Tinder will bin your emotional baggage
Tinder has rolled out two clever, light-hearted campaigns that are resonating with its Gen Z audience and generating viral buzz in the process.
First came the “EX-press” disposal truck, spotted in the streets of Mumbai. The bright pink lorry invited singles to literally discard their emotional baggage – from love letters to hoodies and soft toys. The stunt was rooted in a brand-commissioned study revealing that 82% of singles aged 18-25 prioritize mental health in relationships, while 77% refuse to compromise on self-care. The truck not only created a physical moment of release, but sparked a surge of user-generated content, transforming personal stories of heartbreak into a feel-good, shareable experience.
Next came “RelationChips”, a limited-edition snack celebrating the fact that a new relationship starts on Tinder every three seconds – the same amount of time it takes to eat a chip. Created with Mischief @ No Fixed Address, the snacks came with a QR code offering a free trial of Tinder Gold, with influencers like Trisha Paytas driving buzz across social media. The chips quickly sold out, fueling further scarcity-driven demand.
Teresa Zhou, Managing Director
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Love Island USA returns—can the marketing keep up with the hype?
The new season of Love Island USA is back on our screens and already making waves. With last season’s runaway success, the show faces a unique set of challenges on the marketing front to live up to fan’s sky-high expectations. The show’s return has reignited a passionate audience, but also intensified scrutiny—every teaser, partnership, and influencer post is being dissected by fans who want even more drama, romance, and meme-worthy moments.
In fact, the excitement for the new season was so intense for the premiere last week that the Peacock app was overwhelmed—delaying the episode’s release by over an hour due to a surge in traffic. While this level of demand is a marketer’s dream, it also highlights the immense pressure on Peacock’s teams to deliver a seamless fan experience. Technical hiccups like this can quickly become talking points on social media, and while they signal high engagement, they also risk frustrating the show’s most passionate viewers.
Adding to the challenge, a brand-new Love Island USA spin-off ‘Beyond the Villa’ —born from last season’s breakout success—is set to premiere in July. This gives newer fans, who joined the Love Island phenomenon last year, even more to look forward to and helps keep the momentum going throughout the summer. However, it also means Peacock’s marketing teams are juggling not just one, but two major launches, each with its own expectations and audience demands.
Unlike the seasoned Love Island UK—which has weathered years of fan scrutiny and the odd misstep —the US version is still carving out its identity. The marketing team must strike a balance between building on last season’s hype and ensuring both the main show and its spin-off feel fresh and distinct. Real-time audience feedback and social listening will be crucial, especially after the technical delays at launch, to keep fans engaged and reassure them that their excitement is matched by a responsive, innovative brand.
Ultimately, with two Love Island USA shows on the horizon and a fanbase that’s more vocal and invested than ever, Peacock’s marketing strategy must be agile, creative, and relentlessly fan-focused. If they can turn these challenges into opportunities—delivering not just content, but a community and experience—they’ll avoid disappointment from fans and further cement Love Island USA as a summer staple in its own right.
Lauren Johnson, Managing Director
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Dove paves the way forward for Unilever’s new ad strategy
Unilever recently announced it’d be making a bold shift in its ad spending, allocating 50% of the budget to social media and leveraging 20 times more influencers. Dove, its flagship brand, has already embraced the new vision with its creator-led campaign #ShareTheFirst. This initiative features content entirely produced by creators and free of studio equipment or preproduction. It started in the U.K. with Lucy Reeves before branching to 14 markets with over 100 influencers. The campaign debuted across 64 digital screens at London’s Liverpool Street station, mimicking a social media camera roll and highlighted the brand’s research finds that 9 in 10 women take up to 50 photos before posting. By co-creating content with trusted creators and letting them shape tone, execution, and messaging, Dove fosters authentic engagement and rapid turnaround with some markets only taking 48 hours to deploy campaign content.
This is a transformative pivot for marketing and consumer-brand interaction. For the industry, it underscores a move away from polished, scripted ads and leans toward agile, community-driven storytelling. Agencies like ours have encouraged long-term creator relationships, and this is a perfect example of why it’s an important investment and how this infrastructure can enable hyper-local, quick-turn content. This way of approaching ads could democratize the ad space, making them more diverse, relevant, and real, especially when it comes to getting the attention of Gen Z and millennials. Reliance on influencer ecosystems may increase marketing fragmentation, so everything is best in balance. Overall, Dove’s approach continues to prove their methods for sustainable blueprints when it comes to purpose-led advertising, its scalability, and emotional impact.
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Chipotle’s push to stay relevant without losing its roots
This summer, Chipotle is rolling out its integrated “Summer of Extras” campaign to boost visibility, increase engagement, and combat declining Q1 sales. Key components include strategic partnerships and digital activations, paired with consumer-focused initiatives such as loyalty incentives, limited time offers, and $1 million in burrito giveaways to drive traffic during the slower months. From student-athlete partnerships to collaborations with E.l.f. and Carhartt, the food chain is leveraging timely moments, and reinforcing core values like real ingredients transparent sourcing, all while rewarding customer loyalty.
As someone who loves Chipotle and will rarely say no to the “guac is extra, is that OK?” question, I’ll definitely be claiming that free burrito. Beyond the perks, this campaign strikes a smart balance between cultural relevance and brand consistency by using buzzworthy engagements keeping the brand top-of-mind. My personal favorite push is the makeup-meets-menu partnership with E.l.f. as it feels both cute and connective, proving that relevancy today is about showing up in intentional but also unique ways.
In a time when portion sizes can get compromised and budgets are tight, Chipotle’s consumer-focused efforts engage its audiences by both providing perks to customers, but also by amplifying the intersections of food, and digital culture. Where many brands rush to reinvent themselves today, Chipotle’s new campaign stays true to its roots while showing up in fresh and creative ways – bringing in new eyes without losing loyal fans who love Chipotle for what it already is.
Karsen Cochran, Campaign Coordinator
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