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Morning Update: News Corp paper drops paywall; SXSW reinstates gamergate panels; Hotdog joint’s Coming to America tribute

Source: Facebook/Kisa Marx

Source: Facebook/Kisa Marx

AdWeek: For Halloween, a Chicago Hot Dog Stand Is Dressed as McDowell’s From Coming to America

Sexual Chocolate may not have been on hand to play the opening celebration, but McDowell’s still came to life in style this week—albeit a bit outside of Queens.

Chicago’s Wiener’s Circle, known for its sassy back-and-forth between late-night customers and staff, has decorated for Halloween as McDowell’s, the fictional hamburger chain where Prince Hakeem (Eddie Murphy) and his friend Semmi (Arsenio Hall) find work in 1988’s Coming to America.

The Wiener’s Circle staff dressed in McDowell’s signature plaid uniforms and decorated the restaurant with signs advertising the Big Mick hamburger (no sesame seeds, of course), Soul Glo and employee of the month Maurice (Louie Anderson).

AdAge: See Fiat Chrysler’s New ‘Hunger Games’ Ads

With nearly every brand in the galaxy jumping on the Star Wars bandwagon, it is easy to forget that another big movie release — and marketing opportunity — is arriving soon with the Nov. 20 debut of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.”

But starting Sunday, Katniss Everdeen and crew will start to get some brand love from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The automaker will begin running four Hunger Games-themed TV ads during NFL games as part of a co-branded partnership with Lionsgate.

Campaign UK: Lidl invites punters to its school of Christmas in new campaign

Lidl has released its festive campaign for 2015, imagining a Christmas school where people learn essential skills for surviving the holiday season.

The cut-price supermarket released the ad on social media on the morning of 1 November and aired the commercial on TV on the evening of the same date.

The spot, which was created by TBWA\London, opens on a group of people being invited into Lidl’s school of Christmas, and then being taught how to light Christmas puddings and untangle fairy lights, among other things.

The Drum: SXSW admits cancelling gaming harassment sessions was ‘not an appropriate response’

 SXSW admits cancelling gaming harassment sessions was ‘not an appropriate response’

SXSW has admitted that removing two gaming panels from its 2016 line up following threats of on-site violence being issued towards the festival was “not an appropriate response”.

In a blog post issued yesterday (30 October) SXSW said that it will now run a day-long Online Harassment Summit on 12 March during the festival next year where it will examine the topic.

 “Earlier this week we made a mistake. By cancelling two sessions we sent an unintended message that SXSW not only tolerates online harassment but condones it, and for that we are truly sorry,” read the post.

The Guardian: Sun website to scrap paywall

The Sun is poised to make a major U-turn by scrapping its paywall and offering most of its website content for free.

It is understood that News UK, which also publishes the Times and the Sunday Times, has taken the decision to compete against major rivals in the free advertising market such as Mail Online.

News UK made the decision to put the Sun, the UK’s biggest-selling tabloid, behind a paywall in August 2013 following a decision to move the Times and Sunday Times.

 

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