Feeling hungry for marketing news this morning? The most notable new ads and stories all came from some of our favorite food brands this week. Check out our Weekly Must Reads to get your fill.

Don’t Be Burger King’s Valentine

Burger King is back with another cynical campaign. You may remember their line of Unhappy Meals last year, which encouraged customers to “feel your way” in honor of Mental Health Awareness month. This year the brand is taking on the sappiness of Valentine’s Day in a campaign supporting Warner Bros.’ new movie “Birds of Prey.” In a number of US cities, customers can bring in physical photos, love letters and even romantic gifts from their exes On February 14 in exchange for a free Whopper.

In a sea of upcoming Valentine’s Day marketing messages, Burger King’s campaign is sure to stand out. It has the potential to help the brand form lasting connections with customers over shared stories of past relationships. Do you think the experiential campaign is clever or a little too irreverent? Find out more here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/burger-king-celebrates-harley-quinns-breakup-in-anti-valentines-day-promo/571816/

Going Beyond Chicken

You’ve heard about Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat beef coming to your favorite fast food spots. Now, KFC is joining the club. Their new Beyond Fried Chicken rolled out last week at restaurants in Nashville and Charlotte. The new product looks and (apparently) tastes just like a chicken nugget but is made with a plant-based meat alternative. Though the nuggets are now available, Beyond Meat and KFC will continue perfecting the product before a nationwide debut that may also include a sandwich patty and bone-in product.

Ads supporting the product rollout feature Colonel Sanders “magically” transforming a typical bucket of fried chicken into Beyond Fried Chicken and tearing into one of the nuggets. KFC is just one of the first brands this year to focus their marketing on more sustainable options. We expect to see more and more companies following suit. Check out all the details here: https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/heres-how-kfc-marketing-its-updated-beyond-meat-faux-chicken-two-markets/2232466

Another Logo Bites the Dust

In the past year, we’ve seen a number of brands lose the logo on their advertisements. These ads boldly rely on audiences knowing the brand well enough to recognize their company without seeing the name. McDonald’s is the latest company to try this approach, with billboards that list ingredients of their most famous products in a design that mirrors the product itself. Though the design is simple and brand-less, it’s still instantly recognizable as an ad for McDonald’s.

While other companies promote their brand with photos of products and restaurants, these billboards let customers feel like they’re part of an inside joke. Are you lovin’ these ads? See examples here and let us know: https://wersm.com/no-logo-no-problem-mcdonalds-latest-ads-go-bare/

Domino’s Gets Risky

Ordering a pizza can be “Risky Business,” according to Domino’s. In their new commercial, the pizza brand taps actor and singer Jordan Fisher to recreate the famous scene from the 1983 movie – you know, the one where Tom Cruise lip syncs in his underwear. The ad showcases Domino’s new delivery tracker, which updates customers as their driver gets closer. In this case, it lets Fisher get his pants on in time to answer the door.

The commercial closely mirrors the original movie to appease fans and even includes a surprise appearance from Curtis Armstrong, who also stars in the film. Several other brands used the movie-remake approach for their Super Bowl ads this year, but Domino’s decided to skip the $5 million in-game spot. How do you think this ad stacks up against the competition? Watch it here: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/dominos-rides-the-recent-trend-of-movie-themed-ads-with-riff-of-risky-business/