The Sauce - 19/10/23

This is for you marketers. For the professional on the run (because you're busy, not a fugitive), 'The Sauce' newsletter is your weekly dollop of marketing news. Yes, we're going to serve you some AWESOMESAUCE.?

The Sauce showcases the finest industry scandals, the juiciest campaigns and the most exciting jaw-dropping goss (as spicy as marketing related news can deliver anyway).?

Here are this week's shoutouts:

giffgaff’s gaff? Big Brother returned to our screens on 8th October, in one of the most hotly-anticipated comebacks of the year. The show was axed in 2018, after running in the UK for 18 years. giffgaff has joined as the show’s Official Network Partner, enforcing the brand’s tagline ‘We’re Up To Good’. The partnership sees the brand create reactive ads based on iconic scenes from the Big Brother House. The campaign will also take an agile approach on X (formerly Twitter), aiming to boost community engagement.

We love the brand’s proactive and reactive approach, but has the partnership had the desired effect? The BB launch pulled in its highest viewing figures since its Channel 4 days 13 years ago but giffgaff has struggled to gain traction and engagement on X. As X continues to lose daily active users and ad revenue, we would have loved to see giffgaff utilise TikTok and Instagram reels to generate engagement and maximise its sponsorship. Are you watching the new series of BB?

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Made Strong – Remember your first pair of Dr. Martens? The brand is honouring one of its most iconic designs, the 1460, with its latest ‘Made Strong’ campaign. With the campaign line ‘Made Strong Since 1960’, it focuses on the new generation of Dr. Marten wearers through the lens of strength, asking 14 young people what strength means to them.

At Awesomesauce, we’re huge fans of Dr. Martens – throughout its history the British brand has stayed true to its heritage, while adapting its style to transcend generations. Its latest campaign demonstrates its commitment to self-expression and perfectly complements its brand identity.

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byAmazon – On first name terms with your Amazon delivery driver? (No… just us then!) You could be soon as the brand has just launched its latest disruptive service, byAmazon, its own grocery range. From pasta to olive oil, and coffee to wine, there’s no reason to leave the house with next day delivery for Prime customers.?

The service was launched with a marketing campaign by Red Brick Road, with the slogan ‘Food too, who knew?’ and smile-shaped food to mimic the instantly recognisable Amazon smile logo. ?We love the clever campaign – not many brands can get away with playing with their branding in a creative way, but Amazon’s iconic logo allows creativity without affecting the strength of their brand.

James Keith, Awesomesauce Account and Strategy Director, said, “It's interesting to see how big brands are trying to diversify and maximise their existing customer base, from Spotify with audiobooks, to Amazon with groceries. The potential impact this could have on other brands such as Audible and supermarkets is massive, and could force other businesses to react and adapt. This move by Amazon could completely change the way people approach their food shopping, and even reduce food waste.”

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Did Somebody Say Just Eat? The latest iteration of the food-delivery brand’s iconic song features vocals from the legendary Christina Aguilera and rapper Latto. The ad attracted mixed reviews with some fans saying the song was ‘beneath’ Aguilera, while others were in love with the duet - ‘How PERFECT is it?’

The collab has racked up nearly a million views on TikTok and, whether you love it or hate it, once you’ve heard it, you won’t be able to get it out of your head. With previous collabs including Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg, Just Eat seems to be targeting the millennial audience with their high disposable income – and it’s a resounding yes from us at Awesomesauce.

Now, all this talk of food is making us hungry - be on the lookout for next week's serving.