Creative

  • A pedestrian strolls by a KFC ad that shows Colonel Sanders scowling.
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    Permission granted by Kentucky Fried Chicken
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    KFC’s new take on Colonel Sanders is serious about its ‘Comeback Era’

    The usually grinning founder-turned-mascot has taken on a scowl to ensure the Yum Brands chain gets serious about winning back market share. 

    By • July 14, 2025
  • Sprite Hurts So Good campaign image
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    Courtesy of Sprite
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    Sprite leans into Gen Z’s love for spicy flavors with global campaign

    Along with out-of-home and social media activations, the Coca-Cola brand teamed with TikTok for an interactive filter for the “Hurts Real Good” push.

    By • July 10, 2025
  • Consumer Packaged Goods Explore the Trendline➔
    Trendline

    Consumer Packaged Goods

    If CPGs can adeptly adjust to emerging mandates, they have an opportunity to strengthen their brands.  

    By Marketing Dive staff
  • A rendering of The General's Fortnite activation.
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    Courtesy of The General
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    The General turns to Fortnite to help anxious Gen Z drivers

    The General Road Test Royale makes use of The Glitch, a Fortnite space by Twitch that brands can customize.

    By • July 10, 2025
  • State Farm mascot Jake from State Farm stands with influencer Kai Cenat outside while on set for the brand's "Batman vs. Bateman" campaign.
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    Courtesy of State Farm
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    Deep Dive

    7 successful marketing campaigns that met 2025’s chaos with determination

    As marketers rushed to respond to new tariffs, outside-the-box brand refreshes, classic TV ads and other tactics helped set them apart.

    By , • July 8, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump is displayed on a television screen as traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How CMOs tackled challenges in H1 2025 — and what they must do next

    Already beleaguered CMOs are being forced to be more agile than ever in the face of a new round of challenges like trade wars and artificial intelligence.

    By • July 8, 2025
  • A young woman eats Ben's Original rice after moving in
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    Retrieved from Ben's Original on July 08, 2025
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    Ben’s Original refreshes identity 5 years after dropping ‘Uncle’

    The marketer, previously known as Uncle Ben’s, partnered with agency JKR to update its brand identity to be more consistent and distinctive.

    By • July 8, 2025
  • Unilever IPG Studios
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    Courtesy of Unilever
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    Unilever debuts AI-driven design unit to wean brands off TV-first model

    Developed with IPG Studios, Sketch Pro aims to deliver social-first content three times faster with help from AI tools like Google’s Veo 3. 

    By • July 7, 2025
  • Samuel L. Jackson for Adidas Originals
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    Courtesy of Adidas
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    Adidas unites superstars across music, sports, fashion in culture play

    Produced by Johannes Leonardo, the campaign celebrates the Superstar sneaker and features Samuel L. Jackson, Missy Elliott and more.

    By • July 7, 2025
  • A Star Wars fan dressed as a jedi holds up a blue lightsaber toy
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    Permission granted by The Coca-Cola Company
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    Coke brings personalized touch to Disney ‘Star Wars’ collaboration

    “Refresh Your Galaxy” was made by WPP’s bespoke Open X agency for Coke in collaboration with Disney and features an AR experience.

    By • July 1, 2025
  • A bridge and Groom in front of of a Venice banner in Venice Beach.
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    Courtesy of JCPenney
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    JCPenney does wedding season on a budget amid turnaround

    The retailer is using social media to showcase a $10,000 wedding in an appeal to budget-conscious consumers.

    By • June 30, 2025
  • Actor Freddie Prinze Jr, wearing a dark gray shirt,, boards a window shut with wooden planks in a video for DoorDash.
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    Permission granted by DoorDash
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    DoorDash parodies horror classics in pitch to budget-crunched parents

    A campaign around Summer of DashPass savings stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ali Larter in content that apes movies like “Final Destination.”

    By • June 27, 2025
  • Neutrogena
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    Courtesy of Neutrogena
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    Column

    Campaign Trail: Neutrogena’s ‘90s nostalgia pulls the rug on aging consumers

    The Kenvue brand hopes to engage consumers that have flocked to platforms like TikTok, where #SkinTok has racked up more than 4 billion posts,

    By • June 27, 2025
  • LG Electronics' "Radio Optimism" campaign imagery.
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    Courtesy of LG Electronics
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    LG continues positivity push with AI-powered ‘Radio Optimism’

    An interactive platform seeks to combat social media disconnect and allows consumers to create and send personalized songs to their loved ones. 

    By Aaron Baar • June 26, 2025
  • Colin Jost wears a black button-up shirt at an outdoor bar as he smiles at two oranges next to a pint of Blue Moon.
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    Courtesy of Molson Coors
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    Blue Moon slices into comedy for first celebrity partnership

    “Nothing Outshines a Blue Moon” features “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost and was created with agency Adam&eveDDB.

    By • June 26, 2025
  • A row of four cups with illustrations of "Happy Gilmore 2" characters are lined up next to a Subway sandwich.
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    Permission granted by Subway
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    Subway enters Happy Gilmore’s headspace with digital experience

    The chain worked with Netflix on a Subway’s Happy Place online hub that emulates the Zen zone Adam Sandler’s character enters when golfing. 

    By • Updated June 27, 2025
  • "The Bear" actress Liza Colón-Zayas for Vital Farms.
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    Courtesy of Vital Farms
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    Vital Farms cooks up sponsorship, custom ad for Hulu hit ‘The Bear’

    The pasture-raised eggs brand teamed with cast member Liza Colón-Zayas for a spot that will air ahead of each episode of the series’ latest season.

    By • June 26, 2025
  • A hand holds a pack of Respawn mints in a purple and white gradient package Infront of a white gaming keyboard.
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    Courtesy of Respawn
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    Why Mars is putting its focus on Gen Z gamers with Razer partnership

    New collaborative mints and gums that are meant to improve focus will be promoted through gaming influencers to engage the community directly.

    By • June 25, 2025
  • Music producer Mustard poses with Heinz product as part of a 2025 campaign.
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    Courtesy of Kraft Heinz
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    Heinz and hip-hop producer Mustard drop new sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings

    To support the effort, Heinz will share social videos featuring Mustard’s “yell” soundbite from inside the restaurant chain.

    By • June 25, 2025
  • Olipop's nostalgic suites within the Austin Motel as part of its 2025 summer campaign.
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    Courtesy of Olipop
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    Olipop turns fans into influencers for pennies with PR boxes on Amazon

    The better-for-you soda brand is also inviting consumers to the Austin Motel, which has been transformed to include three nostalgic, Olipop-themed suites. 

    By • June 24, 2025
  • A couple sits on a pedicure chairs under text that reads "Assigned seating is coming" in an ad from Southwest Airlines
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    Permission granted by Southwest Airlines
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    Southwest argues seating policy changes are NBD in cheeky new ads

    A new campaign uses tongue-in-cheek humor to emphasize that the carrier is not reinventing the wheel in ditching a decades-old open seating approach.

    By • June 20, 2025
  • Jennifer Aniston for Smartwater
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    Courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company
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    How Coca-Cola’s marketing transformation led to new Smartwater campaign

    The brand reteamed with Jennifer Aniston, riffing on how the pair “were never on a break” — a reference to an iconic moment on “Friends.”

    By • June 17, 2025
  • The Biden administration signed into law legislation that gives TikTok owner ByteDance one year to sell the platform or face a nationwide ban.
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    Dan Kitwood via Getty Images
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    TikTok brings expanded suite of generative AI ad tools to WPP, Adobe

    TikTok Symphony features, including dynamic digital avatars, are coming to WPP Open to provide more “firepower” for agency creatives.

    By • June 17, 2025
  • Two-liter bottles of Pepsi are lined up on a store shelf.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    PepsiCo taps VaynerMedia to evolve in-house agency model

    A new integrated team weds PepsiCo beverage’s internal brand-building expertise with VaynerMedia’s ability to activate around social media.

    By • June 16, 2025
  • Cinnamon Toast Crunch for Must Cinnadust campaign
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    Courtesy of General Mills
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    Why Cinnamon Toast Crunch is giving 2000s nostalgia a moody, deadly spin

    The Martin Agency updated the brand’s cannibalistic cereal squares of past ads, amping up dark humor and true crime elements favored by Gen Z.

    By • June 16, 2025
  • An Oura out-of-home ad in a subway
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    Courtesy of Oura
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    Column

    Campaign Trail: Oura asks consumers to give them the finger

    The health tech company upends fitness clichés to show what intentional aging can look like in an ad from indie shop Nice&Frank.

    By • June 13, 2025