Seinfeld nostalgia: Pretzel brand Snyder’s of Hanover tapped into a marketing trend that never seems to get old–and we’re okay with that. The snack food brand revealed a campaign starring Phil Morris reprising his role as “Seinfeld” character Jackie Chiles, the attorney who represented Kramer on the popular 90s sitcom.
Losers
Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe: Barbecue season might look a little different this year. Martin’s, the potato roll purveyor reportedly used at restaurants such as Shake Shack and the Hard Rock Cafe, is being boycotted by some consumers following the revelation that the family-owned brand has financially backed Doug Mastriano, a Republican nominee for governor of Martin’s native Pennsylvania. A Trump supporter, Mastriano has tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in his state. Yet Martin’s loss might be a bun rival’s gain—some have pointed to King’s Hawaiian, a sweet roll brand, as a potential filler of the burger bun void.
Real estate marketers: It was a tough week for real estate as mortgage interest rates rose to 6%, prompting more concern for homebuyers. The news got worse when two major real estate brokerages—Compass and Redfin—both announced massive layoffs. Compass said it is cutting 450 employees, or 10% of staff, and Redfin will cut 470, according to TechCrunch.
343 Industries: The developer of the popular “Halo” video game apologized this week after a game update included a racist Juneteenth game feature. A black, red and green striped nameplate with yellow birds meant to honor the Pan-African flag was reportedly released under the ape species name “Bonobo,” prompting immediate backlash. Despite the company apology, it was not clear whether the employees responsible for linking the offensive term with a Juneteenth celebration were held accountable. The Miami Herald has more.