Brands
Andrea Mallard exits Pinterest after eight-year marketing makeover
SAN FRANCISCO: Andrea Mallard, the global chief marketing officer who helped turn Pinterest into one of Silicon Valley’s most distinctive brands, has stepped down after nearly eight years at the company.
Joining Pinterest in November 2018, Mallard oversaw one of the most expansive marketing remits in big tech. She led a 600-plus strong global team spanning product, design, research, growth, communications and creative, backed by a nine-figure budget. The brief was simple in theory and complex in practice: make Pinterest indispensable to users and irresistible to advertisers.
Under her watch, Pinterest sharpened its positioning as a platform where inspiration meets intent. Campaigns blended cultural flair with commercial purpose, from advertiser outreach inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematic style to festive creative collaborations that saw Pinterest invited to decorate the White House for Christmas. One of its B2B campaigns even earned an Editor’s Pick for best marketing work, a rare feat in a crowded category.
Mallard’s influence extended beyond campaigns. She helped knit together product innovation and brand storytelling, ensuring that marketing was not a megaphone at the end of the process but a voice at the table from the start. The result was a brand that felt warmer, clearer and more human, even as the business scaled.
Her impact did not go unnoticed. In 2024, Forbes ranked her number 15 on its World’s Most Influential CMOs list, placing her among the elite global marketers shaping modern brand thinking.
Before Pinterest, Mallard served as chief marketing officer at Athleta, where she drove double-digit growth and helped steer the brand towards B Corp status. Earlier roles included CMO at Omada Health, senior leadership positions at IDEO, and formative years at Forbes and Rodale, where she was part of the team that launched Women’s Health magazine into a global phenomenon.
Alongside her executive career, Mallard sits on the boards of Kajabi, Hydrow and TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, reflecting her continued interest in creator economies, connected fitness and purpose-led growth.
As she steps away from Pinterest, Mallard leaves behind more than metrics and campaigns. She exits having helped define how a digital platform can be commercially sharp without losing its soul, no small achievement in today’s attention economy. What comes next is yet to be announced, but few would bet against it being influential, inventive and unmistakably on brand.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
