Aviation Gin's Big Buyer

In what’s being celebrated as a rousing success for the brand, Aviation American Gin and its parent company Davos Brands are being acquired by liquor giant Diageo for up to $610 million following the brand’s strong growth over the past two years. And Ryan Reynolds fans need not fear—the beloved superstar and brand figurehead will stay on as Aviation’s co-owner and continue to build on his track record of creative and humorous marketing shenanigans.

A tongue-in-cheek apology: Reynolds celebrated with a characteristically humorous out-of-office email after the news dropped.

Reminisce with highlights from Aviations hilarious ad history:

Agency life has long been defined by client demands and extended hours, not to mention a certain preoccupation with youth—a trifecta of factors that has resulted in a dearth of support for working parents, especially around paid leave. In 2019, a Fishbowl study showed that 41% of agency staffers are unhappy with their companies’ paid leave policies. Some companies, like 72andSunny, are more generous with parental benefits, but policy gaps remain at many agencies, with some requiring a certain amount of tenure before parents qualify for paid leave. The group Pledge Parental Leave, which was founded by industry professionals, seeks to aid beleaguered parents by creating minimum standards for benefits including fully paid leave, three months of health insurance coverage and six months of job security for parents.

Watch: Discover perspectives on parental benefits around the industry, and learn what’s on the horizon for paid leave.

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The toilet paper shortages at the start of the pandemic spelled opportunity for bidet company Tushy, but(t) thanks to the brand’s legacy of funny and unsubtle email and content marketing, it didn't have to pivot hard to rise to the occasion. New subscribers are welcomed to the “clean butt club” and can enjoy educational information about butt and gut health in the weekly newsletter The Posterior, which prioritizes entertainment over sales. The brand also hosted its second annual Butt-Con, a free virtual event with health experts, comedians, fitness instructors and more.

Explore the peachy approach: The brand’s cheeky strategy gave it a boost during the pandemic.

The Trump vs. TikTok saga continues. After the president initially set a deadline of Sept. 20 for parent company ByteDance to sell off the brand’s U.S. operations, he has stepped it up to Sept. 15 in a new executive order, after discussing the matter with potential buyer Microsoft. In a previous executive order, he ordered U.S. citizens and companies to create “transactions” with the company, but didn’t specify what a transaction was.

The battle rages on: The new order is the latest step in a conflict touched off by suspicion that TikTok was sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government, allegations that TikTok has taken measures to address.

A new campaign from Budweiser aims to woo Utah and its resident fans with a customized beer can, all with the goal of becoming the state’s official beer. The can features iconic landmarks from across the state, and the accompanying ad, created by VaynerMedia, leverages quirky local charm. But there’s a catch—it’ll only make the can if the hashtag #Bud4Utah gets tweeted or retweeted at least 84,899 times (a number that’s also the total square mileage of Utah).

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights

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Cruise lines have extended their pause until at least November, but some people are ready to get back to sea now.

The global fast-food chain allows consumers to create DIY shelters.

Spots point people to interactive tool detailing voting regulations in each state.

The Ferrero Group acquired the cookie brand from Kellogg's last summer.

The Skywalker Holdings president spent 20+ years at Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions.

The founder of The Superfan Company on virtual brand building.