Among today’s creative highlights, Ikea opened its Frakta tribute pop-up store in London, Pepsi hosted an AI-powered taste test, and Jersey Mike’s unveiled its latest Danny DeVito spots.

Apple

The company’s holiday ad from TBWA\Media Arts Lab focuses on the new Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2. We spoke with Apple—and the main actor in the spot, who has hearing loss—about the project.

Community Coffee

The Louisiana-based, family-owned coffee company launched a campaign marking the 105-year-old history of the brand. Created by TMA, “Generations” celebrates the company’s founding mission to bring people together and foster community in every cup.

Disney

A short film salutes the Sherman brothers, Disney’s longtime composing team, and even features a new verse for their classic song “It’s a Small World (After All).”

Essence

The German cosmetics brand launched a branded Roblox experience centered around fighting negativity and intolerance. “Guardians of the Lash Princess” (named after the brand’s Lash Princess mascara) is part of Essence’s existing Roblox presence, Kingdom of Essentia. In it, players fight against Evil Gray, a symbol of real-world challenges such as negativity, intolerance and bullying, by collaborating with other players and spreading positivity. The experience was created by Jung von Matt Nerd and sister agency Alfr3d.

Ikea Sweden

A magazine ad in Sweden for Ikea’s blackout curtains was itself mostly blacked out. Agency Åkestam Holst NoA created the ad, which ran in magazines and the country’s largest morning papers.

Ikea UK

The retailer opened a luxury pop-up store, “Hus of Frakta,” on London’s Oxford Street dedicated to its Frakta bag. The shop includes an immersive experience that evokes the feeling of entering the iconic blue bag, heightened with ASMR sounds and mirrored walls with 3D lighting; “Atelier,” where guests can initial their Frakta bag with bespoke lettering; a “Curated Collection” offering a set of Ikea products to purchase; a “Blue Edit,” which includes several curated products that pay tribute to Frakta blue; and a “Press for Candyfloss” wall, where customers can enjoy a taste of blue cotton candy. The pop-up will be open daily until March at 216 Oxford Street, next door to what will be the new Ikea store, opening in the spring.

Jersey Mike’s

The latest phase of Highdive’s “It’s a Jersey Mike’s Thing” campaign launches with new Danny DeVito spots featuring real-world scenarios where people enjoy Jersey Mike’s subs.

Montefiore Einstein

The health network’s latest big holiday film channels kid-centric ’80s action comedies like “The Goonies,” featuring five kids with rare diseases who keep New York City festive after the power goes out.

Oscar Mayer

Erika Wheless has the story of why Oscar Mayer is re-airing its classic 1974 “My bologna has a first name” jingle spot—part of a collaboration with Instacart.

Pepsi

The brand brought back its classic 1975 “Pepsi Challenge” in Latin America, with an AI twist. “Desfl.A Pepsi,” a play on the Spanish words “Desafio” (“Challenge)” and “IA” (“AI”), invited over 400 festival-goers in Colombia to taste Pepsi Zero alongside another sugar-free cola and measured responses using auditory, visual and cognitive data.

Simply Business

The business insurance company in the U.K. launched a campaign from Golin called “Bleak Friday,” emphasizing the plight of independent pubs and other indie businesses. As part of the effort, iconic London pub The Pelton Arms received a blacked-out makeover and was renamed “The Extinction Arms” as a stark warning that many indie businesses could go under within 10 to 15 years.

Verizon

The telecommunications company partnered with Colombian music artist J Balvin on a holiday campaign tied to his first U.S. tour in more than five years. 

Vodafone UK

The phone company’s nostalgic holiday campaign from Leo Burnett celebrates 40 years of Christmas with Vodafone. The U.K.’s first-ever mobile phone call was made on Jan. 1, 1985, and the first-ever text message (which read “Merry Christmas”) was sent on Dec. 3, 1992—both were powered by the Vodafone network.

Volkswagen

The automaker’s U.S. marketing campaign for the ID Buzz electric minivan debuts with an ad from Johannes Leonardo showing people bringing levity to everyday life moments, backed by Elaine Stritch’s 1956 recording of “Are You Having Any Fun?”

See all our daily creativity roundups here.