Chobani vs Reckitt

Klarna's Olivia Butter on Consumer Research, AI, and Trust

Olivia Butter, Head of Global Brand Direction and Strategy at Klarna, discusses the limits of consumer research, the evolution of Klarna from a payments brand to an 'everyday money partner', and the role of AI in marketing. She emphasizes that consumers cannot always articulate what they want, so marketers must use psychology and leadership to present novel solutions. She also outlines Klarna's new global brand campaign 'Shower Thoughts' and its strategy of being culturally relevant to build trust, contrasting with traditional financial institutions. Butter shares insights on team leadership, the importance of consistent brand presence, and her views on the distinction between marketing and brand.

• Klarna is launching a new global brand campaign called 'Shower Thoughts'.
• Klarna has evolved from a 'buy now, pay later' service into a comprehensive money app.
• Olivia Butter believes consumer research should not be used to expect consumers to know what they want.

Pennsylvania Governor Says Data Center Developers Don't Care About Communities

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro criticized data center developers for disregarding local communities amid growing opposition to AI infrastructure. He signed an executive order on Aug. 18, 2026, requiring compliance with strict responsible infrastructure standards, including earning local support, generating their own power, and protecting water and air quality. The order also removes AI data center projects from a fast-track approval program. The issue has become a political flashpoint, with Shapiro's challenger Stacy Garrity calling it damage control and calling for a pause on data center development. A Gallup poll found 70% of Americans oppose local AI data centers. Amazon previously announced a $20 billion investment in two data center complexes in Pennsylvania.

• Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order on Aug. 18, 2026, mandating compliance with the Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Requirements for data centers.
• The order removes AI data center projects from a fast-track approval program and requires developers to earn local support before state permitting.
• Shapiro stated that developers must generate their own power and protect water supply and air quality.

Durex Signs Sean Dyche for 'Get Wood Rising' Campaign

Durex, a brand by Reckitt, has launched a season-long comedy campaign called 'Get Wood Rising' with former Premier League manager Sean Dyche as 'performance director.' The campaign, created by McCann Content Studios at McCann London, centers on a fictional partnership with real non-league club Woodley United FC, which hasn't had a promotion in 10 years. The 100-second launch film uses innuendo and humor to promote Durex Performance condoms and gel, featuring comedian Chris McClure as a performance assistant. The social-first campaign debuted on October 9, 2026, and amassed over a million views on Instagram within hours. Documentary-style episodes and behind-the-scenes content will run across Meta, TikTok, and influencer channels throughout the season. The campaign aims to make conversations about sexual performance more open and relatable while driving brand awareness and market share.

• Durex launched 'Get Wood Rising', a season-long campaign with former Premier League manager Sean Dyche.
• The campaign is a partnership with non-league football club Woodley United FC.
• The launch film gained over one million views on Instagram within hours of its October 9 launch.

Putting Better Health in More Hands: Reckitt Pakistan Unveils Saaf Sehatmand Pakistan in Partnership with Aga Khan Foundation

Powered by Dettol and Harpic, the flagship platform begins in schools to provide safe drinking water, rehabilitated toilets, handwashing facilities and hygiene education.

Veet, Gocomo Launch 'The Smooth Switch' Creator Campaign

Veet has launched a summer creator campaign called "The Smooth Switch" in collaboration with Berlin-based social-first agency Gocomo. The campaign addresses hair removal with a humorous and deliberately imperfect tone and aims to generate buzz through the participation of eight creators. The article notes this is the first direct collaboration between the brand and the agency and references Gocomo's work with other Reckitt-owned brands such as Durex.

• Veet launched a summer creator campaign named "The Smooth Switch".
• The campaign was developed with Berlin social-first agency Gocomo.
• The campaign adopts a humorous, intentionally imperfect approach to hair removal.