KitKat wins multiple Cannes Lions for "The KitKat Heist"

Courtesy of KitKat

Nestlé’s KitKat brand has won multiple Lions at this year’s Cannes Lions, an event for the advertising, marketing, and creative communications industry, including a Grand Prix, four Gold Lions, and four Silver Lions for "The KitKat Heist." The real-time campaign turned an unexpected product theft into a global cultural moment, showing how distinctive, insight-led brand-building can deepen consumer engagement and keep Nestlé’s brands relevant. The brand also won two Bronze Lions for its "Little Breaks" campaign. "The KitKat Heist" began just before Easter, when thieves stole more than 413,000 KitKat bars in transit between Italy and Poland. KitKat responded with speed, transparency, and its characteristic sense of humor, saying the thieves had taken its tagline too literally and "made a break" with more than 12 tonnes of chocolate. The brand invited consumers into the story through its Stolen KitKat Tracker. KitKat’s response reportedly quickly sparked attention across culture, social media, and earned media, turning a real-world incident into a moment of participation, conversation, and impact at scale.

Betty Crocker reveals favorites, and gives away free cake

Courtesy of Betty Crocker

For more than a century, General Mills' Betty Crocker brand has been helping Americans celebrate birthdays. Now, as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, the brand is helping make the occasion a little sweeter by giving away one million free cakes. Those who purchase participating Betty Crocker cake mixes can redeem an offer for reimbursement, up to $3.99. Additionally, Betty Crocker surveyed Americans about their favorite birthday cakes, and while traditions may vary across the country, 76% of Americans agree it doesn’t feel like a birthday without cake. The survey also revealed one sweet point of agreement nationwide: chocolate reigns supreme, topping the list in 49 states and earned 30% of the vote nationwide. Other notable findings: 39% prefer homemade birthday cake, ahead of bakery-made cakes at 28% and grocery store cakes at 11%; 36% say sharing cake with others is one of the most important parts of a birthday cake; 50% of Americans say the corner slice with two edges of frosting is the best slice of cake; cream cheese ranked as America’s favorite birthday cake frosting flavor; and 50% of Americans say the corner slice with two edges of frosting is the best slice of cake. 

Joyride earns a Guinness World Record for the second time

Courtesy of Joyride

On June 13, Joyride hosted its annual "Joyride Day," designed to drive excitement, digital engagement, and in-store traffic, which included a 24-hour livestream hosted on YouTube on @ryan, plus a fully integrated experience on a branded landing page. As part of the celebration, Joyride attempted a Guinness World Record for “Most photos of people holding a bag of candy uploaded to Instagram within 24 hours.” Consumers posted selfies to Instagram using #JoyrideDay2026 and geotagged their state. Each submission counted as a point for that state, and the state with the most selfies, Idaho, won Potato Wedges, a limited-edition, state-inspired, huckleberry-flavored candy, which will launch in mid-July. In addition, Joyride achieved the Guinness World Record, with 11,495 approved photo submissions, and its hashtag was used over 31,800 times. The brand's livestream, which had celeb cameos from MrBeast and others, also garnered 2.6M+ views, with peak viewership at 24K+, average concurrent viewers at 12.4K+, and 3M+ total engagements. Last June, the candy brand won a Guinness World Record for "most photos of people holding candy uploaded to Instagram in one hour," with a grand total of 1,733 entries.

Albertsons unites 250+ nonprofits for childhood hunger relief

Courtesy of Albertsons

Albertsons Companies, Inc. and Albertsons Companies Foundation have launched “Nourish the American Dream,” a first-of-its-kind nationwide campaign to help end childhood hunger across the U.S. Together with more than 250 nonprofit partners, national brands and supporters, this multi-year movement aims to raise $5 million from July 1-7 for childhood hunger relief in a shared campaign, including a Dream Pantry Auction featuring signed pantry staples from celebrities and notable figures. “Nourish the American Dream” is rooted in the belief that every child shall have the nourishment to participate, thrive, and pursue the American Dream. TV personality and cultural icon Mario Lopez will serve as the campaign’s national spokesperson to amplify awareness for the initiative and drive participation nationwide. To accelerate impact, the foundation will provide a matching commitment of up to $2.5 million, doubling any qualifying donations made.