The Daily Carnage

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

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Is Rainbow Capitalism Dead? 🌈

Brands scale back support.

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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.

Bubly Got Low

Bubly has teamed up with Apple Bottoms—yes, the denim label made famous by Flo Rida in 2008—to launch a social-first campaign called “Apple Bubly Jeans.”

The brands have hit the floor with limited-edition jeans featuring Apple Bottoms’ signature apple-shaped back pocket, sized perfectly to hold a can of Bubly

Next thing you know, there’s denim-inspired packaging, a tank top, clutch, keychain, and patch. Bubly even commissioned a branded remix of “Low.”

No word on botts with the fur, but we’ll keep you posted.

Boo Bucket XL

Move over, Skelly. Home Depot has built up a viral frenzy with a new Halloween item:

A simple 2-gallon orange bucket decorated with jack-o’-lanterns, bats, ghosts, and spiderwebs. It’s just $2.98.

You might wanna pick up a few more bags of candy this year, because it looks like the kids will be slinging buckets this year.

One thing’s for sure: affordable + seasonal + limited edition = scary good results.

Take What You Get and Turn It Into Wine

Avril Lavigne has gone ahead and made ~~things so~~ Complicated… a limited-edition Pinot Noir with California-based Banshee Wines.

The small-batch red is light and velvety, with bright cherry and raspberry notes.

If you miss the bottle, chill oout… fans can snag one of 50 “Sip and Spin” kits, complete with a record player and her Let Go album on vinyl, designed to pair music with the pour.

Banshee is also donating $10,000 to She Is The Music, a nonprofit empowering women in the industry.

Sip + Spin

Nespresso has partnered with The Weeknd to open the Samra Origins Vinyl Café, a six-week pop-up that blends coffee, culture, and music.

The cafe supports the launch of a co-designed Vertuo POP+ machine and a limited-edition vinyl pressed from Nespresso coffee grounds featuring The Weeknd’s “Give Me Mercy” from Hurry Up Tomorrow.

Everything reflects The Weeknd’s Ethiopian heritage, from vibrant Metad Green and Buna Yellow décor to the Samra logo in Amharic honoring his mother.

There are also interactive tasting stations, signature drinks, live DJ sets, and curated vinyls that highlight Ethio-jazz, soul, and funk.

Nice Touch

You want a BlueMoonGarnish with that?

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Blue Moon has renamed the orange slice to the “BlueMoonGarnish.” Because they can, that’s why.

Partnering with Mischief @ No Fixed Address, they also rebranded Chicago and Boston’s Orange Line transit routes as the “BlueMoonGarnish Line” and they’re giving away custom-stamped oranges with Blue Moon orders in multiple cities.

The campaign extends to in-person events, social media, and even a tongue-in-cheek video tour of a fictional BlueMoonGarnish farm.

Logo and Behold

You know we love a campaign built on a simple observation.

Heinz latest global campaign, created with Rethink, highlights the visual connection between fry boxes at restaurants worldwide and the brand’s iconic keystone logo.

By drawing out this design quirk, Heinz positions fries and ketchup as an inseparable duo.

The campaign spans 8 major markets, running across OOH, social, influencer, and earned media, with added fuel from a global Uber Eats partnership offering half-price ketchup with fry orders.

One, Two-Hoo, Three…

In delightful news, Tootsie Roll has remastered the “How Many Licks” commercial for a new generation while preserving the original script.

First aired in 1970, the spot featuring Mr. Owl has been lovingly rebuilt for 2025 with brighter animation, high-definition detail, and new voices.

The campaign, led by Schafer Condon Carter and animator Calabash, will run across CTV, YouTube, and social platforms through Halloween.

Why Do It?

It’s an interesting gauge of culture when a legacy brand revisits a platform that has resonated for decades.

Nike is reintroducing its iconic mantra, “Just Do It,” to connect more with athletes of 2025 for a new global campaign.

“Why Do It?” frames greatness as a a choice, not an outcome. It’s something you attain each time you decide to begin, persist, and keep moving forward.

The campaign’s anthem film features LeBron James, Carlos Alcaraz, Caitlin Clark, Saquon Barkley, Rayssa Leal, Qinwen Zheng, and more.

It’s all about collaboration over competition, courage in vulnerability, and just getting started.