The first Fun Friday of 2025 kicks off with a Walker's Shortbread giveaway for National Shortbread Day, which was January 6.

The contest ends on January 13, and one lucky consumers will win a year's supply of Walker's premium shortbread varieties, in four quarterly shipments to ensure freshness, plus an exclusive Walker’s Shortbread Cookie Jar. Special gifts will be awarded to first, second and third prize winners, as well.

Participants can enter online on Walker’s U.S. website through ViralSweeps.

84.51° pairs holiday films with consumer insights

84.51° recently spread some festive cheer with a fun twist in its November special edition of the Consumer Digest. The retail data science, insights, and media company helping Kroger and its partners create customer-centric shopper journeys has paired beloved holiday films with key consumer insights, exploring how iconic movie foods influence real-world shopping habits. From Home Alone to Elf, the company dove into the data behind the foods consumers love to enjoy during the holidays.

1. Home Alone (1990): Kevin McCallister’s love for frozen pizza and soft drinks has some real-world parallels. 84.51° data reveals that households with kids are more likely to buy frozen pizza (149 vs. 68) and soft drinks (144 vs. 73) compared to those without children, reflecting the enduring appeal of these easy meal options for busy families. Additionally, many consumers feel inflation has taken a bite out of their budgets. When comparing the cost of Kevin's grocery list from the movie, his 1990 shopping total came to $19.83. Today, that same basket would cost $65.16, illustrating just how much inflation has impacted grocery spending over the years.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989): Clark Griswold's holiday cheer is powered by eggnog, a seasonal favorite. 84.51° data shows that eggnog is underdeveloped with younger generations, revealing Baby Boomers have the most appreciation for the holiday drink. Insights also revealed that eggnog purchases are often paired with cranberry sauce, stuffing mixes, and spiral hams, with top liquors like brandy and rum commonly appearing in the same baskets.
3. The Santa Clause (1994): In this heartwarming classic, milk and cookies are a holiday tradition. 84.51° Stratum data shows that while milk remains a staple in most households (89%), only 7% of consumers are purchasing both milk and cookies together.
4. Elf (2003): Buddy the Elf’s sweet tooth may be comical, but it mirrors consumer habits—especially when it comes to soft drinks. A staggering 91% of households purchase soft drinks, with 61% buying two or more 2-liter bottles per trip.
5. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (2000): As the Grinch learns, it’s not just humans who love holiday treats. Always by his side is Max, his small, scrappy dog, who remains devoted despite the Grinch’s grouchy behavior. Data reveals that pets, too, are receiving extra treats during the holidays. Both cats and dogs receive more treats around Christmas than during Thanksgiving. Plus, a traditional favorite from Who-ville—Roast Beef Hash—spikes in sales during November and December, showing that holiday culinary traditions are alive and well.
6. A Christmas Story (1983): Ralphie’s obsession with Ovaltine continues to resonate today. When consumers buy Ovaltine, they’re also likely to pick up related items like hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, and instant coffee, making this a key item for holiday bundling. Interestingly, compared to households purchasing hot cocoa, Ovaltine shoppers tend to be 60+ years old, price-sensitive, and have a high focus on health.

Cinemark celebrates its first "Bring Your Own Bucket" Day for National Popcorn Day on Jan. 19

Cinemark Holdings, Inc., one of the largest theatrical exhibition companies in the world, is inviting popcorn lovers everywhere to grab their favorite bucket and head to their local Cinemark theater to celebrate the chain’s first-ever “Bring Your Own Bucket” day in honor of National Popcorn Day on Sunday, Jan. 19. In addition to enjoying heaps of the buttery goodness while showing off their favorite vessels, popcorn lovers can celebrate the annual holiday with $5 XL popcorn at all Cinemark theaters, a social sweepstakes, and a special discount on gift cards, providing endless opportunities to enjoy that bingeworthy popcorn. More information on Cinemark’s National Popcorn Day celebrations can be found at Cinemark.com/popcornday.

Whether it’s an iconic film-specific collectible bucket, the favorite snack bowl that has been passed down from generation to generation, or a creative DIY art project, Cinemark invites all popcorn lovers to bring the containers to their local theater to receive a $5 fill up of warm, bingeworthy popcorn, only on Sunday, Jan. 19. Everyone is invited to participate, no movie ticket required. As long as the container is clean and does not exceed 400 ounces, Cinemark will fill it to the brim with crisp, freshly popped kernels. Even those without a from-home container can get in on the fun with $5 XL popcorn at all Cinemark locations on National Popcorn Day.

Cinemark is making sure that celebration of the iconic cinematic snack goes beyond buckets. On Jan. 19 only, all who follow Cinemark’s official Instagram account (@Cinemark) and tag three friends in the comments of the National Popcorn Day sweepstakes post will be entered to win a free large popcorn. The exhibitor will also be buttering up movie lovers with 10% off all online gift card orders. 

Doritos reveals 25 Crash the Super Bowl semifinalists

In September, as Doritos looked ahead to its 25^th Super Bowl, the brand gave fans and critics of its iconic Super Bowl commercials a challenge: “Think you can do better? Prove it.” Thousands of bold creators answered the call with original, unexpected, and hilarious submissions. Doritos recently unveiled the top 25 Crash the Super Bowl semifinalists, who are in the running to have their ad air during the Super Bowl and win $1 million.

The 25 semifinalists hail from across the nation, with participants from 14 U.S. states. Consumers can view the top submissions at DoritosCrash.com, hype up their favorites using #DoritosCrash and, starting January 14, vote for the top three finalists they think should win the grand prize.

Dietz & Watson Eagles Bird dog promotion 

Dietz & Watson Eagles Bird Dogs are back again for the 2025 playoff run. To celebrate this season and the Philadelphia Eagles playoff run as they did in the 2023-2024 season, Dietz & Watson will be offering free Bird dogs to Eagles fans at a variety of locations starting with three stops this week. 

Bird Dogs are original hot dog recipes made with All Beef Dietz Dogs and are topped with crispy fried onions, roasted long hots and provolone cheese, nestled into custom-baked Amoroso Eagles-green rolls. 

The Dietz & Watson Bird Dogs crew will be visiting different Philadelphia neighborhoods throughout the Eagles playoff run handing out free Bird Dogs. Dietz will also been handing out a limited number of Bird Dogs-themed kelly green beanie hats.

The first official Bird Dogs event was on Jan. 9 at Center Square on 1500 Market Street, and all Bird Dogs stops are listed at dietzandwatson.com/BirdDogs. The two remaining events include:

• Friday, January 10, 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Eagles Autism Foundation - Pep Rally, 4960 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19112
• Sunday, January 12, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Lincoln Financial Stadium- Lot N, 1 Lincoln Financial Way, Philadelphia, PA 19148