Your ATTN Please || Tuesday, 25 February

SO MOIST!

Yep, that’s the tagline of Dove’s new bodywash. And yes, they do know just how much we millennials loathe the um, “m word.” The ad spot, entitled “Moist Humor,” debuted during SNL’s 50th anniversary episode, making our ears bleed while simultaneously making us giggle. Well played, Dove.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Dove Hates on Millennials, X Threatens Brands to Come Back & This Year’s Super Bowl Ads Were Duds

Hello xx

I hope the transition from your weekend into the start of the week is easy and smooth, and that every cup of coffee you drink is good, because, well, what more could you ask for? Anyway, you're here for marketing snippets, so let’s go.

Dove takes advantage of everyone's hatred for the word “moist.”

I feel like this is such a millennial thing. No one else seems to care more about the word “moist” other than my generation. To the point where it was like, part of our personalities for the longest time? #justquirkymilleninialthingshehe

Anyway. The new 30-second spot, which played at SNL's 50th anniversary, was the brand's debut into comedy. It was developed with Ryan Reynolds' agency, Maximum Effort, to showcase the brand's Renewing MicroMoisture technology.

The ad sees four women sit down for a focus group, excited about the new product. That is, until the campaign reveal, which features “So Moist!” as the tagline. Dove is also pushing “Moist Humor” on their social channels (which I’m sure will be eaten up by those between the ages of 29 to 44). Watch the new ad here.

Big brands consider returning to X for advertising.

According to Social Media Today, X is in deep sh*t – financially, that is (amongst other things). Despite culling 80% of staff and shutting down several international offices, the company’s financials pose an existential risk for the platform.

X has a debt burden of about $1.2 billion in interest payments a year. What's worse, it only brought in $2.6 billion in total net revenue last year (significantly down on the $5.1 billion Twitter did the year before Elon bought it).

The only saving grace? Taking extreme measures to win more advertisers back. More like pressuring them legally. Musk has reportedly threatened former ad partners with legal action if they don’t resume spending. Are we surprised? No. Someone hand me the popcorn.

Compared to the last 5 years, this year's Super Bowl ads were the least effective.

Womp womp. This finding comes from DAIVID, an AI "creative effectiveness" platform. DAIVID looks at the emotional impact of an ad, as well as the brand and campaign metrics of the campaign. According to the platform, the Super Bowl ad that packed the most emotional punch was "Somebody | It Takes All of US" for the NFL itself (go figure).

The majority of this year’s ads were designed to get laughs. But, the most impactful ones were ads that made viewers connect with a sense of purpose (like the NFL's spot). And, although ads this year were the least funny since 2022, you can check out the most humorous ad, Mountain Dew's "Kiss from a Lime," right here.

And that’s all folks!

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DEEP DIVE

How to Use Your Competitor’s Mistakes to Your Advantage (without looking like a villain)

If soda brands were people, Poppi and Olipop would be the It Girls. But like, as rivals.

And oh, the girls sure are rivalling. This year, Poppi doubled down on its influencer-heavy approach, running its second consecutive Super Bowl ad featuring social media darlings like Alix Earle and Jake Shane. So far, so normal.

But it was the PR stunt supporting this campaign that sent loyal customers into a rage spiral. See, Poppi decided to ship out custom-branded vending machines filled with its product to a select group of influencers. The goal? Drive buzz, get people talking, and reinforce its trendy, influencer-first brand image. But instead of applause, it got a digital side-eye.

Why? Because loyal customers—the ones actually buying the product—felt overlooked. Their frustration spilled onto social media. Users accused the brand of prioritising influencer relationships over the people who keep their business running.

Enter Olipop.

Rather than spending millions on a flashy campaign, Poppi’s main competitor saw an opportunity and pounced. But instead of resorting to the usual brand-war snark, Olipop engaged directly with frustrated Poppi fans on social media, reassuring them that it would never treat its customers that way.

And just like that, Olipop won the moment without spending a dime on, well, anything, let alone vending machines.

Olipop’s approach worked because it wasn’t just about dragging Poppi.

It was about meeting customers where they were and positioning itself as the alternative they actually want. So, here’s what brands can learn from this:

• Social listening is a superpower. Brands that actively monitor conversations can jump in before things spiral out of control—or use a competitor’s fumble to their advantage.

• Shade is fun, but solutions win. This wasn’t just corporate clapback culture. It was Olipop engaging with real consumers, offering real alternatives.

• Big-budget campaigns don’t always win. Sometimes, the best marketing move is simply paying attention and responding in the right way.

Poppi played the influencer game. Olipop played the people game. And in the end, the people game always wins.

-Sophie, Writer

TREND PLUG

Unfortunately, You Have Lost Your Memory

Today's trend all started when TikTok user @madison.frey decided to flip nostalgia on its head.

While watching Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, she imagined a scenario where a doctor casually drops the bomb, “Unfortunately, you have lost your memory,“ to which she responds, UNFORTUNATELY?!”

Instead of grieving her lost memories, she celebrates the chance to experience everything as if it were the first time. And this has sparked a viral moment that’s all about fresh starts.

Whether it’s rewatching that all-time favourite show, reliving the magic of a first read, or even playing your fav game for the first time again, the trend is turning memory loss into a celebration of new beginnings. It’s funny, relatable, and downright refreshing.

How you can jump on this trend: 

Using the sound, think of something you’d be hyped to experience again for the very first time. Then, record a quick video that captures that “reset” moment. Overlay the video with these must-have lines: “Doctor: Unfortunately, you have lost your memory. Me: UNFORTUNATELY?!”

A few ideas to get you started:

• Playing back your proudest video

• Discovering comic sans font again

• Being thankful you get to forget your hardest flops

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😲WTF: There’s a new state of matter?!
❤How wholesome: the absolute cutest omg
😊Soooo satisfying: Thread cutting
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: American Goulash

TODAY ON THE YAP PODCAST

Want even more “YAP”ing? Check out the full podcast here.

ASK THE EDITOR

I don't have any professional photos for LinkedIn. Is it ok to use regular photos from my phone? -Liz

Hey Liz,

Photos you've taken on your phone are absolutely fine for LinkedIn! Depending on what side of LI you're on, you might see a lot of posts with posed, professional photos. And there's nothing wrong with getting some professional photos done eventually (although I'd suggest having those show your personality, not just have you doing stiff poses)!

But don't let not having photos be a barrier for posting. Instead, start thinking of whatever you do as an opportunity to capture photos for your content. Have a colleague take some candids of you at your desk or chatting with clients. When you go to networking events or conferences, ask whoever you’re with to snap a few. Once you adopt the mindset of always thinking about creating content, you'll find it much easier to take photos in your daily life.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

WHAT DO YA THINK?

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