Five brands that found their royal wedding niche

The world has got wedding fever – and brands have been ready!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a global stage on May 19. In the U.S. alone, about 30 million people tuned in live, despite the 4am start time on the West Coast. (Not to mention all of us who caught up in the days following.)

Tapping into this global excitement, a wide range of brands rolled out royal wedding-themed products and promotions. As always, some promotions found the sweet spot… while others seemed to miss the “markle.”

Here are our five favorites:

#5 – KFC capitalized on the fact that Harry proposed to Meghan over a chicken dinner. They created 25 limited edition “Kentucky Fine China” buckets that could be won by members of KFC’s “Colonel Club” rewards program.

#4 –Strongbow by Heineken managed to secure a place at royal wedding tea parties. They encouraged Americans to “drink rosé the UK way” with a new rosé hard apple cider, paired with Royal Rosé Teacup Sets – a cross between a teacup and a wine glass.

#3 – Velveeta’s “Crowns and Cheese” macaroni dish may not have a direct connection to the brand, but is cleverly marketed with a humorous (and very successful) 30-second spot that underscores the challenges of living like royalty. “Who wants to be a princess when you could eat like a queen?”

#2 – Retail company Marks & Spencer temporarily rebranded themselves… as Markle & Sparkle. From May 18-20, all social media accounts took on the new name as well as eight storefronts. One of those storefronts was on Harry and Meghan’s carriage route after the ceremony.

#1 – Sodastream made a statement that transcended sales. They auctioned off 50 limited-edition royal wedding bottles topped with royal hats and donated the proceeds to Surfers Against Sewage, a plastic-free charity. The donation is fitting, given that Harry and Meghan are committed to reducing plastic waste.

What clever or wacky promotions have you come across in the past few weeks? Give us a comment on our Facebook page and let us know!