The Daily Carnage

The savvy marketer's hub for industry news, insights, resources, and culture.

Today’s Issue

Is Rainbow Capitalism Dead? 🌈

Brands scale back support.

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Brilliantly Boring

PNC Bank is finding a way to make boring banking culturally relevant by tapping into the TikTok trend: “What if brands were people?”

Created by Arnold Worldwide, the spots personify questionable money moves—like a tuxedo-clad NFT banana and a porcelain collectible doll—to highlight absurd financial fads.

Run, Don’t Walk

The new Converse collection reinterprets Coca-Cola’s iconic design elements—signature red and white palette, dynamic ribbon, vintage glass bottle shape, and classic graphics—across several Chuck Taylor silhouettes.

The limited-edition Chuck 70 is the hero style, featuring the ribbon motif, Coca-Cola script, and exclusive red colorway.

Vince Staples, starring as “Chuck” in visuals directed by Bradley Calder and captured by Sam Balaban.

There’s also a fleece hoodie, a jersey T-shirt, a tote bag, and a pom-pom beanie.

Starbucks Lovers

Hey Showgirls, did you catch the Starbies pop-up experiences this weekend?

Participating locations featured a pop-up vinyl shop, photo booth, friendship bracelets, and glitter-dusted cold foam drinks to celebrate Taylor Swift’s new orange-and-glitter aesthetic.

Starbucks billed the activation as “the largest global listening party,” playing the new record alongside a curated “Starbucks Lovers” playlist (IYKYK).

On the digital side, the brand engaged fans with social posts laced with Easter eggs, where the first 113,000 Rewards members to spot Swift references unlocked a free drink.

Maxwell Apartment

If we’re not laughing, we’re crying, right?

Maxwell House has temporarily rebranded as “Maxwell Apartment” for National Coffee Day with the tagline, “House? In this economy?”

The gag? You can buy a year’s supply of coffee, delivered in these rebranded cans, for $40 on Amazon. For real.

Maxwell Apartment

If we’re not laughing, we’re crying, right?

Maxwell House has temporarily rebranded as “Maxwell Apartment” for National Coffee Day with the tagline, “House? In this economy?”

The gag? You can buy a year’s supply of coffee, delivered in these rebranded cans, for $40 on Amazon. For real.

Speaking of Genes…

If you remember watching Katie Couric’s televised colonoscopy on TODAY, you might need to schedule one yourself now.

Anyway, she’s marking its 25th anniversary with a new campaign from the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Ryan Reynolds’ agency, Maximum Effort.

In it, she spoofs Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad, wearing a hospital gown under a denim jacket. It’s perfect.

Branding ChatGPT

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT’s first large-scale brand campaign, made in-house, to highlight how ChatGPT now integrates into everyday life… like it or not.

The cinematic work will be rolling out across the US, UK, and Ireland on TV, streaming platforms, outdoor advertising, and social media.

The push coincides with the hiring of their first CMO and hints at rumors for a future advertising platform.

Celtic Kickoff

Jameson Irish Whiskey has declared itself the “Unofficial Whiskey for Football Fans” ahead of the first professional game in Dublin this Sunday.

There will be immersive activations in both Dublin and Minneapolis, from viewing parties and tailgates to exclusive merch and themed bites.

Fans in Dublin can score American football merch packs at Bow Street Distillery and limited-edition Jameson Football Flasks (a 750mL whiskey container shaped like a regulation football).

There’ll also be live entertainment, cocktails, and themed experiences in NYC and LA, plus an ESPN SportsCenter live commercial.

But if you somehow miss all of that, you can get 15% off Jameson on Uber Eats every Sunday through October.

Only Glams

MAC Cosmetics bares it all in a bold new social and OOH campaign to reverse a sales slump.

The “I Only Wear MAC” series features tastemakers like Kris Jenner, Doja Cat, Gabbriette, Kristen McMenamy, Devyn Garcia, and others in striking black-and-white nude portraits, wearing nothing but MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF 15.