Ryan Reynolds Drops 2 More Mint Mobile Ads; The NFL’s Strange, Extraordinary Return: Thursday’s First Things First

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After Delighting Us With Rick Moranis, Ryan Reynolds Drops 2 More Mint Mobile Ads

Yesterday was already delightful enough with the return of Rick Moranis in the morning, but then Ryan Reynolds made it even better by releasing two more Mint Mobile ads throughout the day. The first stars the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Paul Revere, and the second highlights 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, both of whom appear alongside Reynolds in the ads.

Watch both ads: Experience the charm and awkwardness for yourself.

Learn from Ryan Reynolds, Andrea Brimmer, Sadira Furlow, Dwyane Wade, Marc Pritchard, Brad Hiranaga, Julian Duncan, Katie Puris and more during Brandweek, a fully imagined virtual experience on Sept. 14-17. Take 20% off with code FTFEDIT.

The NFL Is Back for a Season Unlike Any Other

After most sports, including college football, were stalled due to the pandemic, the NFL returns tonight as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, advertisers are thrilled, anticipating powerful ratings, and media companies that saw massive Q2 declines are rejoicing as ad revenue as high as $5 billion pours in. Even the return of the MLB and the NBA can hardly compare to the punch the NFL packs: Last year, the NFL generated an estimated $4.6 billion in national TV ad revenue—and this year it could be higher as dollars have shifted from other sports.

For premium subscribers: Talks about the Super Bowl are still tentative, but experts are eagerly waiting to see how this season will change the advertising and media game for the better.

Jockstrap-Scented Candles Are Here to Fill the Locker Room Void This NFL Season

Speaking of NFL-related happenings that are entirely unlike any you’ve experienced before, Babe Wine and jewelry and accessories maker Ryan Porter are aiming to bring the locker room right to your homebound nostrils with a jockstrap-scented candle. In case that’s just a little too much for your senses, the line also includes a candle featuring the alluring aroma of nachos, as well as Hashtag Field Goals, which smells like fresh-cut grass.

Mmm, musk: The sweaty candle might not be quite as stomach-churning as you’d imagine.

Also in NFL news: Take a video tour inside the league’s newest venue, SoFi Stadium, the new home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

Jennifer Breithaupt Leaves Citi and Carla Hassan Is Named CMO

Jennifer Breithaupt, who has held the role of global consumer CMO since Sept. 2012, is leaving Citi, and Carla Hassan, who has served as the bank’s chief brand officer since 2018, will be moving into the CMO role. The move will unite branding and marketing at the company into a single team, and Hassan will drive both its marketing and sponsorship activities.

A new strategy: “Harnessing the power of these two organizations under one, performance-driven team, will further propel our business forward,” Hassan said.

Also in job moves: MAC Cosmetics CMO Ukonwa Ojo is joining Amazon as CMO of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, leading the company’s global brand and originals marketing.

Plant-Based Food Feud: Faux-Meat Brands Start a Public Beef Over ‘Clean’ Ingredients

Shots have been fired from both fronts of the Plant-Based Meat Wars: Startup Lightlife wrote an open letter about Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, criticizing what it called the larger companies’ “hyper-processed ingredients, GMOs, unnecessary additives and fillers, and fake blood.” Then, Impossible shot back on Medium, comparing the attack to “meat-industry propaganda” and questioning its connections to meat brands.

https://www.adweek.com/creativity/ryan-reynolds-drops-2-more-mint-mobile-ads-the-nfls-strange-extraordinary-return-thursdays-first-things-first/