The top 5 celebrity brand collabs you need to know about right now

This month: Celebs in caskets, a comical feud between a celebrity and a brand and the return of “The Office”—sort of. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here 5. David Dastmalchian, Kate Siegel, Mike Flanagan and Matthew Lillard x Titan Casket Agency: Good Fiend Films and TheYearOfElan Productions There are two universal realities in life: death and taxes. But the former is a harder truth to face. That’s why watching celebs confront death and end-of-life planning through casual conversations is disarming. And watching them do so in a casket is equally sobering. David Dastmalchian orchestrates those conversations in a new content series with Titan Casket called “Grave Conversations.” Celebrity guests Kate Siegel, Mike Flanagan and Matthew Lillard each star in their own episode where they confront (at times emotionally) how often death is present in their minds, whether they have prepared their families and their own eulogies. The series helps normalize conversations about something that is often met with fear and discomfort, inviting both openness and acceptance of the fact that someday, it will happen to us all. Better to be prepared. 4. Jerry Seinfeld x Kellanova (Pop-Tarts) Agency: Publicis LeTruc Kellanova pulled an “Uno reverse” on Jerry Seinfeld, who hijacked the company’s Pop-Tarts origin story to make a Netflix movie titled “Unfrosted.” While the brand was not involved in the creation of the movie, its recent campaign indirectly gave Pop-Tarts’ stamp of approval. In the film, brand executives invite Seinfeld over to let him know that rather than file a lawsuit, the brand will hijack his shows’ characters and concepts, making their own version of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” called “People in Pontiacs Eating Pop-Tarts.” The clever campaign capitalized on the attention and flattery of having Seinfeld want to make a movie about the brand. It also laid to rest any rumors that the movie was made without approval. And let’s be honest, getting hijacked by Seinfeld is probably not the worst thing to happen to a brand. 3. Simone Biles x Powerade Agency: WPP Open X As the Paris Olympics approach, Powerade celebrated Simone Biles not for her iconic achievements as a gymnast, but for her humility and vulnerability as a human. “The Vault” reflects on Biles’ story of withdrawing from her team and competitions in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo to address her mental well-being. As she begins a vault routine, she reflects on her struggles as scenes of her personal life flash before her as she spins in slow motion in midair. The campaign offers a rare look into the raw pressures of being a celebrity and its impact on those who seem to have it all. It’s a refreshing take on the glitz and glamor of stardom and shows that not all that glitters is gold. Also read: Brands speak up for Mental Health Awareness Month 2. West Anderson x Montblanc Agency: N/A The internet has recently rediscovered Wes Anderson films, which makes Montblac’s recent collaboration with the famous director even more fun. In true Anderson fashion, he directed and starred in an ironic, sarcastic parody ad marking the 100th anniversary of Montblanc’s Meisterstück pen. A three-minute film follows Anderson atop Mont Blanc itself, the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, joined by pals Rupert Friend and Jason Schwartzman. Over the course of the next several minutes, the trio discusses the history of Montblanc’s products (especially its pens) and slogans, during which Anderson reveals he designed a pen himself. The hilarious campaign is injected with the awkwardness and self-awareness of Anderson’s other films. 1. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Craig Robinson, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery and Brian Baumgartner x AT&T Business Agency: BBDO In a time when brands have saturated the market with nostalgic ads, reboots and forced reunions, AT&T Business managed to successfully bring back one of the most popular American sitcoms of all time. Starring Rainn Wilson, the brand’s latest campaign made a fun twist on the workplace comedy series “The Office,” reuniting him with Jenna Fischer, Craig Robinson, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery and Brian Baumgartner as they join Wilson on his endeavor to launch a business idea using AT&T Business. The big idea? A pillow with speakers that people could use to fall asleep to the sound of Wilson’s voice. But things don’t go that well, and the pillow’s rollout is botched, documented in a six-minute short film filled with “Office” humor, improvisation and voice. As a result, the ad is actually funny—something many ads fall short of. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

The top 5 celebrity brand collabs you need to know about right now

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