This month: Serious acting, cozy reunions, moving activism and a Times Square concert.

5. Olivia Colman, Barry Keoghan, Zhang Jingyi, Cara Delevingne, Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Little Simz x Burberry

Agency: Frosty

Many luxury brands, Burberry included, often opt for grand or flashy marketing. But a recent campaign for the British fashion label took a more subtle approach. The series of scenes follows a celebrity, including actors, athletes, models and singers, in moments that are introspective, quietly humorous and ephemeral, glimpses into “stars are people too” moments.

Among the vignettes, actor Olivia Colman’s car gets stuck among a group of sheep, rapper Little Simz listens to music on a train and model Cara Delevingne plays rock, paper, scissors.

4. Adam Driver x Amazon

Agency: In-house

Self-described as a “real serious actor,” Adam Driver puts his dramatic skills to the test in a series of hilarious spots for Amazon in which he recites unhinged reviews. In one, Driver describes the ups and downs of a couple who purchased a banana slicer, saving their volatile marriage. In another, he takes on a slight southern twang in reading a reviewer’s wish to have their ashes stored in a Dutch oven. And the third gets a little sassy concerning a seal-shaped pillow.

3. Charli XCX x H&M

Agency: Kennedy

“Brat,” the dance album by Carli XCX, became one of 2024’s defining marketing fascinations as numerous brands and even Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign tapped into the neon green and cool-kid vibe. But H&M had the true Brat treatment through its long-standing relationship with the singer. 

The culmination of a campaign starring Charli XCX and other performers, H&M hosted a surprise performance by the singer in New York’s Times Square. Thousands flooded the popular destination to see Charli XCX, coinciding with the re-opening of H&M’s Times Square store.

2. Vanessa Carlton x Center for Reproductive Rights

Agency: GSD&M

Singer Vanessa Carlton lends her iconic song “A Thousand Miles” to a powerful spot for the Center for Reproductive Rights. The favorite of shower singers and car belters takes on new meaning as the ad follows Carlton on a cross-country road trip set to a more pensive rendition of the track. It’s revealed that Carlton and other women who cross her path on the journey were forced to take the trip to receive reproductive care banned in their home states. 

In the end, the star addresses the camera, describing the life-saving abortion she’d previously received, and implores viewers to be active in protesting legislation and proposals that limit or ban reproductive care in the U.S.

1. Casts of “Gilmore Girls,” “Love Jones,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Spongebob Squarepants” x Walmart

Agency: Publicis Groupe

Reunions have become a staple of celebrity marketing, drumming up excitement among fans and giving brands a creative challenge that can be make or break. Multiple pop culture reunions in recent memory still stand out—last year’s “Mean Girls” spot from Walmart, a campaign that brought together favorites from “The Office” and even a recent round of marketing and brand tie-ins to promote a “The Simple Life” special coming to Peacock.

Walmart went for it again this year, this time reuniting multiple nostalgic franchises—“Gilmore Girls,” “Love Jones,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Spongebob Squarepants.” While some questioned whether a major retail chain such as Walmart would be welcome in the quaint town of Stars Hollow, the spot seemed to do the trick in getting fans oohing and awing over the return of their favorites.