Budweiser's 'Whassup' Revival Reminds Us to Check In; The NFL Draft Inspires Hope: Friday's First Things First

Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s daily resource for marketers. We’ll be publishing the content to First Things First on Adweek.com each morning (like this post), but if you prefer that it come straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the email here. Budweiser Reimagines Iconic ‘Whassup’ Ad to Encourage Quarantine Check-Ins To remind us all to keep checking in with one another, Budweiser created a new rendition of its classic 1999 “Whassup” ad, this time featuring a star-studded cast. NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, actor Gabrielle Union, Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh, two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker and DJ D-Nice all chime in with the iconic refrain in the 90-second spot. Watch: The brand said the theme of the original spot provided an opportunity to “focus on human connection in a time when people may be feeling hopeless, uncertain and alone." Midol Gets a Much-Needed Makeover to Appeal to a New Generation of Women [kickout id="2"] While Bayer-owned medication brand Midol has seen gradual design shifts over the years, it’s never had a truly robust update—until now. In a bold overhaul of brand colors, logos, messaging and imagery, Midol is looking to introduce itself to a new generation of women—and reintroduce itself to many others. The rebrand reflects the fact that ads for feminine care products have recently made serious strides toward a more authentic portrayal of what it’s like to have a period, and the culture’s understanding of femininity and gender has also gone through revolutionary changes. Read more: Learn about the evolution of Midol's branding, from its earliest marketing as a menstrual pain reliever to its all-new look. Like deep dives? Today we introduced #AdweekRadio, a biweekly podcast that goes beyond the daily news cycle into the behind-the-scenes stories of our industry for a wider audience. The NFL Draft Couldn’t Come at a Better Time for Sports Fans, Brands and Media In the era of social distancing, football’s rookie draft will more closely resemble a Zoom meeting rather than its usual pomp and circumstance, but it represents the brightest glimmer of hope that sports will return to America before the year is out. Without any other American sports on the horizon, the draft is an enormous moment for the entire sports landscape, from the fans who depend on sports to the networks that broadcast it and the businesses that depend on the advertising category. Read more: Sports media outlets need revenue—and the draft may help. The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis called this year’s draft a “sports media stimulus package.” Disney, which owns ESPN and ABC, said the networks had seen “unprecedented demand” from over 100 brands hoping to advertise during one of the first live American sporting events in over a month. And these brand sponsors have some ideas to make the virtual event fun—and a force for good. Quibi Says Connected TV Casting Option Will Be Ready by Mid-May Although greatly hyped new streaming app Quibi was envisioned as a mobile-only service, where users could watch short-form programming in either portrait or landscape orientation on handheld devices during "in-between moments," the pandemic has sped up development of an option to cast the mobile programming onto connected televisions. CEO Meg Whitman says the feature could be released by mid-May. Read more: Whitman discussed the new feature and why subscribers want it during a talk with Adweek. Related: You can listen to the full talk with Whitman, plus insights from EA's CMO in the first edition of Adweek Presents: The Way Forward, a weekly virtual event in which brand leaders share insights on how they are addressing everything from leadership amid adversity to realigning customer experiences to supply chain challenges and opportunities. Meal Kits Had Their Chance. Covid-19 Gave Them Another One With much of the nation working, exercising, socializing and eating breakfast, lunch and dinner within the confines of the great indoors, the meal kit industry has its shot at redemption. The big-dollar question, though, is whether meal kit brands like Purple Carrot, HelloFresh and Blue Apron can use this current momentum to become a more permanent fixture—or whether it will wane again. Read more: Learn why the meal kit category as a whole has struggled to catch on in the past and what it might take for it to succeed. Covid-19's Impacts Across Advertising, Tech, Retail and Travel Continue Casper Names a New CMO and Lays Off 21% of Workforce Due to Covid-19 Hot Dog King Oscar Mayer Faces the Cookout Season That Wasn’t It Could Take 3 Years for Delta to Reach ‘Sustainable Recovery’ Social Distancing Proves Bad for Gum and Mint Sales Fashion Influencers Plan Their Year Around Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. Now It’s Postponed Adweek Together: How Small Agencies Are Adapting in Turbulent Times Publicis Groupe Names First Global CMO ‘at This Time of Profound Change’ Google Mandates All Advertisers to Prove Their Identities 3 Reasons Google’s New Shopping Listings Are Really About Amazon Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Social Commerce and Influencer Marketing? [kickout id="1"] Managing a brand’s social accounts and keeping followers engaged is challenging enough, but converting those fans into customers is another matter entirely. Test your knowledge of social commerce and influencer marketing in this quiz from one of the online courses offered by Adweek’s Institute for Brand Marketing. More of the Latest Remembering the Dead: Obituary Writers Restore Humanity to Covid-19 Crisis Getting Creative With Your Storytelling When the World Is on Pause Covid-19 Is Changing Gen Z Consumer Habits. Here Are 5 Things Marketers Need to Know Parks and Recreation Cast Reunites for NBC Benefit April 30 Concerned About Small Businesses Going Bust, Furloughed Agency Staff Start New Shop This Earth Week, Danone’s Two Good Yogurt Aims to End Food Waste How HBO Got Insecure Fans to Attend a Virtual Block Party