Brands
P&G’s soap gets vertically dramatic
US: The soap opera, that hoary old format P&G helped pioneer nearly a century ago, is getting a makeover for the TikTok generation. And this time, it’s being shot vertically.
Native, P&G’s clean beauty brand, is launching The Golden Pear Affair—America’s first brand co-produced microsoap—in January. The 50-episode series, produced by Atlanta-based Pixie USA, reimagines sudsy melodrama for “swipe savvy audiences” who’d rather scroll than settle in for a proper television viewing session. Each episode delivers cliff-hangers and character arcs in bite-sized chunks, adding up to roughly feature-length entertainment—if you can be bothered to watch it all.
The trailer drops in January 2026, with the series rolling out across social platforms before migrating to a proprietary app. Starring Nick Ritacco and Aloyna Real—two microdrama actors with significant fan bases—the story promises “themes of self discovery, travel, adventure, love and recognising your own worth”. Translation: it’s soapy as hell, just faster.
The series is designed to flog Native’s limited-edition “Global Flavors” collection (available at nativecos.com and Target from late December), which features fragrances “inspired by locations from around the globe.” The scents supposedly inspired the plot, which whisks viewers on a “whirlwind romantic adventure”. One can only imagine the narrative gymnastics required to make deodorant central to a love story.
“This microsoap showcases our commitment to innovation as we strive to delight consumers while fuelling growth for Native,” says P&G Studios head Anna Saalfeld. The format, she insists, honours “the soap opera format P&G helped pioneer” whilst “optimising it for a vertical, social-first world.”
It’s a canny bet. Microdramas—vertical mini-series designed for mobile viewing—are projected to generate $11 billion in global revenue in 2025, with the US emerging as the largest market outside China. The format has evolved from niche curiosity to full-blown phenomenon in record time.
dentsu Entertainment, which shaped the project alongside P&G Studios and Pixie USA, is diving deeper into the space. Dentsu Ventures recently invested in Emole, a short drama app developer, signalling the agency’s commitment to “next-generation storytelling platforms”. dentsu global executive vice president of entertainment IP strategy and investment Geneva Wasserman calls Native “the gold standard in ambitious brand content” for “committing to short, intense production cycles.”
Pixie USA founder Jonas Barnes reckons microdramas are “the natural evolution of the soap opera”. His studio specialises in “premium, brand-friendly vertical storytelling”—Hollywood speak for getting products into plots without annoying viewers. The trick, he says, is making brands “embedded directly into the narrative” rather than awkwardly shoehorned in.
Native chief executive Chris Talbott is equally bullish. “Just like our scents take you on a journey around the world, without leaving your bathroom, this series follows characters on their own adventure of self-discovery and confidence,” he says. “We can’t wait for viewers to spot the fun nods to the collection woven throughout the storyline.”
Whether audiences will tolerate branded content masquerading as entertainment remains to be seen. But P&G isn’t taking chances: the company will track how long people watch, how many episodes they consume, and presumably whether they actually buy the deodorant.
For a brand that helped invent soap operas—literally named for the products they sold—this vertical gamble feels oddly fitting. The medium has changed. The pitch hasn’t. Just don’t call it selling out. Call it “entertainment-led marketing.”
Brands
Nestlé weighs trimming ice cream footprint and Froneri stak
Swiss giant reviews options including stake cut in €15bn JV as it eyes higher-margin focus post-Unilever split.
MUMBAI: Nestlé is melting down its ice cream ambitions or at least scooping back a few spoonfuls amid a strategic review that could see it slim its stake in blockbuster joint venture Froneri. According to a Bloomberg report published 18 February 2026, the Swiss food and beverage powerhouse is mulling a reduced presence in the global ice cream segment. Options on the table include trimming its holding in Froneri, the joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners that houses crowd-pleasers like Häagen-Dazs, Mövenpick, and Rowntree’s or even shifting some of Nestlé’s remaining wholly owned ice cream operations into the JV.
Discussions remain fluid, with no final decisions locked in and no guarantee of any transaction materialising. One scenario has PAI Partners boosting its ownership if Nestlé pulls back, while another could see the Swiss group offloading a portion of its stake to an existing investor like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
Froneri itself got a hefty valuation boost in October (likely 2025), when Goldman Sachs and ADIA poured in fresh capital, pegging the business at around €15 billion (about $17.69 billion). The move turned heads in the sector, especially as Unilever spun off its ice cream arm last year into the now-independent Magnum Ice Cream Company freeing both giants to chase sunnier, higher-margin pastures.
Nestlé’s rethink, reportedly overseen by new CEO Philipp Navratil as he sifts through the company’s vast portfolio, mirrors broader industry trends: consumer giants are sharpening focus on core strengths amid shifting tastes and profitability pressures. Ice cream might be delicious, but it’s not always the creamiest part of the balance sheet.
Whether this ends in a stake sale, JV expansion, or just more pondering, the frozen dessert world could soon see another ownership shake-up. For now, Nestlé isn’t screaming “last orders” but it’s definitely checking the freezer temperature.
