Friday 13 February 2026: PR & Marketing News Round‑Up | Muscling Into the Moment
Visible PR is delivering this week’s Friday PR & Marketing News Round-Up, and the culture dial is firmly turned up. As the world winds down from Super Bowl frenzy and prepares to get loved up for Valentines Day, we saw a real mix of stories. From Asda’s red-basket stunt, rappers settling scores in prime time ad slots, to Guinness literally becoming part of the Tube map, this week’s highlights focus on brands embedding themselves into the cultural moments and environments that people move through every day.
Guinness “Mind the G” on the Underground
Hot on the heels of Heineken’s failed London Underground takeover last month, Guinness has taken its turn in literally turning parts of the tube into a pint, reworking tube maps and roundels at Tottenham Court Road and Covent Garden to mirror its black‑and‑white glass and famous toucan. It’s a beautifully simple way to turn the daily commute into an OOH experience, tying the new Open Gate Brewery to London’s daily rhythm and guaranteeing visual, shareable moments for press and social.
Why it matters for PR & Marketing: This clever takeover brings a quintessentially British slogan to life with a twist and is a reminder that impactful OOH doesn’t have to shout. By subtly embedding itself into London’s everyday rituals, Guinness reinforces its cultural relevance while staying true to its understated brand personality.
Love Aisle-and? Asda’s Valentine’s Red Singles Baskets
Asda is turning the weekly shop into a low-key dating show, with red baskets that signal “I’m single” to fellow single shoppers looking for love this Valentine’s Day. It’s already split opinion across social media, with some feeling that this one hits too high on the ‘cringe factor’. But for Asda, it’s a low‑lift / high‑chatter retail stunt, and a playful twist on supermarket shopping that taps into dating fatigue, IRL connection and the idea that love might be lurking in the bakery aisle.
Why it matters for PR & Marketing: Backed by research that shows people are craving real‑life connections, Asda isn’t just doing a cute gimmick, it’s jumping straight into the zeitgeist. The Valentine’s stunt taps perfectly into that mood with research to back up their insight that shoppers are looking for IRL connections.
What’s Love Got To Do With It? US Soccer Teams Launches Tina Turner Kit
This Valentines week, St Louis CITY SC and Adidas dropped a truly unique piece of merch. The gold “Tina Turner Kit” is inspired by the iconic music legends stage outfits and red lipstick, celebrating the city where she found her voice. With concerts, pop‑ups and youth music programmes wrapped around the kit launch, it’s a brilliant example of a sports brand tapping into music fandom, and using a shirt launch as a culture, community and storytelling moment.
Why it matters for PR & Marketing: We love this campaign as it taps into a beloved, globally recognised icon with a genuine local connection, giving the club a powerful emotional story beyond sport.
DoorDash Jumps on Cultural Conversation with 50 Cent’s “Beef 101” Super Bowl Swipe
DoorDash lets 50 Cent do what he does best, troll his rivals, featuring in the latest Super Bowl spot, the rapper and producer engages in a tongue and cheek advert, pulling “Cheese Puffs” for Diddy, an ABC book for Mayweather and more out of that famous orange bag. It’s a masterclass in tapping into existing controversial celebrity noise for instant meme‑ability while still landing a simple product truth about delivering whatever “beef” you need for game day.
Why it matters for PR & Marketing: This was a brilliant moment for Doordash. It’s a smart reminder that you don’t have to reinvent a celeb’s story, DoorDash just leans into 50 Cent’s natural trolling energy, so it feels real rather than forced, while riding a moment that’s already hugely culturally relevant.
Super Bowl 2026 Ads Playing For Entertainment
Staying on the trend of the Super Bowl, 2026’s edition was even more memorable than most. Beyond the game, and the iconic Bad Bunny halftime show that drew in excess of 120m views, the coveted ad-breaks in the US are always a huge talking point. This round-up in The Standard breaks down the top spots, with cinematic efforts from the likes of Dunkin Doughnut’s Good Will Hunting parody, Hellmann’s comedy caper and Lay’s emotional “Last Harvest” as the big winners.
Why it matters for PR & Marketing: With millions of campaign dollars invested into Superbowl ad slots, this year saw one clear trend: the ads that landed are effectively short films, enhanced with sharp casting, nostalgia and a tight link back to the brand. This demonstration of ad prowess is the perfect fuel for marketers looking to argue for bolder, more entertainment‑driven work in their 2026 campaigns.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s football clubs channeling rock legends, supermarkets playing Cupid or Super Bowl ads leaning hard into entertainment, this week’s round-up demonstrates that the work that clicks most with consumers is big, visual and wired straight into real life.
Yes, some of these campaigns come with serious spend behind them, but the real takeaway isn’t budget, it’s mindset. Smart PR and marketing right now is about cultural fluency, sharp insight and knowing exactly where your audience already is, whether that’s the weekly shop, the daily commute or the biggest TV moment of the year. The best work doesn’t interrupt culture, it joins it.
Want to remain ahead of the curve and carve your brand into culture? Get in touch with us today! hello@visiblepr.co.uk