The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods: December 6, 2024 edition

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.

Zero-sugar, naturally sweetened beverage brand Zevia just released “Break from Artificial,” an ad that’s meant to be a cheeky response to Coca-Cola’s AI-generated holiday campaign. Per a brand statement, the 30-second parody spot uses “exaggerated AI imagery” — such as Santa in a drone instead of a sleigh, a person with three arms and a polar bear eating presents — to emphasize Zevia’s focus on the “real.”

Previously: “Coca-Cola’s AI-generated Christmas ads — the conversation continues,” from the Nov. 22 edition of The Week in Data Marketing, MarTech and AI.

See also: “Tropicana highlights lack of artificial ingredients with new limited-edition ‘Tropcn’ packaging,” from an earlier edition of this column.

More notable CPG campaigns:

• “Powerade Unveils The Athletes Code, Championing Mental Health in Sports” (Forbes)
• “White Claw Promotes Togetherness In Campaign Featuring Social Media Star” (MediaPost)
• “Pepsi promotes new gingerbread flavor with baking show starring Shaq” (Marketing Dive)
• “Diageo’s ‘Take a Minute’ tackles impaired driving during NFL season” (TheDrum)
• ICYMI: “Why Oscar Mayer is re-airing classic jingle ad” (Ad Age)

Cheese brand Babybel is giving grown-ups a coveted gift this holiday season — “a much-needed break from their hectic holiday schedules,” per a brand statement. Inspired by survey results showing that 72% of millennial parents would prefer that someone else wrap their gifts for them, Babybel will travel the country this holiday season hosting its Babybelves Holiday Village. These pop-up events will allow guests to bring up to five gifts to be wrapped by “Babybelves” while they enjoy Babybel’s Me-Time Lounge, complete with a Babybel cheese flight and a cup of hot cocoa. From Dec. 5 to 20, the Babybelves Holiday Village will travel to New York City, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

More experiential brand activations:

• “Ghirardelli Gives New York a Huge Gift to Celebrate National Peppermint Bark Day” (DesignRush)
• “Cheez-It is Making Wild Dreams Come True at the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl” (Trend Hunter)
• “Bourbon brand bringing Bluegrass to Big Apple” (Louisville Business First)

That’s the share of U.S. adults who say they don’t always reveal when they’re serving store-bought baked goods, according to a new survey examining consumer holiday habits commissioned by Ferrero North America and conducted by Golin in partnership with Dynata, per a Ferrero brand statement.

Milk Bar just announced a collaboration with Got milk? on a holiday cereal designed to celebrate “the nostalgic pairing of cookies and milk,” per a brand announcement. Featuring a mix of “mini peppermint-flavored cookie bows and white chocolate peppermint cookie bits,” the Got milk? x Milk Bar Holiday Cookie Cereal is meant to be enjoyed with (of course) cold dairy milk. The limited-time offering is available online at MilkBarStore.com and in-store at Milk Bar bakeries for $20. Fans in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., can also get their hands on Got milk? x Milk Bar Holiday Cookie Cereal through Uber Eats and DoorDash, paired with a bottle of cold dairy milk, for $24.

Previously: “Tropicana partners with Milk Bar to create limited-time Orange Squeeze soft serve,” from the June 7 edition of this column.

More limited-edition releases:

• “Pop-Tarts Makes ‘Dreams Come True’ With Limited Return of Discontinued Fan-Favorite Flavor” (Parade)
• “Miller High Life’s New Perfume Smells Just Like a Dive Bar — in a Good Way” (Food & Wine)
• “Bush’s Beans offers merch for fans” (Brand Innovators)
• “Elijah Craig Debuts Holiday ‘Craig Nog’” (Food Manufacturing)
• “Guinness and Levain Bakery Bring Together Cookies and Beer” (Trend Hunter)
• “Cointreau teams up with ‘Caviar Queen’ for holiday cocktail kit” (Food Dive)
• ICYMI: “Pepsi Releases Limited Batch of Maple Syrup Cola with IHOP” (Licensing International)
• ICYMI: “The Old Spice Holidudes Collection Shares Festive Scents” (Trend Hunter)
• ICYMI: “Time Is Funny With This Liquid Death Clock” (Muse by Clio)

SNAX-Sational Brands just announced that it’s partnered with J.M. Smucker Company–owned brand JIF Peanut Butter to create a PB&J-inspired popcorn snack, per License Global. Featuring Grape and Strawberry varieties, the new PB&J Pop combines JIF Peanut Butter with Smucker’s Jelly, which is drizzled-over the popcorn. 5.25-ounce bags are available for purchase online at Cookiepopcandypop.com or at Stop & Shop and Winn-Dixie stores, while 24-ounce bags are available at Costco locations in the Pacific Northwest.

More CPG launches and collabs:

• “Dr. Squatch Launches ‘Lord of the Rings’-Themed Bar Soap” (Happi)
• “General Mills collaborates with the Dairy Checkoff on yogurt-based snack launch” (FoodBev Media)
• “Artist Romero Britto Expands Into Skincare” (Happi)
• “Dove bakes up the sweetest partnership with Crumbl Cookies” (FoodSided)

Brand-sport partnerships:

• “Oracle Red Bull Racing Builds New Partnership With LEGO” (License Global)
• “Miller Lite partners with boxing promoter Top Rank, starting with Navarrete vs Valdez fight Saturday night” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• “Exclusive: $12 billion liquor giant Pernod Ricard inks MLS sponsorship for Jameson whiskey brand” (Fortune)
• ICYMI: “Budweiser To Take Center Stage As AB InBev Sponsors FIFA Club World Cup” (Adweek)