Marketing and advertising are all about reaching your ideal audience in unique and engaging ways. Check out how some of the top brands are doing just that this week in our Weekly Must Reads.

Ralph Lauren Serves TikTok Ads

It was only a matter of time before brands started jumping on the TikTok trend. Last week, Ralph Lauren launched a series of video ads promoting their US Open branded products on TikTok, the popular music and video app. The campaign includes a “hashtag challenge,” which allows TikTok users to make product purchases through the app. Ralph Lauren’s videos mark the first time a luxury brand has released ads in the app, which skyrocketed in popularity this year.

Ralph Lauren reports that the campaign’s goal is “brand awareness,” likely with a younger Gen Z audience who frequently uses the app and may be unfamiliar with their products. Is TikTok going to be a successful ad platform for brands, or is it a trend that will quickly die away? Learn more here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/ralph-laurens-tiktok-campaign-around-the-us-open-is-a-first-for-the-platform/

Dove Celebrates Everyday Athletes

We love brands who let data drive their creative decisions, and Dove Men+Care is the latest brand to take this approach. After brand research revealed a majority of men want to see more “everyday athletes” represented in the media, Dove tapped three ordinary men to be the face of a new campaign. This campaign hopes to be more inclusive and representative of the brand’s audience, focusing on the accomplishments of fathers, veterans and firefighters rather than celebrity sports stars.

While Dove’s line of women’s products has long been known for celebrating natural beauty and diversity, their Everyday Athlete campaign marks a new direction for their men’s line. How do you think Dove’s target audience will respond to this campaign? Check out more here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/dove-mencare-taps-everyday-athletes-for-new-campaign/561838/

Doritos Drops Their Logo

Can audiences recognize brands without their logo? Doritos is about to find out. The snack brand recently launched a campaign called “Another Level,” featuring print ads and commercials they’re calling the “anti-ads.” The idea is to prove their brand is so well-known that it doesn’t need a name, especially a younger audience who dislikes traditional advertising. Instead, Doritos is relying on other brand elements, including their triangle chip shape and red and blue bags.

A number of other brands have also dropped their names from advertising and logos, including Starbucks, Nike and Mastercard, who simply use symbols to mark their products. Do you think this approach is still fresh and effective to young consumers, or will audiences see right through their strategy? Check out the ads here: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/27/doritos-launches-ads-with-no-logo-and-no-brand-name-to-attract-gen-z.html

Adidas Turns Influencers into Salespeople

Last year, Adidas introduced a loyalty program called the Creators Club, which allowed their biggest social media fans to get exclusive access to their products and events. Now, Adidas is drawing from their Creators Club community to create a new crew of influencers-slash-salespeople. Adidas has partnered with the social e-commerce app Storr, which allows users to create their own stores and sell products – in this case, Adidas sneakers. They invited 10,000 Creators Club members to become a store-owner on Storr, where they’ll earn a 6 percent commission on every sale.

Adidas reports this new push is a result of market research suggesting that their target audience trusts their friends or well-known “sneakerheads” over brands or celebrities. Do you think influencers will be able to successfully sell Adidas products? Find out more details here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90390629/adidas-wants-you-to-be-its-next-sneaker-influencer