Reese’s Book Club

Reese Witherspoon is at it again! And by “it” I mean being brilliant and creative, as always. I’ve followed her work for years, and it’s hard not to love something she has done, as she has acted in and produced more movies than most of us can even watch in our lifetime! Even better, she owns her own production company, Hello Sunshine, aiming to change the narrative for women in film. She’s busy. And though her career started much earlier than this, it was arguably her brilliant portrayal of socialite, Elle Woods, in Legally Blonde that put her on the map (tell me it wasn’t one of the funniest, most clever movies you’ve seen?). I personally love her in Walk the Line, This Means War, Four Christmases, The Good Lie and Sweet Home Alabama. And even though Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015, and Forbes listed her among the world’s 100 most powerful women in 2019 and 2021, many may not know she’s also a savvy businesswoman, as she also has a line of clothing (Draper James) and owns Reese’s Book Club. 

I’m not surprised by anything cool that she does, but I did not see her partnership with Panera coming! Many times we see celebrities doing endorsements, collabs or licensing deals that seem very off brand, meaning they are clearly doing something for money, not because it fits with their platform. But not Reese. This pairing of food and books is pretty creative. Most of us love a good cup of coffee or tea when we’re sitting down with a good book, but it’s even better if you have a cozy soup or sandwich when you simply can’t put that book down and hunger calls. But what I love here is the creative marketing Panera is doing. They clearly thought about their ingredients and offerings and tied them into the book themes. Take a look at some of these photos of the pairings, and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts!