During the last few weeks, there were news stories that reflected advertising, brand experiences, brand identity, brand storytelling, brand strategy, competitive positioning, customer experience marketing, personal branding, product design, product marketing, signage, special event marketing, and more.
BARBIE'S NEW CAMPAIGN
According to Retail Dive, "Mattel has big plans for Barbie. The company is launching a campaign dubbed "Barbie is Moving," which will include brand partnerships, consumer products, and new packaging, among other efforts. Mattel is increasing its investment in Barbie content, including rereleasing seven classic full-length Barbie specials, doubling videos on the company's Barbie YouTube page and debuting a "Barbie in the Nutcracker" animated special on Netflix this holiday season. Meanwhile, the toy company is waiting to see if rights to "Barbie" will revert to Mattel from Warner Brothers. After a hit film based on the iconic character debuted three years ago, the studio has until December to make a sequel, according to The New York Times."
Roberto Stanichi, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, explained, "From a product line standpoint, we’re looking to solidify Barbie's place as a fashion icon. You're going to see enhanced product value with more detailed fashions, accessories, better style that we believe is going to increase appeal on shelf."
MATTEL ANNOUNCES WHITNEY HOUSTON BARBIE
According to Mattel Creations on August 9th, which would have been Whitney Houston's 63rd birthday, "We're paying tribute as part of the Barbie Signature collection to Whitney Houston, a generation-defining vocal powerhouse. This incredible artist was nicknamed "The Voice," and her legacy of award-winning music, cultural impact, and philanthropy is stronger than ever. Our homage to this superstar captures the iconic look featured in her record-breaking "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" music video from 1987. Her body-hugging lilac tank dress is paired with bold, colorful earrings and pumps, plus her stunning '80s-style curls. With a microphone stand in hand, she's ready to chase your blues away." The doll designer was Carlyle Nuera, and the packaging designer was Priscila Bara.
Pat Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law, said, "May this doll remind every child and every collector that dreams have no limits, excellence leaves a lasting imprint, and true greatness never goes out of style. Thank you, Mattel, for making one of Whitney's dreams come true."
SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING
According to MarketingBrew, "The NFL season has yet to begin, but Disney is already sold out of Super Bowl XVI ad inventory, the company announced on August 5th. Disney, which will air the 2027 Super Bowl on February 14th, 2027, on ABC and, for the first time also on ESPN, shared the sellout news about a month earlier than NBCUniversal did last year, when the company announced in early September that it was out of 2026 Super Bowl inventory. According to Disney, Super Bowl advertisers will represent 58 brands across 34 categories, including financial services, candy, personal care, and software. Nine of those advertisers will be brand new to the Super Bowl, and altogether, the group comprises one of the broadest advertiser and category mixes in Super Bowl history."
ROAD SIGNAGE IN TEXAS
According to Fast Company, "Research has found that at least one kind of negative messaging on roadway signage can actually increase crashes. One insurance company is taking the opposite approach with a new activation. New York City-based Lemonade created "The Slow Sign," a digital sign that compliments drivers for following the speed limit. Made with the creative agency Cash Studio, the insurance company set up a pink, branded digital roadside sign outside Austin (Texas) with a radar speed sign and a message board that works only if you're obeying the speed limit. When motorists drove past the sign at speeds over the limit, the radar speed sign flashed with their speed. When motorists followed the speed limit, though, the message board came to life. The message board identified the color and make of an approaching car with a personalized message thanks to a spotter down the road with a walkie talkie, and that was followed by language like "Obsessed With Your Safe Driving," "Way To Drive a Fast Car Slow," and "You Understood The Assignment." Officials in Finland once tried a similar approach to Lemonade's activation, but with symbols instead of words. Motorists who drove near or at the speed limit were shown a green smiley face on signage. Those driving 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 mph) over the limit were shown a red frown face and anyone going faster than that was shown a red exclamation point."
NETFLIX'S PROMOTIONAL BILLBOARD
If you were driving down Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, from August 6th to 8th, and you looked up at one of the billboards, you might have seen a man waving at you. According to KTLA, "Netflix really put the creative juices to work to promote its latest thriller "The Last House." The streamer has put up a billboard like no other. It looks like a fully furnished living room, erected over Sunset Boulevard and Selma Avenue, with a real person living inside. It's a man donning a robe just hanging out at home in a robe. He'll wave to people walking by and write notes on a whiteboard to communicate. It's meant to depict the premise of the movie: about a family trapped in their house and "must work together to survive dwindling resources and the ominous force keeping them trapped." The billboard has definitely captured people's attention."
According to The New York Times, "The stunt is a rare marketing play from a streaming company that otherwise lets its vaunted algorithm do the heavy lifting for promoting its films. The scene has prompted visits from local news crews and other curious onlookers wondering why and how a man is living in a billboard to promote a movie."
Jonathan Helfgot, a vice president of marketing at Netflix, said, "When you do something like this and it connects, the value is immense. That's not just because of the press or social media coverage of it on face value, but because there's actually an emotional connection between the stunt and the movie that it's for."
MACY'S BIG RED BAG
According to Retail Dive, "The giant red billboard sporting Macy's white star logo, on a building tucked into one corner of the department store's Herald Square flagship in New York, is gone. It's gone without a fight, as Macy's says the sign is outmoded, a stark contrast to five years ago, when the retailer went to court to keep the owner from leasing it to another company. At the time, Macy's — which used the space for decades — believed Amazon would take it over and argued that would cause "incalculable damage." Ultimately, the sign stayed with Macy's. What will become of the space remains a mystery, though. In an email, a Macy's spokesperson said that "refreshed and dynamic branding for Macy's Herald Square that honors our heritage while reflecting the future of our flagship" will soon be unveiled."
WEGMANS' SHOPPING CARTS
According to Grocery Dive, "At a time when most grocers are testing smart carts — and about a year after Wegmans itself confirmed it was piloting the tech-forward carts — the New York grocer is taking a more classic approach to improving the in-store customer experience. Wegmans first rolled out the redesigned carts to its Pittsford and Penfield, New York, locations in mid-July, and this month, Wegmans is introducing a limited number of redesigned small carts at both stores. The carts, which are manufactured in the U.S., aim to improve the shopping experience as well as better support the store team, noting that its previous small cart design was more than 15 years old. The new carts are lighter, quieter, easier to maneuver and feature conveniences like cup and phone holders. They're also better suited for larger items and family-pack purchases."
FORD FATHOM TO ARRIVE IN SHOWROOMS IN 2027
CNN reported, "Ford's next truck, its Ford Fathom, will cost $28,350, which should set it up to be a massive seller. And it absolutely needs to be. Ford has spent billions beyond the usual costs developing the Fathom, a smaller electric pickup truck that goes on sale in 2027. But there is no current US market segment along the lines of electric pickup smaller than a regular truck but still with room for a family of five. If it bombs, it’s not just money down the drain. The truck becomes a cautionary tale. Coming out with any new car can typically cost a major company around $2 billion, but the research and development to bring such an inexpensive EV to the market has taken much more than that. The Fathom – and the cars descended from it – has already cost Ford around $5 billion.
Then there’s the low price. Unlike luxury cars, which can be sold for multiple thousands of dollars more than they cost to be assembled, cheap cars need to sell at extraordinarily high volumes to make the same amount of money. That is enough pressure to put on one little pickup truck. Now add in the fact that it's all-electric, in a segment that simply does not exist in the United States.
[Industry analysts] maintain that the better analogue for the Fathom is the Ford Maverick, a small pickup truck that went on sale in 2019 and comes in both gasoline and hybrid variants. It starts at $28,145 – just $200 cheaper than the upcoming Fathom – and sold about 155,000 units last year...raw numbers don't tell the whole story. Ford has sold out its Maverick production run for multiple years in a row. The Maverick's core customer isn't a traditional pickup truck buyer but someone who might be coming over from an equally affordable car, like a Honda Civic.
For Ford, the Fathom is not just about selling as many of them as it can now, but showing where the company is going. While Ford has scaled back plans for EV production, the company hasn't abandoned them entirely. The Fathom is the first product built on what Ford calls the Universal Electric Vehicle platform, which will be the basic architecture for producing multiple upcoming electric cars, from compacts to vans. That should help to make up for some of the Fathom's development costs. And even though the Fathom is aimed at the lower end of the market, it'll have numerous features to help appeal to those buyers from other brands. It'll have a big screen. An optional battery pack should take its range to over 300 miles. Every Fathom, even the most barebones, will have the hardware and sensors necessary to turn on BlueCruise, the company's software that enables drivers to take their hands off the wheel while on the highway."
NEW JERSEY BANS DYNAMIC PRICING
Yahoo News reported, "New Jersey has officially become the first state to place a one-year moratorium on electronic shelf labels, also known as ESLs, as Governor Mikie Sherrill signed into law the Fair Price Protection Act. The newly signed bill bans surveillance pricing — where businesses have the ability to adjust their prices in real-time with digital tags based on consumer data. The bill means, gone are the days that New Jersey retailers may factor in a shopper's online activity, location, purchasing history, or other collected data when setting prices.
While the law focuses on dynamic pricing, lawmakers etched out the temporary pause on ESLs while the New Jersey Innovation Authority studies the technology. However, the bill does not force retailers to stop using, repairing, or replacing any existing ESLs. The temporary suspension will only impact retailers in the state who have not yet added the technology to stores. The new law will not ban loyalty programs or discounts. The bill will officially come into force on February 1, 2027.
Back in April 2026, Maryland became the first state to pass a law banning the practice. The historic law, the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act, stops grocers and other third-party delivery services from using dynamic pricing or an individual's personal data to set higher prices, ensuring consumers pay a transparent, consistent price at the register.
WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS
Travel and Tour World reported in early August, "Florida has made a plan for Walt Disney World. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District's planning documents provide for one "new major theme park and/or explansion" through 2045. These provisions create development capacity. They do not identify a theme, location, construction contractor, opening year, or operating name for a new park. People going there should NOT think this means they will start building right away. Walt Disney World in Florida CAN add one big park and also some places for people to stay, stores and things that people need. The official papers from the government say what can be built. They do NOT say what it will be called, when it will open, how much it will cost, or what the plan is for building it...The official record does not show that Disney has committed to building a fifth gate or obtained every approval that would be required to begin construction. That distinction sits at the heart of the story."
Important note to tour operators: "Don't market an unannounced theme park as a future certainty."
ARE YOU GOING ON A COOLCATION?
Are you familiar with the term, "coolcation?" According to MobiMatter, "A coolcation is a trip planned specifically around comfortable temperatures rather than guaranteed sunshine. Instead of chasing beach days, travelers head toward cooler locations such as Arctic capitals, alpine villages, fjord coastlines, and Southern Hemisphere destinations mid-winter. The appeal goes beyond comfort. Cooler climates mean fewer crowds, lower prices outside the traditional peak window, and, for many travelers, a more sustainable footprint than overtouristed hotspots in Southern Europe. Searches for cooler destinations are up 74 percent year-on-year since the start of 2026, according to Trip.com data. Iceland flight searches are up 85 percent, and Greenland's summer tours are booked to capacity. Travel to Scandinavia is projected to surge by up to 35 percent in 2026, according to analysis from car rental company Sixt, far outpacing growth in traditional southern European markets."
From a marketing perspective, the term "coolcation" is often used by Nordic tourism operators and tourism promotion agencies.
FALL ARRIVES EARLY FOR KRISPY KREME
According to news from the doughnut brand, "Move over, summer. Krispy Kreme is welcoming the return of Pumpkin Spice – joined by the fan-favorite Biscoff Cookie Butter Doughnut – as it unveils its Autumn Seasonal Collection, the brand's latest seasonal menu refresh, available beginning Tuesday, August 11th. Featuring the return of fan-favorite Pumpkin Spice alongside craveable new seasonal doughnuts and beverages, the lineup delivers the rich, comforting flavors fans wait all year to enjoy. And this is just the beginning, with even more seasonal experiences arriving later this month and throughout September. Available for a limited time at participating shops nationwide, Krispy Kreme's Autumn Seasonal Collection features four doughnuts inspired by the season's most comforting flavors: NEW Maple Cheesecake Doughnut; NEW Cafe Mocha Doughnut; Biscoff Cookie Butter Doughnut; and Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut. Krispy Kreme is also serving up two seasonal lattes that celebrate the flavors of fall: Pumpkin Spice Latte and a NEW Apple Crisp Latte."
DOMINOS PAY FANS TO BETA TEST APP & WEBSITE
Restaurant Dive reported, "Domino's Pizza will give customers $5 off their next order for using its new digital ordering system, according to a press release. The effort is designed to encourage customers to share feedback about its recently relaunched website and app experience, and is supported by a new campaign by agency of record WorkInProgress. Customers who place a qualifying online order between August 3-30 are eligible for a $5 off coupon that can be used the following week on a digital order. They are not required to provide feedback on the ordering experience to receive the discount. Along with the promotional offer, Domino's has launched a campaign that will run across TV, online video, social and digital through August 30. A 15- and a 30-second spot show a wide range of consumers in different scenarios — moving house, playing mahjong, doing yoga, LARPing and procrastinating at college — who can use the deal. The campaign around its relaunched website and app is in line with Domino's focus on digital channels."
According to Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of global digital marketing, "We streamlined our website and app to make them bolder, brighter, more modern and engaging for customers, but we want to hear from them."
And according to Matt Talbot, co-founder and chief creative officer at WorkInProgress, "Domino's Beta Tester is the easiest job ever. You get paid for ordering pizza."
WENDY'S BRAND EVOLUTION
According to Restaurant Dive, "On August 7th, Wendy's CEO Robert Wright laid out five areas of focus that would help turn around the beleaguered chain, which has faced ongoing challenges related to traffic and sales growth, the closure of hundreds of underperforming locations, and pressure from an activist investor. Wright said that he initially started at Wendy's over 28 years ago, working alongside founder Dave Thomas, an experience which made a big impression on him regarding what Wendy's needs to do today."
He noted five areas that will be critical to fix:
(1) Strengthen menu with better food quality and compelling value.
(2) Create distinctive branding and marketing that can boost demand.
(3) Focus on operational excellence.
(4) Create a better digital experience.
(5) Ensure that Wendy's restaurants are leveraged as an engine for growth.
Wright explained, "Today, we are not performing at our potential. Traffic is down. Our value proposition has slipped, and franchisee economics are under pressure. That said, I've seen this brand at its best, and I know we can fix these issues. I'm incredibly optimistic about the power of the Wendy's brand and the future success we can create.”
SHARE THIS: Products are made in a factory, but brands are created in the mind. ~Walter Landor #BrandIdentity #BrandExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog
CLAIRE'S BRAND EVOLUTION
According to Retail Dive, "With about 900 stores, Claire's is revamping a cornerstone of its reputation under new ownership. The brand is relaunching its in-store piercing experience starting this month across the U.S. and Canada. The experience includes a fully redesigned layout with interactive "Inspiration Bars" for creating piercing stacks, dedicated selfie spaces, and more. The broader update also features an expanded stud earring selection including lab diamond options, a new training program for specialists, and a refreshed visual identity. Claire's developed a dedicated group of instructors, dubbed the Piercing Excellence Team, who travel across the country to train and support store employees. Claire's will continue to offer free piercings with the purchase of a piercing kit starting at $29.99."
NAME CHANGE FOR BED BATH & BEYOND
According to a brand press release, "Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. (NYSE: BBBY) announced on August 4th that it's becoming Neighborhood Intelligence and will begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker NXH, with its last day of trading on the NYSE on August 14th, and its first day of trading on Nasdaq on August 17th, and that it will relocate its corporate headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee. The Company's organization centers around three interconnected pillars: Omni-Channel Retail, which helps customers create a home they love; Home Services, which helps them improve, maintain, and protect it; and Home Ownership, which brings together the financial, transactional, and advisory capabilities that support one of life's most important investments. Together, the pillars are designed to create an ecosystem that serves customers before they purchase a home, while they own it, as they improve it, and when they ultimately decide to sell or transfer it, in support of a single mandate: to make homeownership simpler and more affordable while creating long-term value for shareholders."
CRACKER BARREL BACK IN THE NEWS
The Wall Street Journal reported, "David Deno is the incoming CEO of Cracker Barrel, effective August 10th. He succeeds outgoing chief executive Julie Felss Masino, who is stepping down following a controversial rebrand and strategic shift. Deno is the former CEO of Bloomin' Brands (parent company of Outback Steakhouse). Masino remains with the company in an advisory capacity through early October 2026." And from Fox Business, "Masino's departure follows an attempt to rebrand Cracker Barrel that sparked controversy last summer. The company's changes included the removal of the "old timer" from the company's logo, as well as adjustments to the interior layout of the restaurants that have long included a general store. The rebrand was part of a $700 million overhaul across the company's 660-plus restaurants, which also included a revamped menu and decluttered dining rooms. Cracker Barrel reversed course on the rebranding push less than a week after the backlash began, with Masino saying that the effort missed the mark and came out of an effort to improve the guest experience at its locations."
Let's not forget what Jon Shapiro, Chief Creative Officer of Brand Experiences at PV&COHO, wrote in Restaurant Dive back in September 2025, "Evolution must be grounded in strategy and authenticity. Brand managers shouldn't fear change. But they must ensure that change amplifies their essence - not erases it.
Key takeaways for any brand considering a refresh:
(1) Start with research. Engage core and growth audiences to understand what they value about your brand and which equities to protect, evolve, or retire.
(2) Define your brand DNA. Clarify your values, voice and personality traits so every decision reflects who you are and who you want to become.
(3) Filter creative through strategy. Make sure design choices serve the strategy, not just design trends.
(4) Test with your audiences. Validate concepts with both loyalists and new audiences to ensure that the changes resonate across segments.
(5) Leverage packaging as a storytelling tool. Packaging is more than a container. It's a tactile brand touchpoint that should connect emotionally and reinforce the brand narrative."
IMPACT OF AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE) ON MARKETING
Kristi Melani, Chief Marketing Office at Reputation, wrote in Fast Company, "The organizations that lead in this next era will recognize that reputation is no longer simply the result of effective marketing. It has become one of the foundations of effective marketing. Every customer interaction, review, accurate business listing, service recovery, and experience that reinforces trust contributes to how a business is understood before a customer ever engages with it. AI has expanded the scope of marketing by expanding the number of business activities that influence marketing success, making customer experience, reputation, and operational excellence inseparable from the strength of the brand itself.
Marketing has always been about shaping perception. The next chapter will be defined by earning recommendation, and that requires more than compelling campaigns or differentiated messaging. It requires building an organization whose actions consistently reinforce its promises, because every customer interaction shapes how the brand is understood. In the age of AI, your brand is no longer what you say it is. It's what AI understands it to be."
SHARE THIS: In the age of AI, your brand is no longer what you say it is. It's what AI understands it to be. ~Kristi Melani/Reputation via @FastCompany #AI #Marketing #BrandExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog
What other recent marketing buzz caught your attention? Since there's always something happening that impacts marketing, read #DebbieLaskeysBlog for the scoop!
Image Credits: Mattel and Macy's/Retail Dive.
Read about THE LAST HOUSE - but spoiler alert, watch the show before reading:
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-last-house-ending-explained
Read full details about "Disney Florida Expansion" from Travel and Tour World (August 2026):
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/fo2f4up0dkx0/
Read "Top 20 Cool Destinations for Summer 2026: Best Global "Coolcations" to Escape the Heat"
https://mobimatter.com/blog/top-20-cool-destinations-for-summer-best-global-coolcations-to-escape-the-heat/
And check out my posts about other name changes:
At IHOB, It's Now All About the Burgers! (June 2018)
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2018/06/at-ihob-its-now-all-about-burgers.html
Less Means More with This Brand's New Name (Dunkin') (September 2018):
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2018/09/less-means-more-with-this-brands-new.html
