This week’s marketing winners, losers and newsmakers.

Winners

Utah Hockey Club

The Beehive State is buzzing about hockey. The Utah Hockey Club, which took on the generic name temporarily after relocating from Phoenix, set records for merchandise sales during its Nov. 15 game. It sold more in a single day than any other previous event at the 33-year-old Delta Center and also set the mark for the most NHL regular season game merch sales, according to NHL.com. Team jerseys, which debuted for sale that day from Fanatics, also sold out at NHLShop.com and NHLShop.ca within 24 hours. One demand driver is that the gear is a bit of a collector’s item, considering the team will take on a more permanent identity next season.

Read more about how the NHL’s marketing is paying off

Holiday travel

Airlines are reporting a surge in holiday travel, beginning next week and lasting through December. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all expect increases compared with last year, according to a report in Travel and Tour World, which noted a 23% increase in international travel. Earlier this week, United shared that its bookings to Europe are up 10% versus last year and 30% over 2019. Delta is also adding some extra incentive for travelers—the carrier recently announced it will serve Shake Shack burgers on select flights beginning next month.

U.S. Postal Service

The agency introduced an online catalog called “Santa’s Gift Shoppe.” The site, which was created with Toys ‘R’ Us, will offer products specifically for people who have signed up for USPS Operation Santa. The program, which has been around for more than a century, connects children in need with customers who send them gifts. The new catalog will also integrate USPS shipping options.

Losers

Jaguar

The good news is the British auto brand won plenty of attention for its new logo this week. The bad news is that most of it consisted of harsh critiques on social media and from design experts, who were not so impressed with Jaguar’s attempt at modernism. “This is bold simplicity, yes, but then Barbie-meets-Zoolander aesthetic reads more like a grab bag of fashion tropes than a radical new future,” Jason Miller, creative director, Siegel+Gale, told Ad Age, reacting to a video the brand used to hype its new look. “And for all its ‘disruptive’ intent, the logo suite is kind of awkward and bland.”

Read more: The industry reacts to Jaguar’s new look

As Jaguar faces scrutiny, Volvo is winning online praise for an ad it released several weeks ago. The spot, which plugs its safety features with a heartfelt story about a mother, father and daughter, is being contrasted with Jaguar’s approach.

Shopify

The e-commerce company received backlash for hosting an anti-Jewish store on its platform. Marketed on X by an antisemitic user that promotes Adolf Hitler, the store sells apparel and accessories that parody Anne Frank and deny the Holocaust occurred, according to Bloomberg. The Anti-Defamation League has complained to Shopify, a known promoter of “free speech,” about the store.

E.l.f. Beauty

The cosmetics brand, which has won plenty of praise for its marketing, is facing new scrutiny over its finances. Noted short seller Carson Block, who is CEO of Muddy Waters Capital, at an industry conference this week said he is shorting e.l.f.’s stock over concerns that it overstated revenue in recent quarters, alleging that an inventory build-up was due to sluggish sales, not a purposeful decision, Bloomberg reported. E.l.f. Beauty said the allegations are “without merit.”

Quote of the week

“Consumers are smarter than ever and have more choices than ever and they want value—regardless of how much money they have. When you apply a discount, you get better results because it’s the perception of value in many cases that is even more important than the price point.”—Polly Wong, president of DTC-focused marketing agency Belardi Wong, on consumers’ expectation that retailers offer discounts.

Read more: Holiday marketing trends—more promotions, direct mail and upbeat ads

Social post of the week

Number of the week

$35 million

How much McDonald’s is spending on marketing to overcome its recent E. coli outbreak, according to an internal memo cited by CNN.

On the move

Geico Chief Marketing Officer Damon Burrell announced via a post on LinkedIn that he was stepping down from the role after three years. His successor has not yet been named.

Lululemon hired Brandon Viney as VP, North America brand creative director. He formerly led the in-house creative brand studio teams at Google.

Independence Pet Holdings, a pet insurer, hired Jared Vestal as its first chief marketing officer. He was most recently VP of growth and journey marketing at Geico.

Laurel Road hired Chris Milone as chief marketing officer. He had been CMO at Best Egg.