Limited seats remain

Secure your place at the Digiday Publishing Summit in Vail, March 23-25

REGISTER

Zayn it ain’t so: Brands mourn the loss of a One Directioner

It’s a momentous time in history. Singer Zayn Malik has left One Direction, throwing tweens everywhere into a downward spiral of depression they will not emerge from until their 40th birthday. The news broke Wednesday morning that Malik was leaving the hot band to focus on being a “normal” 22-year-old. Brands, ever mindful of the difficult time this was for their young customers, were quick to lend their support. We round up and grade the offenders.

Girl Scouts
On-brand, includes the product and also just adorable. A+

JobSite U.K. Very cute offering from this U.K. company. A

Marmite Shoddy photoshopping, but appreciate the effort. B+

Denny’s You couldn’t even add in a picture of some of your comfort food? C-

Paddy Power Good use of “that moment when,” but are Paddy Power’s target demographic really pre-teen girls? D

Nihilist Arby’s This parody Twitter account has got game. A

Homepage image courtesy of Shutterstock.

More in Marketing

Why a Gen Alpha–focused skin-care brand is giving equity to teen creators

Brands are looking for new ways to build relationships that last, and go deeper than a hashtag-sponsored post.

Pitch deck: How ChatGPT ads are being sold to Criteo advertisers

OpenAI has the ad inventory. Criteo has relationships with advertisers. Here’s how they’re using them.