Marketing winners and losers of the week

This week’s marketing winners, losers and newsmakers. Winners Chili’s The U.S. version of “The Office” stopped airing new episodes on NBC in 2013—but the show remains firmly implanted in pop culture and advertising. So, as Chili’s opens its first location in the Scranton, Pennsylvania area, it is a no-brainer to lean into “Office” lore. After all, the show was set in the town and Chili’s enjoyed plenty of in-show references. The Scranton branch, which opens April 7, will include mid-2000s decor, including nods to the show’s fictitious paper company, Dunder Mifflin, as documented by the Associated Press. It will also serve the awesome blossom (once ordered by Steve Carell’s Michael Scott character), which has not been available at Chili’s since 2008. A campaign supporting the opening features “Office” stars, including Brian Baumgartner and Kate Flannery. “Office” actors Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey previously starred in a national campaign for the chain’s margaritas. Pepsi The cola brand, which has been losing ground in the cola wars since 2021, could be making a comeback. Pepsi gained share as rival Coca-Cola lost share in the four-week period ended March 9, according to Consumer Edge Research, using Circana figures. Pepsi’s share gain was entirely due to its regular cola, which gained 396 basis points of volume market share in the period while Coke lost 420 basis points, according to Consumer Edge. Also read: Inside Pepsi’s market share struggle and comeback plans The Ordinary Known for its high-end skincare, the brand went in the opposite direction as part of a recent marketing stunt in which it sold eggs by the dozen for just $3.37 at its stores. “No frills, just eggs. While supplies last,” the Estée Lauder-owned brand wrote on Instagram about the effort, which comes as egg prices remain high due to the bird flu. The eggs sold out, with many applauding the campaign, which was created with the art collective MSCHF. “It was super clever, and I think it really taps into the value of the brand, which is affordability,” said Alejandra Salazar, founder and CEO of creative agency Croing, who visited one of The Ordinary’s two pop-ups. Yet she, and social media critics, pointed out the inconsistency of a brand that positions itself as vegan selling eggs. Losers MLB The league’s MLB.TV streaming app suffered untimely technical issues that led to outages and fan outrage on Thursday’s Opening Day. This is a particularly bad day for MLB TV to have an outage. pic.twitter.com/IbbEJATt29— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 27, 2025 Data-Driven Marketing Playbook Join us May 22 in NYC to explore how data powers marketing Learn more here 23andMe As if Chapter 11 bankruptcy was not bad enough, the genetic testing company is also facing consumer privacy concerns around the future of their personal data. Many are worried their genetic data, including family history and health care information, will be included as part of 23andMe’s sale. The uncertainty prompted a wave of instructional news stories on how to delete your data from the site. Disney There was no Prince Charming in sight to rescue the controversy-laden Snow White at the box office this week as the film brought in what Hollywood Reporter called “near-disastrous numbers considering its megabudget.” In its opening weekend, the live-action remake starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot brought in $43 million in the U.S. and $87.3 million globally, far from the $100 million-plus expectation. KFC The chicken chain is taking some heat for the latest iteration of its “Believe” campaign in the U.K. A new ad from Mother London called “All Hail Gravy” depicts cult-like worship of chicken, ending with a man dipped in a lake of gravy and emerging as a piece of fried chicken. Critics have blasted it for everything from making a mockery of Christian baptism to glamorizing cults and cannibalism. @youwontbelievemeofficial Did they just sacrifice some one in this KFC commercial 💀 ♬ original sound - YouWontBelieveMe Quote of the week “Our food is bold, so why not our marketing? We have built an environment of ‘think big and bring the scary ideas.‘”—California Pizza Kitchen Chief Marketing Officer Dawn Keller on the chain’s fake rebrand stunt. Social post of the week View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tea Spiller & Entertainment Lifestyle Influencer (@spilltheatx) Number of the week 62% Share of young adults who think retail brands aren’t doing enough to help them understand credit risks, according to a recent study by media agency UM. On the move Pinterest hired Kate Hamill as VP of enterprise sales in North America. She was most recently managing director of retail and e-commerce at Meta. Kate Cronin, chief brand officer of Moderna, announced her departure from the brand after four years. The move follows Moderna’s hire of Chief Marketing Officer Amy Mahery earlier this year. Macy’s appointed Daniel Leppo senior VP and general merchandising manager of men’s and kids’. He was most recently general merchandising manager of cosmetics, menswear, children’s and home at sister brand Bloomingdale’s. FloSports hired Seth Hart as senior VP of integrated partnerships. He had been global senior VP of Footballco. Contributing: Gillian Follett, Jon Springer Become an All Access subscriber Get access to exclusive resources including Leading National Advertisers, World’s Largest Advertisers, Agency Report, Agency Review Tracker and TV Pricing Report. Click here

Marketing winners and losers of the week

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