Marketing Morsels: Taylor Swift Multiplies, Elton John Marmite and More

This week’s edition of Marketing Morsels is stuffed with samplings from Capital One, Goldfish, Pillsbury, Jimmy Dean and many more. Enjoy the assortment!

Morsel #1: Taylor Swift is multiplied for Capital One

The queen of Midnights, Taylor Swift herself, appears in a newly dropped ad for Capital One’s Venture X Card that is stuffed with Easter eggs meant to delight discerning Swifties. As the narrator in the video, created by the brand’s agency of record GSD&M, describes the card’s benefits, more and more Taylors appear to correspond with each perk—for example, “5 times miles on flights” yields five Taylors, each one dressed in different looks from her musical past.

Morsel #2: Goldfish Mega Bites too big? Try making your hands tinier

Last year, Goldfish launched #GoForTheHandful, which challenged fans to fit as many of the crackers in one hand as they can—and compete with massive-pawed NBA stars such as Boban Marjanović. Now Marjanović has teamed up with fellow player Tobias Harris for a campaign with the opposite energy that promotes its supersized Goldfish Mega Bites. The campaign reflects the ubiquity of tiny toy hands across TikTok and other video platforms. 

Morsel #3: Pillsbury’s interactive holiday sweater disappeared as fast as its baked goods

Fans embraced the Pillsbury Doughboy wholeheartedly for the holidays after the brand released a holiday sweater bearing his image, as well as a button on his belly that triggered his signature giggle. The sweater, priced at $75, sold out in less than two days.

Morsel #4: Jimmy Dean gives breakfast a musical Christmas twist

Jimmy Dean is singing its way into the holiday season with “Sunrise Carolers,” a group of performers who will visit hometowns across the U.S. to sing breakfast-inspired carols that accompany a Jimmy Dean breakfast. Families can enter to win a live performance by entering on SunriseCarolers.com. And if they don’t win, there’s already a whole album ready to stream on Spotify, with songs like “The 12 Days of Breakfast” and “We Wish You a Merry Morning.”

Morsel #5: Elton John holds Marmite closer for AIDS 

Sir Elton John, music icon and Marmite enthusiast, has teamed up with the spread brand and W Communications to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Limited-edition jars of Marmite feature a colorful reimagining of “Feathers,” a famous photo of John taken by Terry O’Neill in 1973. For each jar sold, £50 (around $56) will be donated to the foundation to support AIDS research and support for those who live with it. The connection began when, for his 74th birthday, he posted a photo with a collection of Marmite jars in the background.

Morsel #6: Royal Caribbean sets sail for Zillow 

Although Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas ship won’t see the seas until 2024, it has already docked on Zillow to get in front of the people who spend their spare time drooling over their dream homes with an immersive virtual tour that allows users to explore the ship and its features in much the same way they’d peruse the features of a real estate listing. But unlike a dream home, the cruise line presents an experience that doesn’t have to be so unattainable, as long as users can afford to book a cruise.

Morsel #7: Philadelphia Cream Cheese ups the ‘Is it cake?’ ante with a cheesecake bag

The “Is it cake?” trend and meme has spent the past couple of years getting increasingly (sur)realistic, with cake designs giving way to gags with unusual objects revealed to be cakes, and faux conspiracy theories of worlds made up of cakes. To illustrate its new campaign, “Cheesecake Is Everything,” Philadelphia Cream Cheese has baked up its own variation of the meme with a haute couture handbag and a camera made entirely of cheesecake, and it’s inviting people to make their own. The brand has released the “Philly Handbag” and “Phillens Pro Camera” kits exclusively on Amazon.

Morsel #8: Kraft Real Mayo and Juicy Couture create a Y2K clothing collection

Nostalgia has a chokehold on millennials and Gen Z, and Kraft Real Mayo, along with Juicy Couture, are tapping into that. The brands just released The Smooth Lover’s Collection, a classic iteration of the Juicy Couture tracksuit, complete with bedazzled phrases like “Long Live Velvety” on the back of a zip-up hoodie and “Smooth” on the back of track pants. Fans can shop the collection on MayoCouture.com.

Morsel #9: Little Debbie brings back its Christmas snack-cake flavor

‘Tis the season for a Little Debbie treat. For the second year in a row, the company is teaming up with Michigan-based brand Hudsonville Ice Cream to bring back its wildly popular Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes for the holiday season. The limited-edition pint launched this week at Walmart stores across the U.S., while supplies last.