The top 5 creative campaigns to know about right now

A good nostalgic soundtrack can punch up a modern marketing message. We got a couple of strong examples this week, with classic songs from the ’70s and ’80s boosting campaigns ranging from sports to furniture retail. Elsewhere this week, we saw a comic campaign imagining Super Bowl spots as full-length films; a sports apparel maker’s reframing of running; and a personal-care brand’s hyperbolic spots for its sweet-smelling products. Check out the full top 5 below. Super Bowl ad review The best and worst commercials from the Big Game Click here 5. Tubi: Tubi MoviesAgency: Mischief @ No Fixed Address This fun offshoot of Tubi’s Super Bowl campaign, imagining other brands’ Big Game spots as full-length movies, deserves a tip of the fleshy cowboy hat. The streamer released mock trailers for such films, including one in which the influencer-riddled Poppi ad is interrupted by alien greasers with a dated sense of humor. There’s another one where the Nerds gummy rockets to space. Tubi has promised/threatened to make the actual films. Let’s hope it does. 4. On: Soft WinsAgency: Flower Shop We didn’t have Elmo from Sesame Street as On endorser on our 2025 bingo card. But the wee furry one has now appeared in two spots for the sportswear brand—first, a logo debate with Roger Federer, and now, a larger campaign about how running shouldn’t have to be so intense. It’s an interesting, inclusive take from the brand, nicely brought to life by director Daniel Wolfe in the new ad. We don’t want to see Elmo getting too deep into brand spots, but this particular message suits him well. Also read: Elmo starred in this 2024 mental health PSA 3. Value City Furniture: If I Could Turn Back TimeDirector: Colle McVoy Furniture owners who didn’t go to Value City sing regretfully about their purchases in this amusing musical spot featuring the characters belting out Cher’s 1989 classic “If I Could Turn Back Time.” This is a brand that’s embraced absurdism for years—remember the 2015 spots with the people gagging when they looked at their old furniture? The new spot certainly owes a debt to Old Spice, but it’s still a promising debut on the brand from its new lead creative agency, Colle McVoy. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here 2. Nike: Bein’ Green | Jordan Brand: Love HurtsAgency: Wieden+Kennedy We’re grouping these together since they’re both Philadelphia Eagles congrats ads—one saluting the team, the other Jalen Hurts. The Kermit the Frog song makes for a nice, unexpected juxtaposition in the former, while the latter draws energy from the quarterback’s doubters and haters (and the music of Teddy Pendergrass). Both great examples of the form by W+K. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nike (@nike) 1. Axe: Be Sweeter Than the SweetestAgency: LOLA MullenLowe Axe’s “Robbery” and “Funeral” were two of our favorite ads last year. Now, LOLA MullenLowe and directing duo Lionel Goldstein return with more Axe work: a campaign about sweetness that isn’t that sweet—but is hilarious. The ads promote Axe’s new range of sweet-smelling fragrances; they feature guys who smell so sweet that their girlfriends’ babies, dogs and teddy bears—normally the sweetest things in their lives—get violently jealous. The work keeps Axe’s longstanding hyperbole intact, but instead of insatiable attraction, we get more comedically driven conflict—another nice evolution of the brand. Super Bowl ad review The best and worst commercials from the Big Game Click here

The top 5 creative campaigns to know about right now

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