QUICK PR READS YOU CAN TACKLE BETWEEN BITES
Happy Tuesday, Lunch Breakers! As summer vacations start to end and everyone is settling back into their daily routines, it’s the perfect time to read our round-up of PR news to get you back on track.
This week we’re talking acquisition for better branding, breaking royal tradition, cruise lines pledging hurricane relief aid, and Doritos ditching its logo.
Buying an Upstart for Better Branding
There’s no questioning the power of advertising. Harry’s, a men’s razor and personal care products company, has dominated the market for direct-to-consumer razors. Harry’s success is largely due to its strategic advertising campaigns, and it paid off.
Edgewell, the parent company of widely known brands like Schick, Playtex and Wet Ones, took note of Harry’s efforts and purchased the company last spring for $1.4 billion. The move was driven by Edgewell’s desire to have the creative geniuses behind Harry’s run its US legacy brands.
Duchess Breaks Royal Tradition for PR
The Duchess of Sussex Megan Markle recently selected a Manhattan-based firm to offer PR support for her and the Duke of Sussex’s new sustainable tourism initiative, Travalyst.
Typically, communications efforts are handled by Royal Communications, so the move is a “massive break from royal tradition,” according to James Holt of Royal Communications. However, the relationship between Royal Communications and the U.S. firm seems to be very supportive. The same firm has previously represented Markle, when she was in a leading role on “Suits,” but Holt insists there’s no collusion.
Cruise Lines Spear Head Relief Efforts
For years, the beautiful islands of the Bahamas have been a popular cruising destination and now, amidst the aftermath of hurricane Dorian, cruise ships are spearheading relief efforts. Royal Caribbean, Disney, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines have each pledged $1 million in support for the hurricane relief and recovery efforts in the Bahamas as well as temporary housing for those displaced.
Major props to these four prominent brands for helping with recovery in an area where cruise passengers visit frequently. Carnival took it one step further, and released a heartfelt message from CEO of the Carnival Corporation Arnold Donald reminding Bahamians haunted by damage that “they are not alone.”
Doritos Attempt to Jump to “Super Brand”
In an effort to attract the advertising-averse generation, PepsiCo-owned Doritos has re-launched its classic snack without featuring any logo or brand name mention in a campaign titled “Another Level.” This bold move mimics “super brands” such as Starbucks’ green siren and Nike’s swoosh that are easily recognized by an iconic symbol sans text.
We appreciate your confidence, Doritos. Here’s to hoping Gen-Z recognizes a standard triangle as belonging to Doritos. Do you consider this ad campaign to be on “Another Level?”
