A quick look at the week’s winners, losers and newsmakers.

Winner

Winner winner chicken dinner: McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza and Papa John’s announced new chicken menu items this week. There are a few reasons behind chicken’s newest moment in the spotlight, one year after Popeyes' chicken sandwich introduction made fast-food fried chicken trendy. For McDonald’s, introducing Spicy Chicken McNuggets adds some flair to a longstanding strong seller and may entice people craving heat (read: parents of kids who order plain McNuggets and others who might go to, say, Wendy’s for spicy nuggs) to visit for its limited-time version, breaded in a tempura coating made of cayenne and chili pepper. Spicy Chicken McNuggets, out next month, mark the first time McDonald’s U.S. has introduced a different flavor of McNuggets, which made their debut in 1983. It’s also bringing out a Mighty Hot Sauce and Chips Ahoy McFlurry (no spice in that one).

Domino’s, meanwhile, is now selling a Chicken Taco pizza as well as a Cheeseburger pizza. The leading pizza chain noticed people were disappointed about the tacos and burgers they had ordered for delivery, finding them soggy, for example. These two new pies are its solutions to such woes, plus they offer some variety, months into the coronavirus pandemic, when people who have been ordering lots of pizza might want to try something different.

And Papa John’s wants to lure diners who might have been thinking of ordering in something else, like chicken wings, with its newest sandwich-style Papadia. “We know buffalo sauce and wings are popular among our guests, but with the Grilled Buffalo Chicken Papadia, we take it to the next level by packing the flavor into our fresh, never-frozen dough for easier eating on-the-go,” Paul Fabre, senior VP of product innovation, said in a statement. “No wet wipes needed here—just the complementary flavors of bold buffalo sauce and mellow ranch paired with cheesy goodness.”

Loser

It’s the end of the line for Lord & Taylor—for real, this time. The long-troubled department store will officially liquidate, after an unsuccessful attempt at a revival following its purchase by Le Tote, the fashion rental startup, last year. The storied chain, founded in 1826, filed for bankruptcy Aug. 2, initially intending to close a handful of locations. But now, all 38 remaining locations will undergo liquidation sales of inventory and store fixtures, the company says, as Lord & Taylor becomes yet another casualty of COVID-19.

Popular

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is crossing over into packaged food. Characters from the hot Nintendo Switch game are being featured on packages of Kraft Heinz’s Lunchables. People who buy the portable meals have a chance to win a Nintendo Switch. Other games represented in the Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 campaign include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Super Mario Odyssey and Splatoon 2, plus the Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass DLC.

Suds for Spuds

Busch’s latest brew is for the dogs. Dog Brew, priced at $9.99 for a four-pack, is free from alcohol and hops—both no-nos for pooches. Instead, it’s made with bone-in pork butt, whole corn, celery, basil, mint, turmeric, ginger and water. While the new drink is meant for the canine crew, pet parents can also imbibe, though even the AB InBev brand admits beer drinkers might not like the taste as it “is made for a dog’s refined palate. You may find it pretty bland & yes, we’ve tried it a few times. Part of the job.”

It’s a Lowe’s catwalk

Lowe’s is showing off its stylish side by partnering with fashion designers Jason Wu, Rebecca Minkoff and Christian Siriano for a New York Fashion Week offering. On Sept. 8, the home improvement retailer will showcase home products chosen by each of the designers. While consumers are buying less apparel, sales of home décor and other improvement items are surging.

Tweet of the week

Quote of the week

“It will either be the least-watched Super Bowl of all time or most-watched, and I don’t think it will fall in the middle, so it is a big bet to take,” says Rob Reilly, global creative chairman, McCann Worldgroup. (Read more about Super Bowl planning here and about the first marketer to publicly confirm a Super Bowl ad buy here.)

Number of the week

18.4 percent: That’s how much WPP’s revenue fell in the second quarter.

On the move

DraftKings Chief Marketing Officer Tom Goedde recently departed the company. President Matt Kalish, in an interview with Ad Age’s George P. Slefo, declined to say why, adding that the fantasy sports betting company isn't actively looking to fill the vacancy.

TD Bank promoted Tyrrell Schmidt to U.S. chief marketing officer and head of global brand. Schmidt has been with the brand since 2015, and she was most recently VP and global brand and customer experience officer.

Walgreens Boots Alliance has tapped Cecilia Wu, formerly VP of customer science at Walmart, as its new VP of global insights.

Contributing: Adrianne Pasquarelli