The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods: June 14, 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.

Hostess this week launched a new campaign designed to encourage “consumers to find time for more joy-filled moments this summer,” per a brand statement. Through July 2, the brand will be engaging in what it’s calling Hostess Joy Drops, through which consumers can nominate themselves or someone with the first, middle or last name Joy for the chance “to surprise them with a package that will create a moment of carefree joy.” The J. M. Smucker Co.-owned brand will then select 100 of those individuals to receive a Joy Drop package filled with Hostess snacks and swag — including water balloons and other joy-inducing items — via drone delivery (in select states) in partnership with DroneUp. The campaign was inspired by a survey of 2,000 U.S. millennial parents, commissioned by Hostess and conducted by Talker Research, in which respondents said their families “are in the greatest need of joyful moments during the summer break.”

More from Quad: “How CPG brands can turn everyday products into little luxuries”

High Noon is celebrating National Iced Tea Month and the debut of its new High Noon Vodka Iced Tea — “made with real vodka, real iced tea and no added sugar,” per a brand statement — with its own version of the Boston Tea Party. High Noon Spirits Company will host the Boston Vodka Iced Tea Party with an 18th century-style ship that it will sail into Boston Harbor to deliver 342 cases of the new product — the same amount of tea dumped in the harbor during the OG Boston Tea Party in 1773. Through June 16, consumers can enter for their chance to board the vessel and sail along the Boston waterfront June 27-28. To do so, they must share why they’re upgrading to High Noon Vodka Iced Tea by commenting on High Noon’s Vodka Iced Tea Party Ship Contest Instagram post using the hashtags #HighNoonSetsSail and #HighNoonContestEntry. Now available nationwide, High Noon Vodka Iced Tea comes in four flavors: original, peach, lemon and raspberry.

Mtn Dew (Mountain Dew) this week announced the launch of three new limited-time flavors and its first-ever Mtn Dew Cooler Quest “to encourage fans to try these new flavors and to celebrate the official first day of summer” (June 20), per a brand statement. Available in 20-ounce bottles and 12-ounce cans at major retailers and convenience stores nationwide, Mtn Dew Red, White & Blue, as the new line is dubbed, includes a blend of berry flavors in red (Mtn Dew Star Spangled Splash), a lemonade white peach flavor in white (Mtn Dew Freedom Fusion) and a combination of 50 flavors for a berry taste in blue (Mtn Dew Liberty Chill). The PepsiCo-owned brand’s Mtn Dew Cooler Quest will invite fans to search for and take home one of 50 insulated backpack coolers filled with the new offerings and a $250 gift card. The contest kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on June 20, when the brand will share the GPS coordinates of the 10 outdoor locations — each stocked with five coolers — in parks across the country.

Previously: “Mtn Dew launches two new loyalty programs focused on gaming and the outdoors,” from the March 29 edition of this column.

In recognition of Father’s Day, Elijah Craig just released an ad focused on “the father-son relationship” through the decades, MediaPost’s Fern Siegel reports. Running across CTV, OTT, OLV and YouTube, the 30-second spot ends with a father and son sharing a glass of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon, spotlighting the brand as “The Father of Bourbon.” For a limited time, Elijah Craig is also giving fans the opportunity to create free custom labels for any 750 mL bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, Toasted Barrel Bourbon or Straight Rye Whiskey, as noted on the brand’s website.

Previously: “Maker’s Mark unveils limited-edition, personalizable label in celebration of Women’s History Month,” from the February 23 edition of this column.

CPG performance:

• “Remy Cointreau’s shares rise as investors bet on recovery” (Reuters)

CPG launches and partnerships:

• “JM Smucker’s Café Bustelo enters refrigerated aisle with iced coffee” (Food Dive)
• “The Absolut x Paris Hilton Cosmo Collection Shares All-Pink Styles” (Trend Hunter)
• “CCEP adds Golden Mango flavour to Powerade line-up” (FoodBev Media)
• “Smartfood releases cheddar BBQ-flavored snack” (Drug Store News)
• “Snoop Dogg launches Cali Cocktails” (The Spirits Business)
• “Pickleball Is the Fastest-Growing Sport in America, and Reebok Just Made a New Shoe For It” (Footwear News)
• “Mondelēz and Biscoff owner Lotus Bakeries partner to develop new products” (Food Dive)
• “Drumstick and 7-Eleven Introduce a New Convenience Store Treat, and It’s Perfect for Summer” (Food & Wine)

CPG campaigns and promotions:

• “Jameela Jamil observes beauty fans’ ‘peculiar behavior’ in new ad for Elf Bronzing Drops” (The Drum)
• “Miller High Life and Planters offer the ultimate dive bar wedding” (American Craft Beer)
• “Next Wave Of Ocean Spray’s Brand Refresh Echoes Its Marketing Past” (MediaPost)
• “Here’s How Cracker Jack Is Supporting Female Athletes This Summer” (Food & Wine)
• “Ben & Jerry’s first ad campaign in years is a call for more activists” (Marketing Dive)
• “Kraft NOTCheese campaign looks to overcome consumers’ skepticism” (Brand Innovators)

CPG operations and expansions:

• “Bark Ups the Ante in Petcare with Expansion of Airline for Dogs” (Retail TouchPoints)
• “Campbell Soup leans on eat-at-home demand to lift annual sales forecast” (Reuters)