The Daily Carnage

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

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Trash Talk 🤖

AI is dunking on you.

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We’ve been talking a lot lately about how important it is to monitor how LLMs perceive your brand.

Antihistamine brand Allegra has applied this insight in a new influencer-supported campaign.

“Drowsy Prompts” is driven by the insight that AI knows—without any training—that Allegra won’t make you drowsy the way its competitors’ allergy medications can.

When asked to perform tasks “under the influence” of these competitors, AI produces a sleepy, sluggish response. Try the same prompt with Allegra and you’ll get a sharp, focused answer.

“We’re proud of Drowsy Prompts because it allowed us to co-create a campaign together with our audience powered by simple AI technology,” said Samuel Morisse, Zone brand head for Allegra US.

Real Gains

Elmo has recuperated from all of our trauma dumping and returned to remind us to be a little softer on ourselves.

In the warmly lit and fuzzy feelin’ “Soft Wins” spot, created by Flower Shop for the release of On’s Cloudsurfer 2 running shoes, Elmo repositions running as a joyful practice of self-love, growth, and community.

“When thinking about who could embody the spirit of softness, Elmo and his kindness and compassion—not to mention his soft, red fur—immediately came to mind,” said Alex Griffin, On’s chief marketing officer.

Nip Slip

Sorry for the unsolicited butt. But! It’s for a good cause.

Droga5 and Perky just pulled off a genius move to outsmart social media censorship while shining a light on breast cancer survivor support.

Perky, a San Antonio-based clinic specializing in ultra-realistic 3D nipple tattoos for survivors, kept getting flagged on Instagram.

The loophole? Nipples are only censored on women’s chests—anywhere else, they’re fair game. (That’s a fight for another day.)

So, Perky did free nipple tattoos on thighs, abdomens, and butt cheeks, capturing content that social platforms couldn’t take down.

“‘Skin in the Game’ was about more than just visibility. It was about finding new, creative ways to break barriers and support those who need it most,” said Lauren Varvara, executive creative director at Droga5 New York.

Double Dipping

Did you notice that the Little Caesars and Pringles spots during the Super Bowl both hinged on the same creative concept?

That is… eloping facial hair.

Eugene Levy’s iconic eyebrows flew off in the pizza campaign, while Andy Reid’s and Nick Offerman’s mustaches flew off in the crisp campaign.

The brands quickly collaborated on a social post to acknowledge the coincidence and tease an “official” collaboration—with lots of other brands having fun in the comments.

Let’s Go Tongues

Re: The Coffee Mate commercial from last night.

The Nestle brand promoted a new cold foam product in a :30 spot that left Super Bowl fans feeling like they got slipped a little too much tongue.

According to The Daily Carnage Facebook group…

“[That] was the worst thing we have ever seen, right?”

“How did that get past…..well anyone, really?”

“And we are all talking about it…mission accomplished, right?”

Gagged.

Gone Tumbln’

Tumblr’s latest campaign, created by Rival, positions the platform as place of refuge from the dynamic digital landscape full of toxic masculine energy and controversy. Lookin’ at you, X. …And Meta.

Come embrace escapism, creativity, and self-expression without divisive rhetoric!

Tumblr is a place with “asexual trampoline ghost energy,” apparently, which is a) one hell of a differentiator and b) starting to sound pretty good right about now.

Gentle chaos only.

Fishy & Cheesy

The Uber Eats football conspiracy theory campaign continues.

No, we’re not talking about the NFL fixing the Chiefs win to get Taylor on TV. We’re talking about McConaughey’s idea that football was invented to make you hungry.

Among a slew of other teasers, the brand took over the Caesars Superdome—which will host the big game on February 9—by placing green banners over the stadium logo to read “Caesars Salad?”

The banners’ QR code directs people to the Uber Eats app, where they can order Martha Stewart’s Super Bowl Caesar Salad.

Major Points

The good news: IKEA just launched a points-based rewards program!

The bad news: They’re comically late to the party. What year is it?

Fortunately, they’re in on the ribbing.

In a new series of videos, they bring back viral moments from the last decade, including the Harlem Shake, the Mannequin Challenge, and the Bottle Flip.

If you have no idea what we’re talking about, just enjoy earning points on your new BILLY bookcase and don’t worry about it. It was a weird time.

Verizon FanFest

Verizon is making Super Bowl history next month with event activations in 30 football stadiums across the U.S. on the day of the big game.

For the first time, stadium doors will be opened to thousands of Verizon customers and their guests on the biggest day in football, where they’ll be treated to local food and drink vendors, meet and greets with local NFL heroes, and performances by local music acts.

“The Super Bowl is practically a national holiday, but very few people actually get to experience the Super Bowl live in the stadium,” said Nick Kelly, Verizon’s head of partnerships.

“We’re leveraging the power of our sponsorships, national and local partnerships across the country, along with the unmatched strength of the Verizon network in stadiums and venues, to put our customers at the center of this unique experience.”

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