiatives. “At Papa Johns, we believe pizza brings people together. This collaboration has brought joy to pizza lovers and raised awareness about important issues impacting our communities,” said Jennifer Garner, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Papa Johns. “It’s a great example of how a popular menu item can give back, combining delicious pizza with meaningful contributions to our communities.”

• e.l.f Beauty

e.l.f. Beauty is  launching a bold stop-in-your-tracks campaign to support its mantra that when a business both does good and is good, anything is e.l.f.ing possible: Introducing ‘Dupe That!’ The campaign encourages the community to read e.l.f.’s FY 2024 Impact Report and participate in being good and doing good. The company believes an environment in which companies lift each other up to do better elevates the entire playing field so we all win. “Our e.l.f. ethos powers purpose, our purpose powers people, our people power performance – and our performance powers possibilities,” said Kory Marchisotto, e.l.f. Beauty’s Chief Marketing Officer. “The more we unapologetically lean into our purpose, the stronger the signals to keep using our megaphone to help make the world an increasingly brighter place for every eye, lip and face. At e.l.f.’s core is democratizing access – to the best of beauty, to wealth creation, to level playing fields in sports and business, to wellness, to a better planet and, perhaps most importantly, to doing it all with kindness. Please, DUPE THAT!” e.l.f. is presenting ‘Dupe That!’ across more than 280 feet across 22 LED screens of the marquee E-Panel wall in The World Trade Center retail complex in New York, a two-page spread in The New York Times and throughout e.l.f.’s social-media ecosystem. The campaign was created with partner agency Madwell.

• Mutuals Matter

An association of banking leaders operating across the country has launched an industry-first, collaborative awareness campaign highlighting the community-minded benefits offered by mutual banks. Developed by a group of 10 founding mutual bank participants, Mutuals Matter is a national advertising, marketing and communications effort that aims to shine a spotlight on what sets mutual banks apart from other financial institutions. The campaign emphasizes the fact that, unlike other financial institutions that prioritize shareholder profits, mutual banks are bound by their charters to focus on the economic well-being of their customers and to invest directly into the communities they serve. As depositor-owned institutions, mutuals don’t have some of the conflicts that investor-owned banks have in setting their priorities. “We know that today’s consumers are becoming increasingly conscientious about where and with whom they spend their hard-earned money and take their business,” said Gregg R. Tewksbury, president & CEO, NH Mutual Bancorp and a founding member of the Mutual Matters effort. “This is an opportunity for America’s mutual banks to come together and showcase the significant investments we as an industry make in our respective communities.” Materials in the Mutuals Matter campaign include website content; digital, print and outdoor advertising assets; 30-second television and radio spots; and more. All of the campaign’s assets are customizable and can be used by participating mutual banks in exchange for a modest, annual licensing fee. Campaign assets were developed by Duffy & Shanley, Inc., a full-service public relations, marketing and advertising firm based in Providence, R.I.

Founding members of the Mutual Matters Association include: Chelsea Groton Bank (Groton, Conn.), First Mutual Holding Company, encompassing Blue Grass Federal (Paris, Ky.), First Federal Lakewood (Lakewood, Ohio), First Mutual Bank (New Martinsville, W. Va.), Martinsville First Savings Bank (Martinsville, Va.) and Warsaw Federal (Cincinnati, Ohio), New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp, encompassing Meredith Village Savings Bank (Meredith, N.H.), Merrimack County Savings Bank (Concord, N.H.) and Savings Bank of Walpole (Walpole, N.H.)., and Piedmont Federal Savings Bank (Winston-Salem, N.C.).

• Signature Aviation 

• TruGreen

TruGreen, the largest provider of lawn care services in America, has named VML as the lead creative and social agency. VML is charged with reimagining the lawn care business to grow TruGreen’s customer base and strengthen its brand identity. VML was selected by TruGreen after Kurt Kane joined the company as president and chief executive officer. Prior to his role at TruGreen, Kurt served as US president and chief commercial officer and prior, EVP, chief concept and marketing officer at The Wendy’s Company.