Kraft is giving away 1,000 boxes of pink candy-flavored Mac & Cheese via an online lottery for Valentine's Day. The boxes include packets of a candy-coated pink powder, allowing the brand "to insert ourselves into relevant conversations" with "what might be the cheesiest Valentine's meal ever, both literally and figuratively," said Brian Neumann, senior brand manager of brand build and innovation at Kraft Heinz.

Kellogg has launched Special K Keto Friendly Snack Bars in two flavors: Peanut Butter Fudge and Chocolate Almond Fudge. Each variety features 1 gram of sugar and 7 grams of protein per serving.

A pandemic-related spike in snacking is supporting a projected 21% increase in Super Bowl snacking, according to Frito-Lay's most recent Snack Index poll. The survey finds 52% of people will seek classic snack flavors as well as new snack options, with 90% of people planning parties of 10 or fewer people.

CeraVe, Cetaphil and Neutrogena are among the drugstore beauty brands seeing an increase in sales and popularity as consumers experiment with skin care while they are at home during the pandemic. Social media has also driven the brands' popularity, with posts attracting millions of views.

Mars is expanding its Full Potential program to advance gender equity with the #HereToBeHeard campaign, which taps several social media influencers to invite women to explain why they're unable to reach their full potential in the workplace. Mars will use the input to develop an action plan aimed at ending gender bias.

Credo and L'Occitane are eliminating most single-use products as part of their sustainability plans, while Ren is using recyclable material in its packaging. The moves are part of an effort by a number of beauty brands to focus on sustainability and other companies are working to cut carbon emissions and increase investments in sustainable brands.

The pandemic has inspired General Mills to incorporate its "force for good" mission into each brand's purpose and meet consumer needs via "relentless innovation," said Brad Hiranaga, chief brand officer. Meanwhile, PepsiCo Chief Marketing Officer Greg Lyons noted the company improved its return on investment by 66% through the use of data-driven performance marketing, which resulted in delivering an immunity-supporting Propel water variety and the sleep-aid beverage Driftwell to market last year.

BBDO New York unveiled a 15-second teaser of its Super Bowl spot for M&M's that shows a gender reveal party going wrong and the copy, "M&M's will make it better on February 7th." The brand is inviting 50,000 people to a virtual premiere of the spot via Zoom on Feb. 3 that will feature surprise guests and be hosted by M&M's Yellow candy mascot.

TBWA\Chiat\Day New York revealed a 15-second teaser for Mtn Dew's Super Bowl spot, which features a pink street in "Melontown" touting the brand's Major Melon flavor. The ad closes with an excitedly barking dog carved from watermelons below a marquee that reads, "Life changing flavor is coming to the Super Bowl."

Consumer Brands sent a memo to the White House Coronavirus Response Task Force highlighting the challenges the CPG industry is facing in navigating the state-by-state patchwork approach to vaccination plans and suggesting five solutions to the Biden administration for a national vaccine strategy. "The next few weeks are among the most critical in controlling the spread of COVID-19," wrote Consumer Brands CEO Geoff Freeman. Read our five concrete solutions for a more effective vaccination process.

In 2020, CPG Speaks debuted to share ideas, concerns and predictions from nearly 30 industry trailblazers. Access the top insights from last year's sessions and stay tuned for more candid conversations with top CPG leaders throughout 2021.