Done right, “oddvertising” will always get attention. We had three such campaigns this week that we found fun and compelling—including two from usual suspects Meow Wolf and Liquid Death. Elsewhere, we saw Corona go where it’s never gone before—and Apple revisit its privacy message, with delightful results. Below, check out our Top 5 campaigns of the week.

5. DeeVa Toys: Dickie Berg
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo

Ideas can come from anywhere—even a remote bay off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, where a recently discovered, phallic-shaped iceberg nicknamed “Dickie Berg” gave Canadian agency Zulu Alpha Kilo inspiration for an unusual product indeed. Say hello to the Dickie Berg dildo, manufactured by adult novelty company DeeVa Toys. The product (which is more of a gag item—it’s “not designed or intended for use as a sexual aid,” per the website) is intended to raise awareness of climate change, as all proceeds from sales are going to environmental nonprofits.

4. Meow Wolf: Come Find Yourselfs at the Mall
Agency: Preacher

Meow Wolf really is a dream client—a company that makes installation-style experiences that are wild and wacky, and fully expects its marketing to be the same. For its newest permanent exhibition, opening soon in a Texas mall, the company recruited Austin agency Preacher—which took over from previous agency Wieden+Kennedy—to whip up a retro-tastic meets darkly futuristic celebration of mall culture. And while nothing can probably top deepfake Willie Nelson, Preacher gives us the goods, too—with a twisted vision of cult-like nirvana that should have Texans flocking, sheep-like, to Grapevine Mills for the opening.

3. Liquid Death: Recycled Plastic Surgery Center
Agency: Party Land

We’ve come to expect the unexpected from Liquid Death, and this week’s effort from the canned water brand may be its strangest yet. The company, which has been waging war on plastic pollution for years, dreamed up a great (except terrible) use for discarded plastic bottles—shoving them inside people’s bodies in the name of cut-rate plastic surgery. Check out the video below for more. Not even Huggies would look kindly on that one guy’s horrifyingly lumpy butt.

2. Corona: Second Chance League
Agency: We Believers

We Believers is always good for delivering purpose-based work that actually feels real, not like awards bait. This week the agency unveiled its latest effort for Corona—a campaign that involved creating a prison soccer league in Mexico. The engagement with the prisoners is sobering yet uplifting, as the brand clearly becomes invested in improving their lot. And the somewhat storybook ending nonetheless feels true as well, not just a manufactured moment. At a time, leading up to Cannes, when we’re seeing a lot of questionable purpose-driven efforts, this one is unimpeachable—a big brand making a real difference in the lives of the downtrodden.

1. Apple: Waiting Room
Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab

The knock on Apple’s marketing these days, if there is one, is that it can be a little corporate, a little inflexible to fun. And while, yes, the brand’s hefty ad budgets can sometimes lead to spots that are heavier on craft than storytelling, other times they get the balance right. For example—this new spot about privacy. Compared to its 2022 privacy spot, which was dazzling to watch yet felt (to us) a little sterile, this new ad is more relatable and entertaining—even as it retains an appealingly cartoonish aspect. The writing and direction, as usual, are top-notch here. But the punchy, malevolent voiceover (from Jane Lynch) breathes new life into Apple’s villain story—a VO being such a clever way of personifying the hidden forces endeavoring to nab your data. As in the marketer’s lauded “Underdogs” series, the character sketches here matter as much as the product features—putting humanity and technology in sync in a way you can actually enjoy, not just admire.