The Marketer’s Storybook: Smell This Ad, Steal That Bar, Trust No Cookie
A scratch-and-sniff armpit billboard. A Bluetooth-enabled chocolate bar that cries for help. And a tech giant reversing course on the death of third-party cookies.
This is The Marketer’s Storybook, where brand storytelling gets stranger, sharper and more strategic by the week.
This week’s lineup includes:
- Hilton turning bad travel experiences into brilliant content
- IKEA spotlighting furniture as sidekicks for baby’s first steps
- The Ordinary dragging celebrity skincare endorsements
- Google walking back its cookie phase-out after years of drama
- Vans translating sound into storytelling at Milan Design Week
Let’s dive in.
1. Hilton Turns Bad Reviews Into Brilliant Social Proof
In Hilton Hotels & Resorts‘s new campaign, “Hilton Saved My Stay,” takes real horror stories from vacationers and flips them into feel-good ads. By using social listening to find Airbnb and rental fails, Hilton shows up as the hero, with 6.97M+ views on its first video alone.
Key Takeaway: Bad experiences make great content – when you’re the solution. Hilton shows how social listening can fuel high-impact storytelling that resonates with Gen Z and Zillennials. Bonus points for taking the stories and turning them into engaging videos with so many hooks throughout to keep you watching until the end. Read more
2. IKEA’s Furniture Gets Star Billing in Baby’s First Steps
In “Supporting First Steps,” IKEA lovingly reframes furniture as sidekicks in life’s earliest milestones. Inspired by TikTok’s baby cruising trend, the brand highlights the role of pieces like the BEKVÄM stool and KALLAX shelves in helping toddlers walk without ever shouting “buy me.”
Key Takeaway: IKEA nails emotional storytelling by putting its products in the background of real moments. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best marketing doesn’t sell – it supports. Read more
3. The Ordinary Exposes the Real Price of Celebrity Endorsements
At a SoHo pop-up called “The Secret Ingredient,” The Ordinary ( DECIEM | THE ABNORMAL BEAUTY COMPANY) challenges luxury skincare pricing by dramatizing how much celebs actually cost. With interactive exhibits and live scientists, the brand visually unpacked the 30-100% price bump often baked into influencer-backed products.
Key Takeaway: Education with edge = brand differentiation. The Ordinary reinforces its anti-influencer stance with immersive storytelling that invites consumers to rethink what they’re really paying for. Read more
4. Google Walks Back Cookie Ban After Industry Backlash
After five years of chaos, Google is not killing third-party cookies after all. The pivot has industry pros fuming – citing wasted millions in prep and eroded trust. Google’s Privacy Sandbox will remain opt-in, and AI is being eyed as the next tracking frontier.
Key Takeaway: The lesson here isn’t just about cookies – it’s about clarity. Brands and advertisers need reliable signals, not shifting goalposts. For Google, regaining industry trust will be critical moving forward. Read more
5. Vans Turns Sound Into Storytelling at Milan Design Week
Vans’ OTW brand stole the show at Milan Design Week with a sonic-meets-sculptural installation called “CHECKERED FUTURE: FREQUENCY MANIFEST.” Designed by Willo Perron and sound artist Tim Hecker, the immersive space transformed sound waves into physical light and form.
Key Takeaway: Brands that want to lead culture must also design for all senses. Vans shows that storytelling can be spatial, sensorial, and boundary-breaking – especially when product meets art. Read more
6. Hershey’s Makes Chocolate Theft-Proof (Sort Of)
In Brazil, The Hershey Company teamed up with ADT to launch “Unstealable Chocolate Bars.” The premium bars include Bluetooth tracking tags that alert your phone if someone walks off with your Special Dark. It’s absurd. It’s brilliant. It’s a masterclass in brand love.
Key Takeaway: Storytelling meets utility in Hershey’s playful security stunt. It elevates product value, builds community (“Barra Lovers”), and earns buzz through tech-enabled charm. Read more
7. Billie Drops Giant Scratch-and-Sniff Armpits in NYC
Billie promoted its Coco Villa deodorant with towering scratch-and-sniff armpits across New York City. Yes, really – scratch-and-sniff billboards! Known for playful, cheeky campaigns, the brand went all in on sensory marketing, turning curiosity into product trial, street by street. I’m dying to know, would you give it a scratch and sniff? Leave a comment and let me know :).
Key Takeaway: Marketing that engages the senses sticks. Billie shows that low-tech experiences can still feel wildly innovative when the execution is unexpected (and Instagrammable). Read more
8. M&S Halts Online Orders After Cyberattack Chaos
Marks and Spencer paused all online orders after a cyberattack disrupted systems across its stores and website. Though contactless payments have resumed, the outage came at a critical shopping moment and spurred warnings about systemic cyber risks in retail.
Key Takeaway: Cybersecurity is brand safety. M&S’s situation underscores how tech resilience – or lack thereof – can impact reputation, sales, and customer trust in real time. While the situation has been bad, Marks & Spencer is doing a good job of keeping its customers updated via its social media channels, which is incredibly important in a crisis. I recently gave a talk on Storytelling In A Crisis and one of my big takeaways from the talk is about how the best time to prepare for a crisis is before it hits. If you haven’t done scenario planning, which includes roles and responsibilities, investigation and management processes, plus sample messaging, this is a good exercise to put into a workshop as soon as possible (and if you need help running one, let me know!). Read more
9. Jordan Brand Puts Luka Dončić on Trial (Literally)
To launch the Luka 4 sneaker, Jordan Brand (Nike) created an 8-minute faux film: “The Trial of Luka Dončić.” Framed like a legal drama, it plays on Luka’s reputation as a ruthless scorer, asking, “How could a man so bad… have shoes that nice?”
Key Takeaway: Fictional storytelling isn’t just fun – it’s sticky. The Jordan Brand turns athlete mythology into appointment content, proving that performance data and narrative can go hand-in-hand. Although, part of me does wonder if we are over-glorifying bad behavior in professional sports? Read more
10. White Castle’s New Merch Includes a $2,999 Bounce Castle
White Castle dropped new summer merch, including a 12′ x 12′ inflatable Bounce Castle for adults. Paired with slider-themed shirts, a pickleball set, and a retro lunchbox, the drop builds hype for warm-weather fun and brand nostalgia.
Key Takeaway: Merch can be storytelling – as well as a new revenue channel. White Castle’s playful products turn brand love into lifestyle moments, proving once again that good branding extends beyond the menu. Read more
My Stories
How to Scale Your Brand Story: Top Lessons from TubeFest
TubeFest delivered a masterclass in modern content strategy, from short-form video to audience growth and brand storytelling. Whether you’re a solo creator or part of a lean brand team, this event was packed with fresh, practical takeaways. In my latest blog post, I break down six standout lessons, from treating TikTok like a search engine to storytelling that sells more than viral views. Spoiler: Smart content isn’t just creative – it’s strategic.
Read the roundup: https://jessicagioglio.com/how-to-scale-your-brand-story-top-lessons-from-tubefest-on-video-strategy-and-content-creation/
Unlock More of My Stories
🌍 Website: JessicaGioglio.com Your one-stop shop for all my books, speaking engagements, and blog posts on marketing and storytelling.
📚 Books:
- The Power of Visual Storytelling: Learn how to shape a visual story around your brand using images, videos, GIFs, infographics, and more. Get your copy here.
- The Laws of Brand Storytelling: The definitive guide to using storytelling to win over customers’ hearts, minds, and loyalty. Grab it here.
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Until Next Time
Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’re here for marketing trends, storytelling inspiration, or both, I’m so grateful to have you along for the ride.
Keep telling the stories that matter, Jessica