The Drive
Apple announced a feature aimed at distracted driving during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. "Do Not Disturb While Driving" will automatically come on if an iPhone is connected via Bluetooth to a vehicle. "Do Not Disturb While Driving" will black out the phone's screen, silence notifications, and enable an auto-response to anyone who texts.
CNBC
New products and promotions are helping boost same-store sales growth at restaurant chains so far in the second quarter, according to Wall Street analysts. Pizza chains, however, are taking a hit due to increased cheese costs. Notable new products include McDonald's Signature Craft Recipes line and Wendy's Fresh Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich.
Skift
Wyndham Rewards has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to form a new loyalty partnership whereby members of their respective programs receive status matching and by the end of summer, the ability to earn, redeem, and transfer points. Under the SPG agreement, SPG Platinum members received VIP Access status at Caesars.
Brand Channel
Lululemon is closing about 40 of the company's 55 Ivivva-branded stores in North America and converting half of the remaining stores to Lululemon-branded shops. As part of its earnings report, management discussed how it's restructuring Ivivva to a primarily focus on e-commerce with a handful of stores in key markets across North America going forward.
Complex
LaVar Ball and his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo have the basketball world and sneaker industry giving them their undivided attention, thanks to Lonzo's bright future in the NBA and LaVar's constant promotion of Big Baller Brand. LaVar Ball talks about the controversy of Big Baller Brand's $500 sneaker and what happened when he tried to sell Nike on the brand.
MarTech Today
On Endangered Species Day, several digital billboards in New York City's Times Square participated in a one-hour event where members of the public could take a selfie with an image of an endangered animal (displayed as photos at street level) and then post it to the hashtag #SaveTogether on Twitter and Instagram.
Retail Dive
While color is a theme of the campaign - which taps three directors whose resumes include feature films, music videos and creative work for top global brands - the rainbow-painted eBay logo is being scaled down to two-tone text blocks from the flagship combo which features light blue lettering in a purple box.
The New York Times
Axe and some other brands seem to have suddenly discovered that not all men are heterosexual, sex-driven bodybuilders. This updated portrayal of masculinity by some brands is reminiscent of "femvertising" from roughly a decade ago. While some brands are heading in the right direction with how they portray men, advertising still tends to stick to cliches.
NYSportsJournalism.com
In anticipation of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, set to tee off June 15, the PGA Tour is unveiling a marketing campaign with pro golfer Andrew "Beef" Johnston to support Arby's as the "official restaurant of the PGA Tour." In addition, the PGA Tour has signed automaker Alfa Romeo as the third global partner for the Presidents Cup, joining Citi and Rolex.
Mashable
UNICEF is ramping up its efforts to help American kids get active and save lives. The UNICEF Kid Power app, now available for iOS and Android, tracks your activity through your smartphone. Every 2,500 steps earn you a point, and 10 points "unlock" a ready-to-use therapeutic food package that UNICEF will deliver to a child with severe acute malnutrition.