How brands celebrated alternative holidays

“Friends with Bennys”

February 17, 2023

Welcome to the second half of February! There’s less on the proverbial event calendar for the rest of the month, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about. Let’s get into it.

Brands Embraced Whichever February Holiday Their Customers Embraced

Valentine’s Day, move over. Galentine’s Day (Feb. 13) and Single’s Awareness Day (Feb. 15) have given brands more options for their mid-February advertising. But even for those brands who did focus on Feb. 14, the majority played it tongue-in-cheek, like Cadbury 5 offering singles an alibi and Denny’s asking everyone to be “Friends with Bennys” for Valentine’s Day.

The ones who took a more heartfelt approach did so in slightly unconventional ways. For example, Etsy provided its sellers a pre-made graphic to post on social media with the accompanying hashtag #MakeItMeaningful. Of course, this gives both the Etsy sellers and Etsy itself V-Day visibility on social feeds while creating an intimate, bespoke experience—just like the overall Etsy ethos.

 Our Take ➞ 

As we always say, know your consumer. Cadbury 5, a chocolate company, could have gone the romantic-route but instead leaned into their playfulness since their candy isn’t traditionally used as a romantic gift. Olay targeted Galentine’s Day to promote female friendship and self-care. Brands speaking to their ideal customer, regardless of the holiday, tend to get results.

Streaming Tops Traditional TV for All Adults

For the first time, streaming via online platforms and apps will edge out traditional, linear television for all adults—not just Gen Z. But given the younger generations’ preference for, well, just about anything other than linear TV, it looks like a trend that will only increase over time.

One of the last reasons many have held onto linear TV was live events, such as sports, but this year’s Super Bowl proved that’s changing. Fox saw a “historic high” in streaming numbers of the game, up 18% from last year. Considering both Apple TV+ and YouTube have swung live-sports deals, it’s likely we’ll see even more movement to streaming services.

 Our Take ➞ 

Streaming is here to stay for younger audiences and has even crept into older demographics. After all, the MLB app has already been a Roku staple for many Boomer dads looking for live games, and the success of the Super Bowl means streaming success is sport-agnostic. Plus, instead of a catch-all commercial experience, niche channels for niche audiences mean niche ads for niche consumers.

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Around the Web

Just Can’t Get Enough

Fungus. Between The Last of Us and Morena Silvia-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, we’re all giving fungi a second, skeptical look.

Should grocery stores take out shoppable ads for friendly fungi during The Last of Us? Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day with a meaty portobello ordered through DoorDash? Reply and let us know which Valentine’s Day ads moved you.

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you Monday!