Sunday Strategy: Springsteen's English Football Link, Progressive Ad Impact, Olympic Fashion + More

In this issue of Sunday Strategy, we look at what Bruce Springsteen and English football have in common, the complete archive of Cannes winners, clothing repair, the commercial case for progressive advertising, Olympic fashion and the timebomb of US retirement and healthcare.

In addition, we have ads from Paddy Power , Dunkin' , Stella Artois, Jack in the Box and 麦当劳 UK.

// Articles of the Week:

• The Boss Meets Phil Foden. With the final of both the Euros and the Copa America on Sunday, football / soccer looks to take over our TVs. One unexpected aspect of England’s appearance vs. Spain in the Euro finals will be a resurgence of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’. While those outside the country may not be familiar with the normal go-to of ‘Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home)’ as a national football tune, the Guardian looks at football chanting and how Springsteen’s familiar lyrics have been adapted to cheer on the England squad. Even for non-fans, it shows the constant intersection between sport and music, something the Killer’s screening of the England semi-final win during their London concert shows too well.? Read More Here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jul/12/cant-start-a-fire-england-fans-euro-2024-chants-springsteen-foden

*Two related bonus stories: A pre-’Friends’ Courtney Cox features in the “Dancing in the Dark’ music video and the Killer’s ‘Mr Brightside’ has been in the UK charts for a world record 416 weeks.

• Drive to Cannes. Looking for a roundup of the case studies and winners from this year’s Cannes Lions and don’t have access to the normal site? Look no further than ‘Drive to Cannes’ put together by creative duo Francescopaolo Cimino & Angela Palumbo. They’ve done an amazing job collating the different case studies and collateral from the festival in a way that lets everyone learn from it. Read More Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Rdl9gVj1tdWtKB7hYTHOOyjP2F_kLKmV

• The Case for Inclusion and Income. The Unstereotype Alliance , a UN organisation that works with advertisers to eradicate harmful stereotypes in media and advertising - has released their initial findings from their ‘business case for progressive advertising’ study. Done in partnership with Oxford Said Business School, as well as Unilever, Bayer, Kantar, Mondelez and Mars, the study aims to dimensionalize the positive commercial impact of progressive portrayals in advertising. Initial findings show progressive advertisers benefit from higher commercial and brand metrics including a 16% average long term sales uplift and a 1.4x higher purchase consideration. The full report, out in September may delve more into the detail of this, as well as considering the relationship between corporate culture / internal brand alignment that enables progressive advertising and the ads themselves. Read Initial Findings Here: https://www.unstereotypealliance.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/The%20Business%20Case%20for%20Progressive%20Marketing.pdf

• M&S Launches Clothing Repair Service. British retailer 马莎百货 has launched a clothing repair service called ‘M&S Fixed by SOJO. With their own research showing that only 10% of the British public have the confidence to repair their own clothes, M&S has ventured into the clothing repair space to address this issue and further their ‘Plan A’ sustainability initiative. Starting at 5 pounds, repairs are done through SOJO’s team of tailors, creatives and repair experts aim to get clothes back to you in 7 to 10 days. Following in the footsteps of other brands offering various types of repairs (Swedish jean brand Nudie’s free repair scheme has been a staple in my life), this shows how brands are getting creative about fulfilling desire for a more circular economy. Read More Here: https://www.just-style.com/news/ms-sojo-to-launch-clothing-repair-service

• Rising Heat Around Cooling US Renters. As climate change increases summer heat, the lack of regulation towards cooling US renters is becoming more obvious. US legislation is more likely to have policies protecting renters from extreme cold and requiring heating - but are more sparse when it comes to consideration around heat exposure. Most states don't require landlords to provide air conditioning, and energy assistance programs heavily favour winter heating over summer cooling. This policy gap disproportionately affects low-income and minority communities, who are more likely to lack access to adequate cooling. As climate change intensifies, policymakers are beginning to consider new regulations and funding options to address this issue. Read More Here: https://www.vox.com/climate/360019/climate-extreme-heat-ac-cooling-policy

• The Paradox of Gen Z Dating. Are Gen Z in a dating recession? The Guardian seems to think so. With reports from Pew and others showing a desire from Gen Z to reverse the trend of online dating towards in person meetups, how does disarming the potential awkwardness of in-person hookups unfold? Perhaps the spike in team sports and run clubs as meetup opportunities is the answer. Read More Here: https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/article/2024/jul/10/gen-z-digital-dating-era

• Falkirk’s Moment in the Sun. Context is sometimes lost when it comes to fashion as the success of a Japanese clothing retailer shows - who is seemingly using random Scottish place names on its clothing. From Falkirk to Clackmannanshire, Japanese clothing buyers are sporting locations in a way normally only reserved for New York, London or LA. In a world where people are looking for niche authenticity, can an association with Scotland’s cities fill a gap? Perhaps it makes more sense than Balenciaga’s recent $4k faux music festival wristband. Read More Here: https://news.sky.com/story/japanese-clothing-brand-shoo-la-rue-selling-t-shirts-emblazoned-with-names-of-random-scottish-places-13176540

• The Looming US Retirement Timebomb. A recent Gallup poll found 46% of Americans are confident that they will be able to pay for their healthcare as they age. With Medicare looking to be a discussion point in the upcoming election and research showing that 73% of Americans believe they won’t be able to access it when they need it - greater reassurance and planning on healthcare now and in the future is needed from brands and politicians. Read the Report here: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/611153/west-health-healthcare-in-america.aspx

• National Fashion Shows Up For Paris. The sponsored brands and team outfits for each nation are being released and several have set the internet ablaze. While Vogue has a good run through of the highlights below, Mongolia’s opening ceremony outfits have garnered critical and internet acclaim in recent days - while US brand’s J.Crew and Skims have started campaigns around their looks and athletes. See More Here: https://www.vogue.com/article/best-olympic-uniforms-summer-2024-games

// Ads You Might Have Missed:

‘When It Rains, We Pour’ - Stella Artois: As the official beer of the UK’s Wimbledon tennis tournament, Stella Artois has taken a creative approach to using the tournament’s eponymous rain delays as a campaign platform. From a launch video with David Beckham, to rain activated billboards and a sales initiative that buys drinks for pub customers when the play stops for rain - the brand has taken a smart approach to storytelling that compliments the tournament’s reality.

Read More Here: https://www.creativemoment.co/when-it-rains-stella-artois-has-you-covered-stella-artois-pulls-the-court-cover-in-interactive-stunt

‘Angrily Happy Story’ - Jack in the Box : While there may be a generation of customers who recognize Ice Cube from the Jump Street or XXX movies vs. Friday, Boyz in the Hood or NWA - this ad from US fast food chain ‘Jack in the Box’ to promote ‘Cube’s munchie meal’ captures the essence of Cube in a way that entertains and hits home. Watch it Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOUOZYlQ5xY ‘

Spain and Scotland’ - Paddy Power :? Paddy Power’s Euro tournament ads have been second only to Irn-Bru in my mind as some of the funniest and in advance of today’s final, they haven’t disappointed. Tapping into vox pops with Scottish fans seemingly embracing their Spanish heritage, they showcase the lengths some wish they could go to support the English opposition. At the same time, they create the greatest Spain in the UK football ad since Nike’s Fernando Torres Liverpool spot.?

Watch It Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1o0c8z5l8?

‘Iced, Like My Coffee’ - Dunkin' : Legacy brands seem to be finding a path through hazy 90s / 2000s nostalgia to cultural relevance and Dunkin Donuts is no exception. With a strategy seemingly sat in the middle of a Venn diagram between nostalgia and Boston cultural references, they have recruited former N-Sync’ers AJ Mclean and Joey Fattone as interns. Not content to just make coffee, the pair have released a 5 song Dunkin themed EP on Spotify, including a lead single ‘Iced Like My Coffee’. Hear It Here: https://www.foodandwine.com/dunkin-ep-iced-boys-joey-fatone-aj-mclean-spotify-8676921

‘50th Birthday’ - 麦当劳 UK: Some brands drag nostalgia into the current day, while others go back to the source and time. To celebrate its 50th birthday in the UK, McDonald’s has released an ad that aims to evoke a sense of the children’s birthday parties that might have occurred back in the 80s.?

Watch It Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T5XXVcc9_o&t=60s

// Until Next Sunday

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