This month: A blunt comeback, a Kardashian feud, AI marketing without the backlash and 24 hours of wardrobe advice.

5. Jimmy Fallon, Kim Kardashian x Beats by Dre

Agency: Mirimar

Kim Kardashian and Beats followed up their earbuds collaboration by extending the chic, neutral toned colorways to the brand’s over-ear headphones. A partnership between two symbols of cool is expected. That’s why shaking up the duo by mixing in late night host Jimmy Fallon and hot dogs is such a delight. 

Kardashian’s Beats launch was promoted through a feud with Fallon, in which the nude colors faced off with Fallon’s idea for a condiment-themed yellow. A comedic spot, in which a boardroom of executives including Kardashian discuss how uncool Fallon is, was supplemented by social clips of Fallon dancing, fake text fights between the competitors and an appearance on Fallon’s “The Tonight Show.”

Also read: Jeremy Allen White’s latest Calvin Klein campaign

4. Leslie Jones x Google

Agency: EssenceMediacom and NBCUniversal Creative Partnerships

The task of marketing AI and emerging tech products to consumers has had its ups and many, many downs. Unlike its infamous “Dear Sydney” Olympics ad, Google found numerous less-controversial ways of promoting its Gemini AI product during the Summer Games.

In particular, a campaign in partnership with comedian Leslie Jones found humorous ways of sharing ideas for how to use AI. One spot shows Jones using Gemini to create several creative swimming strokes after getting frustrated that the athletes’ freestyle swimming all looked the same. Another has Jones generate a training routine to compete in hurdle events.

3. Snoop Dogg x Solo Stove

Agency: The Martin Agency

Hot off of his own Olympics appearances, Snoop Dogg starred in the comeback campaign for Solo Stove—after leading the brand’s polarizing stunt marketing last year. This time, the smokeless fire pit maker left no questions about whether or not its celebrity partnership was a marketing stunt.

“This is an ad for Solo Stove,” Snoop Dogg says directly to the camera in a spot that begins with the word “marketing” in block letters above him. Perhaps no celebrity campaign before has been as shameless in saying that the star power on screen is key to the company’s hopes for generating more sales. No really, Snoop Dogg literally says that in the ad.

2. Many Olympics athletes and Willem Dafoe x Nike

Agency: Wieden & Kennedy Portland

Olympic athletes in an Olympics ad? Expected. But Nike’s “Winning Isn’t for Everyone” campaign for this year’s Olympics took an interesting turn from its typical messaging. The campaign takes a harder look at what it takes to get to the level of star athletes such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sha’Carri Richardson and LeBron James, and the ruthless mindset that not everyone may possess. 

Willem Dafoe narrates an energetic spot showing numerous athletes competing with sweat and screams to provocative lines such as, “I have zero remorse. I have no sense of compassion. I’m delusional. I’m Maniacal. You think I’m a bad person? Tell me.”

1. Christian Siriano x Persil

Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day NY

Laundry detergent brand Persil managed to convince fashion designer Christian Siriano to take part in a 24-hour TikTok livestream. The lengthy stream wasn’t an infomercial for washing clothes, but featured Siriano offering users who called a hotline advice on how to mix up their existing wardrobe rather than buying new clothes.

According to the brand, 350,000 TikTok users tuned in and more than 600 people called for advice. Siriano told Ad Age that the stream wasn’t rehearsed, “we just did it.”