Table of contents for April 15, 2019 in Adweek

The coffee chain formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts surprised consumers last September when it dropped ‘Donuts’ from its name, becoming simply Dunkin’. After introducing the change with a tongue-in-cheek campaign from BBDO in New York—proclaiming it was on a “first-name basis” with consumers—the brand rolled out new packaging this past January to reflect its shortened name. To understand what it takes for a behemoth like Dunkin’, which has over 12,800 locations worldwide, to undergo a makeover of its visual identity, restaurants, packaging, name and more, Adweek got an exclusive look inside the process. Though it’s Dunkin’s seventh redesign, it’s the first comprehensive name change since 1950 when founder William Rosenberg made the switch from Open Kettle to Dunkin’ Donuts. The nearly 70-year-old brand worked with design firm Jones Knowles Ritchie…

A new wave of tech could dramatically change how we hear a digitally augmented world. Thanks to the new Bose Frames, anyone can hear personal stories from pilgrims hiking the famous Camino de Santiago trail in Spain—just as if they were walking alongside them. And Tónandi, a collaboration between the mixed-reality company Magic Leap and the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, allows users to create music by interacting with sounds and digital visuals in the room around them. Augmented reality audio—also known as spatial audio—makes these experiences possible by using a smartphone’s accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to navigate sounds that are sometimes digitally pinned to geolocation. AR audio experiences are giving creators and brands another platform to reach consumers, while others work to find more practical opportunities for hospitals, restaurants and…

Too much of a good thing can be a recipe for disaster. Take digital video ads, powerful and increasingly popular tools for brand marketers. An IAB report from April 2018 revealed that two-thirds of advertisers planned to shift their TV budgets to digital video. So what’s the bad news? As with TV, there’s simply too much clutter. Commercial loads on full-episode players are approaching those of the networks, and digital video ads are subject to the same consumer fatigue that affects all other types of ads, creating a drag on engagement and encouraging more ad avoidance, which leads to the rise of ad blocking. Here are three ways marketers can ensure consumers have a meaningful experience with their ads instead of tuning them out. REWARD THE CONSUMER Rewarded video ads…

Juicy Fruit’s inimitable “The taste is gonna move you” spot from 1986 appears poised to take over the neurons of a new generation. Until the end of May, Wrigley’s, with creative help from DDB, is giving Canadian consumers the chance not only to hear five all-new renditions (including country, R&B and hip-hop versions) of this classic earworm, they also can vote on the one the company will ultimately use. A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley Confectionery Canada explained that “consumers have a special connection to the jingle and we’re going to tap into a new generation of fans with the Canadian relaunch.”…

After seven seasons at Saturday Night Live, where she’s best known for impersonations like Sarah Huckabee Sanders and making all-female music videos like “(Do It on My) Twin Bed,” Aidy Bryant still has plenty of surprises up her sleeve. Last month, she became one of the only SNL cast members ever to simultaneously star in her own TV series (which she also co-created, co-wrote and co-executive produced): Shrill, a Hulu comedy based on Lindy West’s memoir and starring the two-time Emmy nominee as Annie, a plus-sized Portland blogger who is finding her voice and becoming comfortable in her own skin. “She is so perfectly Hulu. She’s relevant, of the moment, multitalented and focused on doing her best work,” says Hulu CEO Randy Freer of Bryant. Since Shrill debuted a month…

Wings, the first film to win an Academy Award for “Best Production” (later called Best Picture), featured several prominent closeups of Hershey’s chocolate bars. Starting with Goldfinger, James Bond was virtually synonymous with dry martinis and his Aston Martin DB5. The producers later incorporated cars from Audi, Bentley, Jaguar and many other automakers into the series. Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial set a new bar with multiple placements, including Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces in a pivotal plot point. Sales of the crunchy confection reportedly tripled within two weeks of the film’s debut. Besides being a two-hour Chevy commercial, Michael Bay’s Transformers featured 65 brands in total, a record broken by Transformers 3 four years later. Morgan Spurlock’s documentary POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold took an ironic look at…

When it comes to foot traffic, brands have always had to take inclement weather into account. But with weather getting more extreme as the climate steadily changes, stores need to be more prepared than ever for fluctuations. New research from location intelligence platform Ubimo shows how rain, snow and freezing temperatures impact business. Rain actually seems to help some industries like apparel, beauty and footwear. But while all verticals see a decrease on snowy and extremely cold days, some—like beauty and tech—are more affected than others. As the weather grows more unpredictable, weather-related promotions may be a smart move to keep customers coming, even as the skies open up. “The weather is one of the things we cannot control,” said Ubimo CEO Ran Ben-Yair. “We can, however, control how much…

Bundling has been losing favor in the TV industry, as more consumers cut the cord in pursuit of á la carte TV options. But on the media side, the concept of media bundling—in which publishers and platforms partner to offer services for a discounted price—has been gaining momentum as an alternative to subscription fatigue. However, it remains unclear whether media bundling will be the white horse that publishers are seeking—breathing new life into an industry desperate for revival—or more of a Trojan horse: offering just enough sparkle to entice publishers, drawing them in on a promise to expand reach, but not providing enough data or insight as to who that larger audience is. On one end of the spectrum, there are offerings like Scribd and The New York Times (which…

Adweek: How have you changed your strategy to reach the younger generation? Heidi Browning: We just launched a young fan advisory board called Power Players for hockey fans between the ages of 13 and 17. Our goal is to really listen to what they have to say and work with them to create new ways to reach and engage their peers. We’re in for a treat, because they are such an inspired and empowered generation. I’m really excited to see what we can do together as a collaboration. Any plans to enroll them on your team in the future? Oh, absolutely. As they grow old enough to join the workforce, I’m hoping they will want to join us. I do think Gen Z is much more pragmatic than the millennial…

Two years ago this month, The Handmaid’s Tale debuted—and changed everything for Hulu. The commercial and critical reaction to Handmaid’s, which became the first show from a streaming service ever to win the Emmy for outstanding drama series, “opened up a completely new door for Hulu as it relates to talent and material,” says CEO Randy Freer. The streaming service’s 2019 slate is a result of that post-Handmaid’s influx of talent: in addition to Shrill, Hulu has also premiered several other critically acclaimed shows: coming-of-age comedy Pen15, Fyre Festival documentary Fyre Fraud and anthology series The Act. Next month, it will air a limited series based on Catch-22, executive produced by and starring George Clooney in his first major TV project since ER. “We’re really trying to pick shows that…