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What if the female characters in classic fairy tales acted with a little more gumption? Amy Poehler imagines such a world in new ads for Pure Leaf iced tea that put a female-empowered, modern twist on “The Princess and the Pea,” “Rapunzel” and “Hansel and Gretel.” The video series, called “Once Upon a No,” was created by Golin and directed by Rashida Jones, who co-starred with Poehler in “Parks and Recreation.” In Poehler’s “Rapunzel,” for instance, instead of allowing the witch to climb her hair to gain access to the tower, the lead character refuses to let her hair down in the first place. “Either build a staircase or install an elevator,” Poehler’s Rapunzel’s snarks, before cutting off her long locks in favor of a pixie cut.

The effort comes a week after the brand announced Poehler as its new spokeswoman for a broader campaign from DDB New York, called “No Is Beautiful,” which targets women by encouraging them to say no to more activities in hopes of relieving some stress. Pure Leaf is part of a joint venture run by Unilever and PepsiCo.

Below, the other fairy tale videos.

Making new friends

There are a slew of female products brands challenging stigmas and taboos around menstruation, menopause and childbirth. Last year, Thinx released a controversial ad that imagined a world where men got their periods; earlier this year, Frida Mom created a commercial highlighting the realities of the post-childbirth time for mothers. And Billie, the women’s razor brand, continually showcases female body hair and facial hair in various campaigns.

Now, Ruby Love, a brand that sells underwear to be worn during menstruation, is releasing its first commercial. Featuring a “Period Pal,” the spot, which will run on digital channels, is exactly what one might expect from an ad that has a character with that name. The ad was handled by Jamestown, which is affiliated with Harmon Brothers.

The ad continues a trend that shows little sign of stopping as hygiene brands expand and gain followers. Procter & Gamble recently announced its plan to purchase Billie, cementing the brand’s place in the mainstream market.

Disney believes in the Impossible (burger) 

Impossible Burger is now the “preferred plant-based burger” at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and on Disney Cruise Line. Items debuting this month at the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival include the Impossible Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese and the Impossible Meatball Submarine. The partnership comes after Disney in September said it planned to add plant-based food at all of its major U.S. dining locations.

Breakfast buddies

Wendy’s switched its Twitter account into private mode on Wednesday in the latest piece of its breakfast marketing. Plenty of the fast-food chain's restaurants are already serving the breakfast products ahead of the official March 2 launch. Now, those who were already following Wendy’s on Twitter are being served messages that can’t be seen by the general public, such as “Alright Friendys, breakfast is just around the corner, so we’ve gone private. It’s just you, us, and the tweets.” A later post on Wednesday morning offered customers a free Breakfast Baconator sandwich with a $5 Wendy’s purchase on DoorDash. And, this being Wendy’s Twitter account, there’s bound to be smack talk about McDonald’s and others, which have stepped up their own breakfast marketing as Wendy’s introduces its items. 

Shamrock bling

It's been 50 years since the national debut of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake and, to celebrate its golden anniversary, the Golden Arches is auctioning off a golden cup. The 18-karat gold cup—with a mix of 50 emeralds and diamonds representing the Shamrock Shake and its whipped topping, plus 50 yellow diamonds—was appraised for $90,000, McDonald’s says. Auction proceeds are going to Ronald McDonald House Charities, which was started in the 1970s with proceeds from Shamrock Shake sales. Bidding opened Tuesday at $1. By Wednesday morning, the highest bid was $30,100. For those with a bit less to spend, McDonald’s also introduced the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry. 

P&G says bacteria killer launch not linked to coronavirus

Procter & Gamble Co. is rolling out antimicrobial cleanser Mircroban 24, which promises not only to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, but to keep treated surfaces clear of bacteria for an additional 24 hours, even if germy hands touch them. 

While Microban 24 launched amid growing global concern over coronavirus, it’s not an antiviral product, and the timing was coincidental. “The timing of this launch has been in the works for some time and is not dependent on the current landscape,” a spokeswoman said. “We wanted to be absolutely sure that the formula delivered combined the cleaning efficacy consumers expect from P&G with this breakthrough 24-hour technology we believe they deserve.” That said, Clorox Co., whose namesake bleach does kill viruses, was one of only six stocks in the S&P 500 to go up during the market selloff Monday and Tuesday.

Microban 24 is launching in national retailers (Walmart has stocked it first, but others will soon follow) with ad support that includes TV, digital video and influencer marketing. Upstream 360, Cincinnati, created the TV and digital video, which compares Microban 24 to RB’s Lysol. Both kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, but P&G says only its product keeps surfaces bacteria-free for an additional 24 hours. Publicis Groupe’s MSL is handling PR.

Would you buy this?

Papa John’s new jalapeño popper rolls feature “the spicy kick of jalapeño mellowed by creamy Philadelphia Cream Cheese, all wrapped in Papa John’s original six-ingredient, fresh, never-frozen dough,” the chain says. Oh, and they come with ranch dipping sauce.

*Please vote below. Last week, we featured BBQ chicken and taco varieties of Smucker’s Uncrustables. Marketer’s Brief readers are not fans—58% of you said you would not buy them.

Number of the week

58: percentage of consumers comfortable purchasing items through social media platforms instead of just through a company website, according to a recent social commerce report from resale company Poshmark.

Tweet of the week

Comings and goings

PepsiCo-owned SodaStream USA named Matt Kahn as its chief marketing officer. He previously worked for Heineken, Coca-Cola and Celsius Holdings. 

Next Insurance, a digital insurer, tapped Spencer Hansen as executive creative director. Hansen most recently served as a creative director at Spotify.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. named Brandon Coleman III as senior VP and chief marketing officer, effective Feb. 26. He succeeds Sean Gleason, who has been the chain’s CMO since 2009 and will stay on in an advisory role through April. Coleman was most recently president of Del Frisco’s Grille, and previously served as CMO of Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group

Contributing: E.J. Schultz, Adrianne Pasquarelli, Jessica Wohl, Jack Neff