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

This month: Sports, sports and sports. The time for NFL and college football marketing is upon us, and it’s here in abundance. Plus one campaign for the Women’s World Cup, which wrapped earlier this month, and two non-sports ads with supernatural twists. Ad Age Media Summit Hear from industry leaders during October event in NYC Register here 5. Bijan Robinson x Bijan Mustardson Agency: Callen It’s nice to break up the blood, sweat and turf of football season with a bit of goofery. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson returned as the spokesperson for Bijan Mustardson, the condiment brand he created during his college football years with agency Callen. While the very concept is more than enough for a chuckle, his latest spots for the mustard are a delight. One ad finds footballers looking fierce as they compete on the field. But in place of the typical pigskin, the quarterback snatches a wiener right off the grill and sends it spiraling through the air. It slides straight into a bun held by Robinson, who is reclining in a lawn chair, with his feet soaking in a kiddie pool. That’s camp. 4. Hannah Waddingham x Johnnie Walker Agency: In-house and Hello Sunshine “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham joined Johnnie Walker’s efforts to highlight women in sports during July. The campaign, timed to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, was meant to boost viewership for women’s sports by allowing fans to sign up for daily “Match Day Memos.” Delivered by text, the memos featured videos of Waddingham and female athletes sharing match schedules, statistics and inspirational messages. For every signup, Johnnie Walker made a $10 donation to the Women’s Sports Foundation. “Even though more than 40% of all athletes today are women, they still receive less than 10% of total sports news coverage,” says Waddingham in a campaign spot. “Watch women’s sports. It’s that simple.” Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here 3. Keegan-Michael Key and a gaggle of NFL stars x NFL Agency: 72andSunny Who doesn’t love a conspiracy theory? Well, the NFL is feeding the idea that its season is scripted through a series of promo spots featuring star athletes and actor Keegan-Michael Key. The ads show players meeting for a script-read-meets-brainstorming session for potential twists and turns the upcoming season might take, such as catching balls with their abs instead of hands. The delightful series, which will roll out 16 pieces of content throughout the season, gives a fun glimpse into the silly side of viewers’ favorite athletes, including Travis and Jason Kelce, Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, DK Metcalf, Dexter Lawrence, Ja’Marr Chase, Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Mahomes. “For the past few years, we felt a responsibility to leverage the power of the NFL to bring people together with our season kickoff campaigns,” Zach Hilder, executive creative director at 72andSunny L.A., previously told Ad Age. “But this year, it felt appropriate to let loose and have fun.” Football marketing news Tracking Super Bowl, NFL and college brand moves Read more here 2. Alf x Maximum Effort Agency: Maximum Effort Agency Maximum Effort is getting crafty with the content for its Maximum Effort Channel on Fubo. While much of its content is very Ryan Reynolds-forward, the actor was able to take a rest while ’80s sitcom character Alf made his return to TV screens. During the channel’s reruns of “Alf,” a series of ads called “Maximum Moments” lets brands interact with the alien creature. Brands including Mint Mobile, Ring, Hims, Fubo and Mntn got the knee-slapping treatment from Alf as he monitors the neighborhood cat on his doorbell camera, literally cuts his cable TV cord with scissors and tells his co-star that his hair looks like a toupee. 1. Steve-O x Liquid Death Agency: In-house Liquid Death just can’t miss, and the brand’s most recent partnership with “Jackass” daredevil Steve-O is *chef’s kiss.* This time around, Steve-O is offering up his hair to be made into “all-natural” voodoo dolls. The stuntman says the partnership is his “first supernatural stunt,” in which the brand buzzes his head to be woven into the mystical objects and activated by a witch doctor. While the precise brand tie-in is a stretch, the campaign is nonetheless hilarious and potentially offers huge utility for Steve-O’s biggest fans and haters alike. The celebrity suggests uses might involve “pins, teeth, tongues—I’m going to feel it all.” A chipper narrator hawks the product as “a toy that contains no plastic, just all-natural materials including Steve-O’s hair,” as the doll is displayed in a Barbie pink box. The dolls are currently for sale on Liquid Death’s site for $125, a small price to pay for ultimate power over a celebrity. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here

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

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