From cryptocurrency to movie theater marketing, it’s been a big week in the marketing & advertising world. Get caught up on all the latest news in our Weekly Must Reads.

Tom Brady & Gisele Promote Cryptocurrency

Power couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are teaming up for a new ad campaign to promote an up-and-coming cryptocurrency exchange platform. FTX, the cryptocurrency trading company, launched the first of a series of new ads last week during an NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The long-form, humor-focused ad features Brady and Bundchen as they convince their sports friends and rivals to join FTX. Patriots fans in particular should watch for a thinly veiled jab at their team’s head coach.

FTX isn’t the first crypto brand to use star power to boost awareness. Spike Lee recently made headlines for promoting Coin Cloud, a cryptocurrency ATM provider, while Kim Kardashian posted an Instagram ad for the digital token Ethereum Max. Get caught up on all the latest crypto news here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/09/09/ad-the-day-tom-brady-and-gisele-bundchen-tease-nfl-rivalries-cryptocurrency-ad

Nicole Kidman Stars in New AMC Campaign

AMC has a message for movie fans: it’s finally time to get back in the theater. The largest movie theater chain in the US just launched their largest ad campaign ever, featuring movie star Nicole Kidman, who argues that theaters “make movies better.” The $25 million campaign will include ads placed on TV, social media, and in AMC theaters themselves.

This new campaign launches after a Labor Day weekend that saw a strong box office showing from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which was an encouraging sign for movie studios everywhere. Between COVID-19 restrictions and increasing at-home streaming options, movie theaters are more in need of a boost now than perhaps any other time in history. Check out Kidman’s first commercial for AMC here: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/nicole-kidman-joins-amc-theatres-in-25-million-campaign-to-get-you-back-in-the-multiplex/

Snickers Celebrates Rookie Mistakes

Snickers, a longtime sponsor of the NFL, is asking fans to share a story of their “rookie mistake,” or time they’ve made an embarrassing error. Those who share photos, videos, or write-ups of their story on snickersrookiemistake.com will have the chance to win a personal shoutout from the Snickers brand as well as current NFL stars. One grand prize winner will also receive a Rookie Mistake of the Year award and two tickets to Super Bowl LVI.

The campaign kicks off with an ad titled “Rookie Mistake? Maybe You Just Need a SNICKERS,” a commercial that plays on Snickers’ ongoing theme of issues caused by hunger. The “Rookie Mistake” campaign also features Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as he illustrates his own mistakes on and off the football field. Learn more about the candy brand’s latest marketing efforts here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/snickers-wants-nfl-fans-to-get-candid-for-campaign-celebrating-rookie-mist/606213/

The “Shop-in-a-Shop” Marketing Phenomenon

Last year, Ulta Beauty and Target announced plans to open small-format versions of the makeup shop within the superstore. As one Twitter user described it, popular stores like Target are well on their way to becoming the modern version of a shopping mall. Similarly, Macy’s recently announced a partnership with long-troubled Toys-R-Us to bring mini toy shops into their department store.

The shop-within-a-shop concept is a mutually beneficial partnership. Brands like Ulta and Toys-R-Us will benefit from increased foot traffic in these popular stores, while Target and Macys can count on a sales boost due to customers spending more time walking the aisles. Find out more about this increasingly common strategy here: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/marketing-roi-behind-ulta-target-and-other-shop-shops/2362791