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.
Chiquita launches campaign with Brazilian artist Romero Britto
Chiquita has launched a new campaign in partnership with Brazilian artist Romero Britto to bring his art to stickers on its bananas, Marketing Dive’s Sara Karlovitch reports. “Pop by Nature,” as the campaign is called, will feature six different bright, multicolored stickers that consumers can collect to complete a puzzle — a move that “could drive repeat purchases,” Karlovitch notes. The campaign will also include billboards, digital media, giveaways and more.
The takeaway: Chiquita is embracing its iconic banana stickers as a platform for an unexpected, collectible brand activation.
PEEPS releases new limited-edition shoe collection with Heelys
PEEPS has teamed up with Heelys, the original shoes with wheels, to create a shoe collection inspired by the Marshmallow treat, per a statement from PEEPS parent company Just Born Quality Confections. The PEEPS x Heelys collaboration features an oversized plush PEEPS bunny as the tongue of the shoe, accompanied by a PEEPS Chick removable charm. The new line comes in two colors, pink and yellow, and is available for a limited time on Heely’s website and Journeys.com in a range of kid sizes.
The takeaway: The combination of PEEPS’ cheery, iconic brand and Heely’s skate-in-a-shoe concept is a collab that seems designed to get plenty of attention on social media. (The shoes, which you can see here, are pretty Instagram-ready.)
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg release ready-to-drink canned cocktail Gin & Juice
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg announced on Monday the launch of a new ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail line called Gin & Juice. The first RTD product from the pair’s new premium spirits company, the beverage harkens back to Snoop’s 1994 hit “Gin & Juice” from his debut album “Doggystyle,” produced by Dre. (The product’s release is timed to the 30th anniversary of the album.) A premium gin-based canned cocktail, Gin & Juice is 5.9% ABV and comes in four flavors — Citrus, Melon, Passionfruit and Apricot — with packaging designed by Ini Archibong.
The takeaway: This is going to get interesting: “Gin & Juice,” the song, is about to retroactively become a jingle/commercial for Gin & Juice, the RTD cocktail.
Strawberry Shortcake kicks off year-long 45th anniversary celebration
On Thursday, WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake announced the launch of a year-long 45th anniversary celebration that will include collaborations with bakers, designers, content creators, artists and female entrepreneurs to highlight “the various iterations of Strawberry Shortcake,” per a company statement. The multiplatform cartoon-character brand, which began as an American Greetings card illustration, kicked off the anniversary with a takeover of New York City-based Flour Shop’s flagship bakery starting on Valentine’s Day (and running through Feb. 27), with Flour Shop founder Amirah Kassem sharing a Strawberry Shortcake-inspired cookie decorating kit. Brands and retailers such as A Leading Role, BOY MEETS GIRL, BoxLunch, Blank Tag Co. and The Loyal Subjects are releasing special Strawberry Shortcake-inspired collections that include apparel, stickers, accessories, scent-infused dolls, playsets and more.
The takeaway: It’s no surprise that this feel-good, cross-generational nostalgia play is drawing so many partners/collaborators. Who doesn’t love a little Strawberry Shortcake?
LeBron James to launch men’s grooming line
Through his multimedia brand The Shop, NBA All-Star LeBron James is launching a men’s grooming line to be sold online and in Walmart stores nationwide beginning in April, per Business of Fashion’s Daniel-Yaw Miller. Parent company The SpringHill Company, owned by James and business partner Maverick Carter, teamed up with beauty and fragrance maker Parlux Ltd. to create the line, which includes shaving cream, face wash and shampoo. The move marks the first foray into the beauty industry for The Shop, which, Miller notes, began as an HBO talk show in 2018 “inspired by the conversations and debates which typically occur in barbershops.”
The takeaway: As celebrity beauty brands’ share of the market continues to rise, James is leveraging his enduring popularity to engage the growing men’s grooming market.
Further reading
CPG innovations:
- “Coke Zero Sugar uses AI to create custom font as part of global campaign” (Ad Age)
- “Sway Raises $5 Million for Seaweed-based Packaging Innovation” (Women’s Wear Daily)
CPG campaigns:
- “Inside Yes! Apples’ quest to build a brand around fruit” (Modern Retail)
- “Molson Coors attracts Bud Light drinkers with increased marketing” (Ad Age)
CPG mergers and acquisitions:
- “US fruit snack maker Rind Snacks acquires granola business Small Batch” (Just Food)
- “Coca-Cola Is Among Suitors for Healthy Soda Brand Poppi” (Bloomberg)
- “Equal owner Whole Earth Brands to go private in sweetened takeover bid” (Food Dive)
CPG operations and expansions:
- “Bob’s Red Mill founder, Bob Moore, dies at 94” (USA Today)
- “RIND Snacks Acquires Small Batch Organics To Transition Into In-House Manufacturing And Fulfillment” (Forbes)
- “Misfits Market Introduces Fulfilled By Misfits” (Progressive Grocer)
- “Louis Dreyfus building new pea protein facility” (Manufacturing Dive)
CPG product launches and collabs:
- “Golden Grahams goes back to the ’80s with S’mores cereal” (Drug Store News)
- “Plant-based food company Alpha Foods-in with ‘Chicken Run’ sequel” (Brand Innovators)
- “Mary Jones launches hemp delta 9-derived craft soda” (Food Dive)
- “BrewDog creates Tequila” (The Spirits Business)
- “Califia Farms Launches Nutritionally Enhanced Plant-Based Milk With All 9 Essential Amino Acids” (Vegconomist)
- “Skrewball Whiskey Announces Partnership with Dee Jay Silver” (BevNet)
CPG performance:
