5 in 5: free pizza, ice cream delivery, interventions, AI art, Kohl’s

Each week, Padilla’s Insights + Strategy team stands at the intersection of people, culture and brands to bring you five stories that you can read in five minutes.

1. The company who cried free pizza.

Domino’s recently launched and ended a contest in Russia where individuals who got a tattoo of the Domino’s logo on a “prominent body part” would be entitled to 100 free pizzas per year for the next 100 years. (This will now be restricted to the first 350 participants.) Why should you care? Aside from the fact that a portion of the Russian population now has Domino’s logo tattoos, this seems like a good reminder to be careful not to make grand marketing promises that cannot be kept. Certainly both the campaign and the halting of the campaign will garner media attention. However, in building loyalty, brands want to avoid giving people the sense that they cannot or are not willing to deliver on what they promise. And, if anyone was thinking about having another tattoo-based marketing campaign, this seems like a solid warning that, apparently, the population willing to get a tattoo of a logo for free merchandise is not as limited as you might think. [Matador Network]

2. Hide and seek with Häagen-Dazs.

Häagen-Dazs recently tested a new service in London using geo-tagging to deliver their ice cream to your exact location, even if you are on the move. Why should you care? The food delivery space is interesting to watch in its evolution. From Blue Apron to Instacart to UberEats, we’ve seen a lot of new services pop up to combine culinary desires with convenience, but with mixed success. Finding the right consumers and occasions will be key for the long-term success of the food delivery market. For Häagen-Dazs, they believe the right occasion will be large confined events such as music festivals and sporting events. This seems ideal for this type of service both because people may be willing to pay for the convenience to get exactly what they want without having to miss any of the event they paid to see, but also because it solves the problem of trying to find one person in a large and engaged crowd. [Food and Wine]

3. An intervention with Snickers.

In the past month, banner ads for Snickers have been peddling the offer “Get One for the Price of Two” and then confronting anyone who actually clicks on the ad with a tongue-in-cheek interventionist ad. Why should you care? Those who click on the ad will find a “John Denver-meets-Mark-Hamill interventionist” ask them several times if they are okay, explain that the deal advertised is terrible and finally, out of sympathy for their obviously hunger-induced confusion, gives them a $1 off two Snickers bars. This is a great iteration of an ad campaign that was originally launched in 2010. Over the years, we’ve seen many different renditions of their ads toting the social “dangers” of unaddressed hunger. While this ad continues in that theme, it takes on a new tone and feels fresh. And, it’s just fun. [Adweek]

4. Is AI coming for artists?

In October, Christie’s, a British auction house, will sell artwork that has been “generated” by an AI operated by Obvious, a French art collective. Why should you care?  Past sales of AI-generated art have been attributed to novelty. However, the “validation from a storied auction house like Christie’s” is considered to give AI art credibility and potentially “shake up the contemporary art scene,” even though Christie’s claims to make no “final ruling on the value of AI art.” When new tools are introduced to the art scene, there is always debate on whether it can truly be art. Photography survived this debate. This time, because it involves robots and AI, this debate pushes beyond artistry and for many, calls into question what it means to be human, if these technologies can pursue creative tasks. No matter where you stand, these discussions provide an interesting glance into the future as AI, automation, robotics becomes increasingly integrated into our lives. [Fast Company and Smithsonian]

5. Luring millennials to department stores.

In a new partnership with online media brand, PopSugar, Kohls has launched a new clothing line specifically targeting millennial women. Why should you care? In this exciting episode of What Will Millennials Kill Next, we find ourselves in a traditional department store. Seeking to attract the elusive “millennial” variety, Kohl’s has engaged with PopSugar for their ability “to spot trends more accurately and sooner” – an important feature for the ever mercurial millennial. This smart and unique partnership will enable Kohl’s to be more attune to changing consumer preferences as bespoke options continue to put pressure on traditional sales channels. [AdAge]

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