The top 5 creative campaigns you need to know about right now

This week: a mega-retailer traps twenty-somethings in the past, a streaming giant holds fans hostage a meeting of mega-stars and more. Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis. 5. No Frills: Aisles of Glory: Legends of the Haul Banana Game Controller Agency: John St. Back in 2019, Canadian discount grocery chain No Frills debuted a video game, “Aisles of Glory,” through which gamers could earn shopping rewards points. The promotion, created with agency John St, reached a whole new level last week with the debut of a new device that was, literally, bananas. Through a contest, No Frills gave to some lucky players three bananas, along with the gear to turn them into an actual controller to play its game, demo’d in the video below. 4) Uber Eats: Tonight I’ll Be Eating-Elton John and Lil Nas X Agency: Special Group The premise of Uber Eats’ “Tonight I’ll Be Eating” campaign is to pair famous people we perhaps never imagined in the same room together and throwing them into an ad. First, we saw Mark Hamill, aka “Star Wars” hero Luke Skywalker, with Sir Patrick Stewart, aka “Star Trek” Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Now, we have music superstars Elton John and Lil Nas X. While musically miles apart, the two share a stylish flamboyance played up in the new spots, one of which shows them swapping each other’s most iconic outfits—John dons Lil Nas X’s pink cowboy suit while Lil Nas X displays John’s billowy rainbow feathered costume. The ads take the Uber Eats message on a new turn, pushing how Uber Eats delivers more than just meals. 3) Pepsi: The One That I Want ("Grease" remake) Agency: VaynerMedia Pepsi took a stroll down memory lane with its modern-day take on “Grease,” starring Doja Cat. The brand recreated a famous scene from the movie with the pop star stepping into Olivia Newton-John’s role and singing a remade version of the film’s classic tune, “You’re The One That I Want.” It’s not that man she’s longing for, however. It turns out the object of her desire is a can of Pepsi’s limited-edition “Soda Shop”-flavored cola. The ad brings back the big-star, big-production extravaganza that Pepsi built its brand on, with stars including Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Pink and others. 2) Ikea: Trapped in the ‘90s Agency: McCann Spain Speaking of memory lane, Ikea recently sent Spaniards back in time to when the brand didn’t even exist in their country. To celebrate the retailer’s 25 years in Spain, the brand, along with McCann, created the reality show “Trapped in the ‘90s,” which held a group of six individuals “hostage” in a home without modern-day comforts. Instead of mobile devices, they had rotary phones. In place of duvets, there were blankets. Gas stoves had to be lit with a lighter. Through the eight episodes, however, Ikea introduced its own items to help contestants “survive” the ordeal. 1. Netflix: Money Heist Agency: Publicis Italy Netflix went to extremes to prevent spoilers of the fifth and final season of its popular show “Money Heist” in Italy. In a campaign from Publicis, the streaming giant invited 100 of the series’ most ardent fans to a special screening of the show—on an airplane. The fans were treated to every episode of part one of the new season, but since they were trapped in flight, it was impossible for them to reveal any details through their social channels. By the time they landed, five hours later, other less spoiler-inclined viewers would have already had a chance to watch the show on their own. For more great ideas bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day at Adage.com/Creativity. High-quality journalism isn’t free. Subscribe to Ad Age now for award-winning news and insight.

The top 5 creative campaigns you need to know about right now

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