Welcome to The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the CPG space.
Lysol partners with Alex Rodriguez on new campaign celebrating baseball equipment managers
Just in time for baseball season, Lysol has partnered with Major League Baseball legend Alex Rodriguez on a new campaign that celebrates those who have the “stinkiest” job on the team — equipment managers — per a brand statement. In a spot titled “The Lost Bet,” Rodriguez takes the place of the equipment manager for a kids’ baseball team for a day as he discovers that “the secret to beating the post-game stink” is Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. In line with the new campaign, the Reckitt-owned brand has become an official sponsor of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) and will issue Stink Steward Stipends for equipment managers to put toward their AEMA memberships and certifications to aid them in their career advancement.
The takeaway: This campaign leverages A-Rod’s star power in an unexpected way (we didn’t really expect to see one of the greatest baseball players of all time getting stuck doing the laundry), helping Lysol break through the clutter of laundry-focused ads.
Dramamine releases mini-doc commemorating its “partner in puke,” the barf bag
Prestige Consumer Healthcare brand Dramamine released a mini-documentary and related campaign this week commemorating both its 75th anniversary and that of the barf bag, which were both introduced in 1949. Acknowledging its impact on the bag’s diminished relevance, the motion sickness relief brand worked with filmmaking collective Sunny Sixteen to develop “The Last Barf Bag: A Tribute to a Cultural Icon,” as the film is titled, to save its “fellow partner in puke,” per a brand statement. Featuring doctors, pilots, flight attendants, historians, barf bag collectors, Dramamine execs and others, the approximately 12-minute documentary explores the cultural impact of this “humble yet crucial American invention.” Dramamine kicked off the campaign Wednesday with “The Last Barf Bag Exhibition” in New York City, featuring a screening of the documentary as well as the collections of four barf bag collectors.
The takeaway: Dramamine has found an amusing (and slightly nauseating) way to call attention to its effectiveness with this ode to an unexpected cultural “icon.”
Barilla releases soundtrack paired to each cut of its Al Bronzo pasta for a “multisensory” pasta-eating experience
Pasta brand Barilla just announced the release of its Al Bronzo Soundtrack, “a bespoke musical score designed to amplify your pasta-eating experience,” per a company statement. The pasta maker partnered with “The White Lotus” composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer and University of Oxford experimental psychologist Charles Spence to create the six-track compilation, which features audio tailored to each Al Bronzo pasta cut, from bucatini to linguine. Using Spence’s assessment of each Al Bronzo pasta shape through the lens of “sonic seasoning” — “the scientific pairing of sound with specific flavors and textures to enhance the way people experience food” — de Veer crafted tracks meant “to elicit a distinct visceral reaction with every Al Bronzo bite” for an “unforgettable multisensory experience,” per Barilla U.S. Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Ping. The tracks are available on Spotify and at AlBronzoSoundtrack.com, where fans can also find curated recipes with tasting notes for each cut. To celebrate, Barilla is also giving away a limited-edition vinyl record version of the soundtrack.
The takeaway: So-called “sonic branding” is a fascinating marketing discipline — and Barilla has pulled out all the stops to make this well-thought-out activation surprisingly engaging.
Muscle Milk launches campaign featuring star athletes to promote new plant-based protein shake line
To promote its Plant Protein Shake line, Muscle Milk has launched a campaign with MLB star Julio Rodríguez and WNBA All-Star Candace Parker. Called “Strength for it All,” the campaign from the PepsiCo-owned brand demonstrates how strength is meant for “all of life’s moments” — from working out in the gym to pushing “your future rookie athlete” in a stroller. Ads are airing across streaming platforms and social media — and in May, Muscle Milk plans to roll out a second installment of creative featuring soccer star Christian Pulisic.
The takeaway: Muscle Milk’s use of sports stars to celebrate mundane daily moments that require strength is a relatable way to get consumers to think of its product as more than just a gym staple.
Further reading
CPG trends:
- “New Georgetown Study: 50% Of Consumers Want Smaller Portions” (Forbes)
- “How fashion brands are using promotions to nurture long-term customer growth” (Glossy)
CPG operations and expansions:
- “Grove Collaborative refreshes core brand Grove Co.” (Retail Dive)
- “Nestlé Purina Opens Modern Manufacturing Experience Center” (Consumer Goods Technology)
- “Protein bar maker Aloha gets $68M from venture fund” (Food Dive)
CPG launches and partnerships:
- “Frito-Lay, Rockstar Energy to sponsor Leagues Cup” (Sports Business Journal)
- “Planters Nut Duos Combine Two Flavors and Two Different Nut Types in a Bag” (Trend Hunters)
- “Cup Noodles Is Releasing Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese-Flavored Ramen” (Delish)
- “Jamie Foxx Debuts BSB, His New Line of ‘Sippable’ Flavored Whiskey” (Men’s Journal)
- “Johnsonville and Leinenkugel’s team up to launch Summer Shandy flavored brats” (BizTimes)
- ICYMI: “An Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Treat Is Coming to Stores Nationwide” (Food & Wine)
CPG campaigns and promotions:
- “From Krispy Kreme to SunChips, more and more companies roll out total solar eclipse promotions” (AP)
- “Celebrity Cats Compete in Sheba’s March Madness-Style Tournament” (Adweek)
- “Dial’s ‘Dial Up Your Day’ campaign levels up alongside Melissa Fumero” (Drug Store News)
- “Dispensing Billboards Offer HEINZ Ketchup Outside Restaurants that Refuse to Serve It” (Little Black Book)
- “Frito-Lay teams with Hasbro to bring classic games to life” (Marketing Dive)
CPG tech and innovation:
