Wondering how big brands are connecting with their audiences this week? Find out about latest marketing campaigns and news with our Weekly Must Reads.

Uber Eats Goes to Flavortown

Sometimes, advertising is still just pure fun. Food delivery service Uber Eats tapped everyone’s favorite goofy celebrity chef, Guy Fieri, to be the star of their new video spot. The ad highlights the interesting and unexpected situations Uber Eats drivers experience every day. For instance, you might not expect to make a delivery at a fancy soiree to a wind flute-playing, frosted tip-less Guy Fieri, but it sure makes for a good story.

This spot is part of a larger campaign focusing on the brand’s delivery drivers. The first ad premiered during this year’s NCAA Final Four and featured the same driver encountering other eyebrow-raising scenes. Do you think the video is imaginative and creative, or just a little too bizarre? Watch the ad and form your opinion here: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/uber-eats-shows-you-a-side-of-guy-fieri-youve-definitely-never-seen/

Heinz Tilts into New Campaign

While some brands have recently chosen to remove their logos entirely, Heinz Ketchup is taking another clever approach to their branding. They recognized that their audience still has trouble coaxing ketchup out of their traditional glass bottles, so they’ve adjusted their label accordingly. On limited-edition bottles in Toronto, the Heinz label has rotated 45 degrees to show consumers the perfect pouring angle.

Heinz created a short video to accompany the tilted labels for their “Pour-Perfect” campaign. The ad features Google searches and social media posts with users’ endless questions about how to get ketchup out of the glass bottles, bringing a centuries-old problem into 2019. Marketers have praised Heinz’s campaign for its clever simplicity and clear understanding of their audience. Check it out here: https://adage.com/creativity/work/heinz-pour-perfectly-bottle/2194681

Hilton’s Celebrity Spokesperson Success

These days, we hear more about influencer marketing and brand advocates than traditional celebrity spokespeople. However, hotel brand Hilton has found success partnering with actress Anna Kendrick for their ongoing “Expect Better, Expect Hilton” campaign. The campaign has featured both traditional and digital advertising, including TV commercials, radio spots and social ads. Still, Hilton reports the ads have increased direct booking by almost 10 percent, while their rewards programs have seen a 20 percent year-over-year increase.

Hilton’s emphasis on social content and their app is likely an effort to draw young consumers back to their traditional hotels from Airbnbs and smaller boutiques. Why do you think a celebrity spokesperson like Kendrick has worked so well for Hilton? Find out more here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/hilton-doubles-down-on-successful-celebrity-campaign/562351/

Bud Light Loses the Corn Syrup Battle

The courts have spoken, and we have a winner in the corn syrup beer battle. Last week, a judge sided with MillerCoors in their suit against Anheuser-Busch InBev, ordering the beer giant to remove any mention of the phrase “no corn syrup” from Bud Light’s packaging. This judgment follows a similar decision in May, which banned AB InBev from using the phrase in its advertisements. A MillerCoors executive called the ruling “a victory for the American public against deceptive advertising.”

The conflict started during this year’s Super Bowl. Throughout the game, Bud Light ran three separate ads accusing its competitors of using corn syrup in their recipes. MillerCoors maintains that they do not use the ingredient in their Miller Lite or Coors Lite brands and took the matter to court to prove it. The war may still rage on, though, as AB InBev stated they intend to appeal the decision. Read on here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/09/05/bud-light-defeated-corn-syrup-pr-war-judge-orders-packaging-change