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

This month: An anthem for a scandal, an unexpected bromance and a suggestive faux wood beverage. See all of Ad Age's 2023 Leading Women here 5. Lala Kent, Scheana Shay and Ariana Madix x Uber One There’s a certain joy to seeing a brand join a cultural conversation with star-driven, clever creative. Uber One did so beautifully by taking part in one of May's most-talked-about pop obsessions: #Scandoval, or the explosive infidelity drama that has consumed the current season of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules.” Uber One enlisted the show’s female stars—Lala Kent, Scheana Shay and, most central to the spectacle, Ariana Madix—for a short spot and merch drop sporting the slogan “call an Uber, not your ex.” The spot revives Shay’s decade-old track “Good as Gold” with freshly branded lyrics and features the women lauding the feeling of freedom—seemingly from both toxic men as well as with the ease of food delivery. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bravo (@bravotv) 4. Kristen Bell x Enchanté Like a cross between rom-com, body horror and a campy perfume ad, the trippy short film for the launch of F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo’s fashion brand is truly a bizarre two-and-a-half-minute ride. The spot stars Kristen Bell, who, while exasperatedly juggling calls with a brokenhearted friend and a lost luggage helpline, seems to lose her grip on reality when her doppelgänger sits across from her at a French restaurant. The Bell double prompts the original Bell to “stop and smell the roses.” While the fashion line has a rose motif, the ensuing action involving consuming and regurgitating flowers, an avalanche of peaches into the restaurant and a finale in which Bell tells the helpline attendant to keep the lost baggage is nonetheless entertainingly nonsensical. Ricciardo also makes an appearance as a waiter who drops a coffee off at Bell’s table and seductively says the brand’s name, “Enchanté.” Whatever is happening in this ad, directed by Michael Spiccia with production company Maniac, please give us the feature-length version. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here 3. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul x The Los Angeles Rams Oh, to be a fly on the wall for the pitch meeting in which selecting players in the NFL Draft is compared to formulating drugs straight out of “Breaking Bad.” That is the premise of the Los Angeles Rams’ draft trailer promo featuring “Breaking Bad” stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. While the spot is not quite as funny as the premise might suggest, the idea is nonetheless too amazing to ignore. The spot, from agency Dakota.Media, features an equally bizarre set of cameos, such as comedian Cheech Marin and DJ Diplo, in addition to Rams general manager Les Snead, head coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. 2. Trevor Noah and Roger Federer x Swiss Tourism “It’s a Swiss Tourism ad. It’s not supposed to be funny,” half-Swiss Roger Federer tells fellow half-Swiss Trevor Noah at the beginning of an ad for Swiss Tourism. Rather the spot, in which Federer and Noah upend an ad shoot by boarding the wrong train and are whisked across Switzerland, is a charming bromance. It's filled with playful banter, serendipitous meetings and a finale in which the two run, laughing, to their next adventure—all set to a beautiful string score. The spot, directed by Oscar-winner Tom Hooper with agency Wirz Zurich, is nearly four minutes, all of which are delightful. 1. Aubrey Plaza x MilkPEP The classic slogan “Got Milk?” may conjure up specific images of dairy-coated upper lips. But the phrase “Got Wood?” sends the mind racing. A satirical spot from MilkPEP, the organization behind the original tagline, imagines a world in which anything might be called milk—almond, soy, oat or even juices straight from the bark of trees—after an FDA ruling decreed non-dairy beverages could continue calling themselves milk. The protest ad stars Aubrey Plaza, who hilariously portrays the co-founder of the fictitious company Wood Milk. “Have you ever looked at a tree and thought, ‘Can I drink this?’ the actress muses. “I did.” The comically ethereal spot from agency Gale glides around an orchard where Plaza rubs a log across her face, showers shavings onto her face and gulps the viscous sludge that’s supposedly Wood Milk. The spot is accompanied by merchandise and a faux product site to fully immerse consumers into the reality in which wood might be milk. 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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