On his latest album, Justin Bieber kicks off a song about his wife, Hailey Bieber, referencing her “iPhone case” with “lip gloss on it.”

To many, including her husband, Bieber’s brand Rhode Skin has become known as much for its products as the cases that hold and display them. In addition to $38 iPhone cases, Rhode has created a mirror holder for its Glazing Mist and a gold chain to display its Peptide Lip Tint, which was met with mixed reactions this summer.

Like the holders or not, Alex Center, founder of design and branding company Center, told us last year after the Rhode Lip Case was first released that he expected more brands to begin selling product accessories or product holsters as a form of marketing.

“Cell phone, wallet, keys—those are the things we need to invest in,” he said. “It makes a lot of sense to put [a product] on a keychain or connected to a cell phone.”

It seems marketers got the memo. Kathleen Braine, CMO of 818 Spirits, told us that the tequila brand took inspiration from Rhode in developing a holder that connects to a keychain charm for its new line of minis.

“If you can put a lip gloss in your bikini strap, why not a mini tequila bottle?” she told us.

Justin Bieber’s fashion brand Skylrk was reportedly inspired by Rhode to create a joint-holding phone case earlier this year. At the same time, as Labubus and bag charms have gained popularity in recent years, more brands ranging from Glossier to Fenty Beauty to Dior have created clip-on product holders and keychains that put their brand on display and, ideally, help customers accessorize on-the-go items.

Continue reading here.—KH

If you see a big group of people gathered around a TV during this half of the year, you probably don’t need to clock the jerseys to safely guess they’re watching football.

Sports games are among the last standing programs through which advertisers can reach live TV audiences, and “few plays in advertising are as reliable as a well-placed spot in an NFL game,” according to TV measurement company EDO.

Last NFL season, restaurant, auto, and finance brands stood out, and companies in other categories also found ways to effectively reach football fans, EDO found. In a recent report, the measurement company outlined some takeaways from the 2024 season that the NFL’s many advertisers might consider for game days this season.

Turn up the heat: Solo Stove was the most effective advertiser in the NFL last season, according to EDO, which defines ad effectiveness as how likely a spot is to motivate people to engage with a brand online. EDO tracks engagements including brand searches and site visits in the minutes after ads air.

• Solo Stove had an ad effectiveness of 1,403%, per EDO’s report, which means its ads “were 1,403% more likely to generate online engagement than the league average.”
• Mint Mobile followed with 792% effectiveness.
• Coldwell Banker, Polestar, JCPenney, Taco Bell, Arby’s, GMC, and IHOP were all also well over the average effectiveness.
• Liberty Mutual, Skyrizi, and Visa were among the brands that saw low engagement for high investments.
• Nike, Jersey Mike’s, and Instacart also saw low engagement, but with low investments.

Read more here.—AM

Each week, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Ben Geheb is global chief experience officer at VML, where he has been for nearly 10 years. He was previously at the business consultancy Innosight, and he started his career as an electrical engineer.

Favorite project you’ve worked on? For years I have worked closely with Ford, from helping design their 2030 corporate strategy to reimagining their entire digital and experience ecosystem. Part of that was being at the forefront of their electrification strategy. As such, I had the amazing opportunity to help reimagine the electrified experience ahead of the Mustang Mach-E launch. We were so early in the process, the vehicle was still being debated, yet we knew the experience had to push the norms of vehicle ownership and reinvent how Ford engages their owners. This project not only led to an expansion in charging, new services, launching BlueCruise, and many others, but it also changed how Ford works in a more human-centered way. It’s amazing to feel that at some small level I had an opportunity to put my fingerprint on the future strategy for such an iconic organization as Ford.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? For me and my role in customer experience, I often think of this through that lens, and as a frequent traveler, it’s my experience with Delta. Currently the full integration of their loyalty program into their app that now seamlessly integrates to the seatback screens, all while managing my trip, is one of the best examples of a truly connected experience that simplifies and removes the stress of travel.

Continue reading here.

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Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• McDonald’s is bringing back Monopoly after almost a decade.
• Verizon partnered with David Beckham to kick off its FIFA World Cup marketing.
• Nike and Skims rolled out their athleisure line with a campaign featuring athletes including Serena Williams, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Jordan Chiles.
• Chipotle collaborated with TikTok influencer Mr. Fantasy on a new burrito.