Doodle Inspirations – November 13
Here are a few things that caught our attention this week:
Budweiser has released some new swag just in time for Thanksgiving. Akin to “beer can chicken,” the beer giant has released a Beer Can Turkey Stand as a big-bird cooking alternative that holds a “silo.” While the stand helps with preparation, they have also released a new leftover container that features a lock aimed. We feel these are festive and practical additions to the brand’s traditional apparel lines and are all for protecting your turkey leftovers however you prepare your bird.
While many are thinking about meat this week, McDonald’s is announcing alternatives – specifically a meatless burger alternative, dubbed the “McPlant.” After a limited test in Canada in 2019, the chain and Beyond Meat expanded their partnership to launch worldwide in early 2021. The product and partnership sets up a clear rivalry and competition with Burger King and their “Impossible Whopper” created with Impossible Foods. Like others, we’re interested to taste the product, but fear the name (and possibly packaging) could be a barrier-to-entry for traditional meat eaters.
Big news in the COVID vaccine world broke early this week and the ripple effect on the Cruise industry is already being felt. Stocks for cruise lines such as Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean surged 30% and bookings started to increase at higher than usual rates. While the industry had invested in hiring epidemiologists and health officials over the summer in order to craft a public health proposal that would allow the industry to begin sailing again, the vaccine news seemed to be a tipping point for traditional cruisers as it’s been about a month since the CDC officially lifted their “no sail” orders and downgraded to “conditional sailing” orders. While the investment appears worth it given the CDC’s change in orders, it appears consumer confidence and comfort still remains key in the buying process.
Oprah has released her list of Favorite Things list with a special twist for 2020. This year’s list includes everything from electronics to whiskey to cashmere and dog hoodies, and most of the products are from black-owned or black-lead businesses. The site also features links to purchase either on Amazon (who presented the list) or the business’ direct website. A few of us needed some help with ideas and look forward to Oprah’s list every year. Now for some retail therapy….