Welcome to The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the CPG space.
Mtn Dew celebrates Baja Blast’s 20th anniversary with expansion to stores, first-ever Super Bowl spot
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Baja Blast, Mtn Dew (Mountain Dew) announced on Tuesday plans to expand sales of the soft drink, typically only available at Taco Bell locations, to stores. Beginning this month, Mtn Dew Baja Blast will be available in bottles and cans at retailers nationwide for the first time ever.
The PepsiCo-owned brand will also celebrate the “Bajaversary,” as it’s calling it, with opportunities for Baja Blast and Baja Blast Zero Sugar fans to earn rewards every time they drink by scanning to collect virtual coins, which they can redeem for Baja gear, electronics, Taco Bell deals and more. Additionally, Mtn Dew will promote the anniversary on live TV with its first-ever Baja Blast Super Bowl spot on Feb. 11.
Originally developed exclusively for Taco Bell to help grow fountain soda sales, Baja Blast has become a staple at the fast food giant, as Marketing Dive’s Peter Adams notes. With its first Super Bowl appearance, “Mtn Dew is hoping to expand Baja Blast’s appeal and deepen its existing fandom,” he writes.
The Body Shop achieves 100% vegan certification for all products
On Wednesday, The Body Shop announced the certification of all of its products as 100% vegan by The Vegan Society, making it the first global beauty brand to hit this milestone. The British retailer’s certification involved an assessment of every supplier and manufacturer of raw materials used to create its formulations, which include over 4,000 ingredients for more than 1,000 products.
Founded on the belief that “animals should not be harmed in the pursuit of beauty,” the company has pursued a fully vegan portfolio — a goal it set in 2021 — in line with its mission. This focus also aligns with consumer demand, with 10% of 18- to 24-year-olds “saying that ‘vegan’ is an important factor in their health and beauty purchase decisions,” according to 2023 YouGov survey data from the UK, as The Body Shop noted in its announcement.
Coca-Cola collaborates with The Bear creator on new multi-brand TV spot
The Coca-Cola Company released a new commercial this week in collaboration with Christopher Storer, creator of the FX and Hulu series The Bear, in which it spotlights multiple brands, including Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Smartwater and Honest Kids, Ad Age’s Jon Springer reports. Titled “The New Guy,” the ad tells the story of a guy named Zach as he meets his girlfriend’s family for the first time; it was inspired by a season two episode of The Bear, which featured a chaotic family gathering.
The ad is part of a push by the company to transform how it markets its family of brands, Shakir Moin, Chief of Marketing at Coca-Cola North America, told Springer. “Its emotional hook — along with smart choices about the role each brand plays in the story — makes the combination work where Coke’s other attempts at so-called portfolio advertising have failed,” Moin said.
ICYMI: Girl Scouts partners with Native on cookie-scented personal care line
Personal care brand Native has released a new limited-edition collection in partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA featuring an assortment of products in “cookie-inspired scents,” Native parent company Procter & Gamble said in a statement. Available on the Native website and at Target, the collection includes deodorant, body spray, body wash, shampoo and conditioner in popular Girl Scout cookie scents such as Trefoils and Thin Mints, as well as lemon, peanut butter and caramel coconut, in price points of $9 to $14.
As Trend Hunter’s Kalina Nedelcheva notes, the move by Native could play well across generations. “The Native x Girl Scouts of the USA partnership is sure to appeal to younger consumers, as well as individuals who carry a certain nostalgia for the ethos of the latter organization,” she writes.
Further reading
- “WK Kellogg Co debuts new cereal brand in better-for-you push” (Food Dive)
- “Bubble Skincare announces 2 new launches” (Drug Store News)
- “Fragrance sees online boost during early part of holiday season: report” (Retail Dive)
- “Plant Press formulating a better-for-you energy drink” (Food Business News)
- “Unilever Reshapes Beauty Portfolio Through K18 Acquisition and Elida Sale” (Consumer Goods Technology)
- “WhistlePig launches zero-ABV cannabis-infused cocktail” (The Spirits Business)
- “The Cheez-it x Nails Inc Duo Shares Two Cheez-It-Inspired Shades” (Trend Hunter)
- “Pop-Tarts’ viral mascot — what brands can learn from the edgy marketing strategy” (Ad Age)
- “Mondelēz CoLab’s Participant Mezcla Raises $4 Million Series A In Profitability Push” (Forbes)
- “Step aside seltzers, zero-proof is the new hot beverage category” (Modern Retail)
- “Danone to sell US organic dairy units to PE firm Platinum Equity” (Reuters)
- “Halsey’s Gen Z-focused beauty brand AF94 partners with Ulta Beauty” (Retail Dive)
Thanks for reading.
If you’d like to catch up on prior installments of this column, start by heading to our last recap: “The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods: December 22, 2023 edition”
