A serving of goodbye pie, AI gone wrong & unlikely beauty ambassadors: January marketing moments of the month

And just like that: we’ve done it.

Hailed as the most bleak month of the year, January is a time where we reset from the debauchery of the festive season. We drink green juices, attempt to heal our sleeping patterns, and peer at our bank statements with one eye open. 

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It’s not all doom and gloom however: not for the marketing world at least. In fact, you’ll be pleased to know that the last month afforded us some great marketing campaigns. You can find a round-up of some of our favorites below.

Ready to get stuck in?

Here goes…

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Michael Cera-Ve

In January, Michael Cera became the unlikely face of skincare, after paparazzi photos emerged of the beloved actor lugging bottles of CeraVe around New York.

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Confused? Fascinated? Rushing out of the door to purchase a bottle of the moisturizer? Consider yourself part of the masses – because the internet was also intrigued. In fact, the actor (who rarely does brand collaborations, may we add), was working with CeraVe for an ad to air on none other than SuperBowl Sunday.

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You can watch the ad ahead of the game below:

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A genius marketing crossover (it might even top E.l.f.’s partnership last year with Jennifer Coolidge…).

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DPD's AI Scandal

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God bless the humble courier. They’re a beacon of hope for the last-minute shoppers – a promise that no matter how late you might’ve left the order, you’ll still kill the look for the weekend. 

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Sometimes, however, couriers are subject to a bit of bad press – and for DPD, it didn’t really get worse than this. In January, a disgruntled customer attempted to track down a missing parcel by getting information from DPD’s AI chatbot. Realizing that he wasn’t going to have much luck, the individual decided to get creative and “have some fun”. 

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Following a couple of expletive-suggestive prompts, the individual even managed to get the chatbot to write a poem criticizing DPD.

Absolute chaos. 

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Pizza Hut delivers "Goodbye Pies"

The descent into February means one thing: Valentine’s Day is approaching. And, whilst some of us might be feeling the love, others might have different ideas.

Enter Pizza Hut.

This year, the brand is offering to quite literally be the bearer of bad news. Starting on February 6th, heartbreakers can send their scorned lovers a “Goodbye Pie”. The limited-edition pizza has hot honey on top and is packaged in a custom box with a spot to write in their names.

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Plus, if you want a creative break-up reason, look no further than their “Excuse Generator” – a website dedicated to helping you break the bad news. (“I have a rare disease where I can’t respond to your texts anymore” is pretty rational, tbf).

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Victoria & David Beckham get honest (again)

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Superbowl ads are never anything short of iconic. This year, Uber really hit the mark early by securing everyone’s favorite power couple: The Beckhams.

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Building on their viral “be honest” moment, the ad sees Victoria chatting away to the camera and sharing that her and David are “going to be in a little commercial”. 

Spoiler: the commercial isn’t little: it’s actually during one of the most sought-after slots on television: Superbowl Sunday, of course. 

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You can watch the full ad below. 

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Props to Uber, for reinventing one of the biggest pop culture moments of last year and proving that going viral doesn’t always have to be a one-hit wonder. 

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JUBEL banishes the January Blues through the power of party

We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: January sucks. This is a pretty universal statement — however, rather than wallowing in the misery, beer brand JUBEL set out to challenge this sentiment. 

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JUBEL set up a billboard in London that served as a hidden doorway to an exclusive party, complete with pints poured for punters upon entry. Despite being hailed as a covert gathering, the event reached its 100 person capacity within the first hour. 

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Jesse Wilson, founder of JUBEL said, “Our brand is all about getting people together, having a pint, and creating unforgettable memories. These are all things that we particularly crave in January”. 

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A great way to cure the January blues. Hats off!

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