Off Brand
Krispy Kreme Found a Way to Make Vaccine FOMO Even Worse
Brands rush in to help end the pandemic with vaccine doughnuts and other marketing stunts
Skeptical about the Covid-19 vaccine? Or too lazy to get jabbed even though you’re eligible? Well perhaps you can be persuaded by… free doughnuts. This is apparently the thinking behind a new promotion from Krispy Kreme: Present your vaccination card at its U.S. locations, the Wall Street Journal reports, and you’ll get a glazed doughnut on the house.
The Journal suggests this may mark a new phase in brands’ attempts to find the right pandemic-era tone. The time for caution and concern is fading into a mixture of optimism and cajolery — get your shots, consumers, so we can all get back to shopping and dining and gathering in malls and theaters. And since this sort of persuasion-based promotion involves public health (doughnuts notwithstanding), it comes with a certain halo effect.
