Community | Buzzworthy Sweet Somethings And Game Day Giveaways Holidays and major events provide a great opportunity for clever campaigns that tap into the festive mood. The best combine the familiar trappings of the occasion with a timely twist that captures people’s attention. See how these brands used merch and giveaways to engage fans and boost their reach with promos tied to the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. By Rachel Zoch IMAGE: White Castle House of Crave 1. Sweethearts Recognizes Modern Romance With ‘Situationships’ Spangler Candy, purveyor of the classic conversation hearts candies, put their blurry and misprinted product to work to make the most of the “situationship” dating trend, defined as “a romantic or sexual relationship that is undefined and noncommittal.” “Filled entirely with sweet, meaningless nothings and literal mixed messages, our box of blurry candies is the perfect gift for Situationships everywhere,” read the Sweethearts Candies site in January and February. You know the merch is on target when it sells out, and in this case, Cupid’s arrow hit the bullseye, as they sold out within hours. It’s also a brilliant way for the candy company to put otherwise defective stock to good use. 2. White Castle Gets Cozy With Burgers And Branded Merch A Valentine’s Day veteran, century-old slider chain White Castle again transformed participating restaurants into “Love Castles” – complete with festive décor and table service – and a branded Valentine’s Day merch collection available via White Castle’s House of Crave online store. Items included a robe adorned with cupids and sliders, heart-shaped sunglasses and White Castle T-shirts in two different designs – including one with conversation heartsstyle sliders reading “crave” and “slide.” IMAGE: Spangler Candy 70 • APRIL 2024 • PPAI
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