PR Fresh Hits: April 21, 2021
Sports goes digital
COVID has forced many industries to pivot and adapt and live sports is near the top of the list.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), is one of the largest sports organizations in North America that oversees Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors and they’ve just launched a pretty serious digital arena.
“When a fan enters the app, they will see a prompt to join the digital arena. Once inside, there are different activities and games to take part in, all designed to act as a second-screen experience and enhance typical at-home viewing.”
There are a ton of fun features like predictive trivia (think: when is the last time these teams faced off?) that give digital points for things like swag.
It’s a brilliant way to immerse the players both in-arena and online. The platform looks like significant dollars were invested which we hope means, it’s here to stay. Brands that were predominantly in-person only really need to think about how they can fool-proof their business for new habits that may have formed during COVID.
Source: Born Digital
Lululemon wants to buy back your yoga pants
Like many other big apparel brands, Lululemon has realized there’s a huge demand for their products in secondhand markets and they want in on it.
Lululemon’s new buy back program will let consumers turn in ‘like new’ condition products in exchange for an e-gift card. These products will then be refurbished and sold (we’re guessing at a lower price point). Any items that don’t make the cut will be routed to Debrand, a Canadian company that helps brands recycle their textiles.
Any profits from this program will be invested into the company’s other sustainability initiatives, making it a really well-rounded piece of their larger strategy.
Sustainability is now table stakes for brands and retailers are finding resale programs to be a really popular way to show their shoppers they are taking real measures.
McDonald’s and BTS collaborate on a menu ‘tour’
McDonald’s is kicking off a global ‘one-of-a-kind menu tour’ with popular K-Pop group BTS in late May. BTS fans in participating countries will be able to grab the K-Pop group’s signature order and enjoy 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, soft drink and Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces as part of the collaboration.
Coined the “BTS Meal”, this menu will be the first to be available globally in nearly 50 countries. The scale is a testament to BTS’ global influence and the rise of popularity in Asian pop culture. With the geographical boundaries blurring by the day, this also paves way for the increasing global-wide campaigns and cross-market collaborations to come.
This is the latest partnership in McDonald’s celebrity signature orders program and follows the wildly popular Travis Scott menu that took off on social and in-restaurants late 2020 in the U.S.
Written by Crystal Kwon, principal at front+centre - a PR firm for challenger brands. If you want your work featured, email hi@frontandcentre.co