The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods: June 21, 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.

Clairol just announced a partnership with Glamsquad to offer free in-home makeovers across four U.S. cities this summer, Retail TouchPoints’ Adam Blair reports. Led by a Glamsquad professional, the two-hour sessions, dubbed Clairol House Calls, include a customized hair-coloring session as well as a manicure and blowout. The house calls are meant to build consumers’ confidence in “incorporating box color into their at-home beauty routines,” Lori Pantel, Chief Marketing Officer at Wella Company North America, maker of Clairol, said in a statement. Open to the first 250 people who apply at Glamsquad.com/Clairol, the house calls will take place across Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Dallas-Ft. Worth between now and Sept. 18.

Previously: “Sally Beauty launches Rooted in Success initiative to connect HBCU students and beauty brands,” as we noted in the Feb. 16 edition of this column.

Thanks to a partnership with the “World’s Ugliest Dog” contest, Mug Root Beer will soon have a new, limited-time mascot, MediaPost’s Danielle Oster reports. Held every year at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, the contest promotes the importance of pet adoption, especially for “lovably unphotogenic pups, many of whom have been rescued from shelters or puppy mills,” Oster writes. In addition to contributing to the prize money, PepsiCo-owned Mug Root Beer will release limited-edition cans featuring the winning dog. The “World’s Ugliest Dog” entrants will walk the “Mug red carpet” today, and the winner will be announced on June 24.

Previously: “Pepsi rolls out brand refresh worldwide with giant digital installations,” as we noted in the March 8 edition of this column.

Nescafé just announced it will be giving away Nescafé Affogato Kits in celebration of National Ice Cream Day on July 21. A classic Italian dessert, affogato consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso — a treat that’s become a TikTok sensation across roughly 24,000 videos that have racked up more than 400 million views. With a jar of Nescafé Gold Espresso Intense Coffee — the brand’s version of instant espresso (just add hot water) — the Nescafé Affogato Kit is meant to make recreating the Italian dessert easier. From June 24 through July 22, fans can visit Nescafé’s website to enter to win the limited-edition kit, which, in addition to coffee, includes a recipe, two glass coffee mugs, two spoons and a coupon for a free 14-ounce pint of ice cream.

Previously: “Breyers CarbSmart positions itself as a new kind of ‘anti-aging cream’ in its new campaign,” from the June 7 edition of this column.

Oscar Mayer just launched a new campaign designed to promote Oscar Mayer Thick-Cut Bacon, Marketing Dive’s Chris Kelly reports. The Kraft Heinz Company-owned brand is emphasizing the lengthy (12-hour) process for preparing its product in a hero spot that begins with the sights and sounds of sizzling bacon, followed by what seems to be an entirely different commercial for lip gloss (spoiler: it’s fake), before cutting back to the bacon. “Yep, we’re still smoking that bacon,” an announcer says. (A second ad includes a faux spot-within-a-spot for men’s razors.)

CPG trends:

• “Consumer shopping trends shaping celebrity CPG brands” (Retail Brew)
• “In a natural-is-better world, biotech-fueled beauty brands are getting creative to stand out — here’s what’s working” (Glossy)
• “Frozen Food Aisle Sees Growth of Store Brands” (Progressive Grocer)

CPG launches and partnerships:

• “Eos’ strawberry dream, pink champagne lotions sweeten body care aisle” (Drug Store News)
• “Kellanova to make Cheez-It crackers with regenerative wheat for East Coast grocery stores in unique pilot” (Food Dive)
• “Hooters launching frozen appetizers and snack items” (Meat & Poultry)
• “Jim Beam reimagines its Black label” (The Spirits Business)
• “DiGiorno Unveils Deadpool & Wolverine Themed Pizzas” (Comic Book Resources)
• “Peet’s Coffee Debuts Bright Collection Featuring Two New Blends” (QSR Magazine)
• “Beyond Meat launches next product in fourth generation formula lineup” (Food Dive)

CPG mergers and acquisitions:

• “Owners of Bottled Water Brands Poland Spring, Mountain Valley Agree to Merge” (The Wall Street Journal)

CPG campaigns and promotions:

• “HI-CHEW Unveils Dessert Mix With A New York Pop-Up Event” (Trend Hunter)
• “Welch’s Juicefuls Squeezes Engagement Out Of Spotify, Artist Partnerships” (MediaPost)
• “Michelob Ultra goes for Copa América gold with biggest summer program ever” (Marketing Dive)
• “Coors Light Launches Summer Campaign with ‘Chill Jersey’” (DesignRush)
• “Coffee mate’s Iced Coffee DARE Has Fans Loudly Declare Their Love” (Trend Hunter)
• “78-Year-Old HASK Targets Millennials To ‘Repair With Care’ Their Hair” (MediaPost)