Brand Trash Talk & Sydney Sweeney's Bath Water

Should more brands talk spicy?

Morning! Am I the only one who was caught a bit off guard by the unexpected heat wave? Not complaining one bit, just realized I need to update my Summer wardrobe much sooner.

The central theme this week is “Trash Talk” on Brand Social. IDK what’s in the air — I’ve noticed an uptick in competitive exchanges between brands. Like Popeyes vs. McDonald’s, or Converse vs. adidas. Is it good? Is it bad?

I also touch on the following:

• 1M fans wanted a bottle of Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater (yes, really)

• Puma Hoops got a marketing miracle during the NBA Finals

• Telfar proves (again) they understand the internet better than most brands

• McDonald’s taps into nostalgia + BTS to relaunch a fan favorite

• The Nintendo Switch 2 launch frenzy.

• Plus: A few brand social posts that deserve your attention

Let’s get it

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FAVORITE CONTENT OF THE WEEK

kiingjojo.inc

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I stumbled upon Dance creator King Jojo’s POV series, where he has dance battles with random artists. From Soulja Boy to Lil Uzi, the videos are creative and hilarious. “POV” is one of my favorite content directions; you can world-build with your brand, incorporate a variety of topics, stories, and characters.

BRANDS, COLLABORATIONS, &CULTURE

• PUMA just had the greatest sneaker debut of all-time. They couldn’t have asked for a better script after premiering Tyrese Haliburton’s signature sneaker. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Haliburton led the Pacers to a comeback win, hitting the game-winning shot in the all-new Hali 1s, designed by Salehe Bembury.
  

  salehebembury

  

  A post shared by @salehebembury

  
  
  
  It was an epic win that provided the shoe with the type of sports lore an athlete would dream of. A signature moment tied to a signature shoe? Flat out amazing. Tyrese even brought the shoes to the post-game press conference, placing them on the table, and proclaimed that it was the shoes that made him hit the shot.
  
  

  nicekickshoops

  

  A post shared by @nicekickshoops

  
  
  If I were the Puma Hoops team, I’d be thrilled right now. You’ve got a young star proving he’s HIM on the biggest stage, while wearing your product. This is how you move sneakers and shape narratives. If Haliburton and the Pacers somehow win the Finals…Puma might have a hit shoe on their hands. Sometimes the stars align in marketing, and this is one of those times.
  

• The Snack Wrap is back! McDonald’s is taking a playful and nostalgic approach for its launch campaign by dropping a microsite that resembles an old-school desktop screen, complete with Snack Wrap wallpaper and several folders, including “The Fandom” (fan emails begging for the return of the item) and BTS (behind-the-scene images from a TV ad shoot). There are more folders (Promo Codes, Playlist, Merch Concepts, etc.) still under wraps. The idea of creating a world around BTS is incredibly smart!