We’ll be taking a break from our Lunch Break next week, so as our last roundup before the food-filled holiday, we’re serving up the best food PR stories to get you in the turkey spirit.
America’s Favorite Thanksgiving Sides
We’re back at the map, but instead of tracking political votes it’s Thanksgiving sides for MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki. Gaining a following for his election coverage (and his pants), Kornacki breaks down a map of the most popular Thanksgiving side dish in every state, based on Google Trends. It looks like the “mashed potato constituency” is the front-runner for the overall win, beating out stuffing, mac and cheese and green bean casserole. This is a fun reminder to use Google Trends when researching pitches. It’s always important to know what is being talked about so you know where to contribute to the current conversation.
A Peloton Party During This Pandemic
Noticing the trend of people both drinking and exercising at home, Hendrick’s Gin decided to sell an exercise bike to join the ranks of the ever-popular Peloton. The Hendrick’s High Wheel is a stationary version of the classic penny farthing bicycle that was popular when the gin’s distiller was established in 1887. The bike doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, but it does have a book stand, headlight, horn, patch of artificial grass, and a drink holder for your post-spin martini. From a marketing standpoint, this is a great way for Hendrick’s Gin to make a splash right before the holiday season when people are buying gifts and cocktail ingredients.
Oreo Goes Gluten-Free
These vegan cookies are finally cashing in on the gluten-free trend. Starting in January 2021, gluten-free classic Oreos and the Double-Stuffed version will hit the shelves of grocery stores across the country. The news came in a Twitter post instead of just a traditional press release, demonstrating that social media continues to be an effective alternative for brands to make major announcements. While Oreo’s other tweets receive about 100 retweets, this announcement was retweeted almost 2,000 times!
Pepsi Redesigns 2-Liter Bottle For The First Time in Three Decades
Those chubby two-liter bottles will soon be a collector’s item—PepsiCo announced a redesign of their plastic 2-liter bottles, the first in about three decades, slimming down the bottles and including a “grip point” to make it easier to pour. The new bottle will also be rolled out for other products, including Mountain Dew, Crush, Dr. Pepper, and Schweppes Ginger Ale. The design for these new bottles was based on average hand size, reducing the circumference of the battle to better reflect a person’s average grip. An important reminder that people are the key to all aspects of design and communications, no matter what the product is.
