12 creative campaigns to know about today

Among today’s creative highlights, A1 has some fun with Linda McMahon’s “AI” gaffe; Goody’s offered marathon runners some medicine-free pain relief; and Kool-Aid and Nike teamed up to release funky Ja Morant sneakers. A.1. The steak sauce brand and agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address jumped into the news cycle and poked a little fun after U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon repeatedly referred to AI as “A1” on a panel last week. Less than 24 hours after the gaffe, the brand posted its bottle on Instagram with a new label that said it was “For educational purposes only.” Absolut The vodka brand is helping consumers find drink recipes using emojis in internet searches in a campaign from Dentsu Creative Brazil. The campaign bypasses keyword search by encouraging consumers to search emoji instead. Absolut cocktail recipes come up as results. The strategy is meant to boost share of search without using traditional keyword buying. Budweiser An outdoor and print campaign from Africa Creative features musicians’ backstage riders, showing how many of them have requested Budweiser over the years. Fini Company A charming animated film from the Spanish confectionery company follows a young Cupid tasked with bringing together Emma and Noah, strangers who pass each other every day on the subway but are oblivious to one another due to their constant phone use. The film, directed by Paulo Garcia, depicts how Cupid and his team of friends have to get creative to bring them together. The campaign, produced by Zombie Studio, addresses the topic of a lack of human connection in a screen-dominated world. Goody’s The pain relief brand showed up at one of the most painful moments in sports—mile 20 of a marathon—with an activation called “Smile 20.” It featured a large digital screen at mile 20 of the Knoxville Marathon and used an AI-powered smile filter to put grins on runners’ faces—prompting laughter, an emotional lift and a jolt of energy for the runners when they was needed most. FCB Chicago led the activation, joined by agency partners The Shipyard, 360PR+, Story Collective and HELO. The goal was to deliver relief without the product itself, since runners are advised not to take NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) during a race. The Hartford The insurance company tells its origin story, dating to the 1835 fire that destroyed much of New York’s Financial District, in its first work from independent agency Solve. The 30-second spot is part of a brand refresh that spans positioning, tagline and identity, including a contemporary look for its iconic stag logo. History Channel Tattooed numbers from the arms of Holocaust survivors are remixed to visualize frightening modern data about resurgence of far-right extremism in a campaign from Dentsu Creative Iberia. Among the data points in the campaign: 33,963 racial hate crimes in Germany in 2024; 162 neo-Nazi marches in six months; and 1,856 likes on the social media comment “We miss you, Hitler.” Ikea Portugal The retailer says its furniture lasts longer than most romantic relationships in a campaign running in Portugal by agency Uzina. Kool-Aid x Nike The brands teamed up with NBA player Ja Morant to launch the Nike x Kool-Aid Ja 2, a sneaker collection inspired by Morant’s favorite childhood flavors. The mismatched sneakers represent different flavors—blue raspberry with orange on the sole, and cherry with a lemon-lime sole. Both shoes have a glow-in-the-dark outsole. They also feature the Kool-Aid Man bursting through a wall and his iconic “Ohhh Yeah!” catchphrase. Fans will have two chances to win a pair of the shoes. The first drop is May 16 via the SNKRS app and select retailers, with a second release in July. To celebrate, Kool-Aid is also offering a limited-edition “Mix n’ Kicks” flavor pack—its first new product in over five years—available through a giveaway starting May 2. Peruvian Alzheimer’s Association The nonprofit, also known as APEAD, organized a stunt with agency McCann Lima at the Vivo x el Rock music festival, where the lead singer of the band Gaia appeared to forget the names of his bandmates while introducing them. He then began forgetting lyrics. Eventually a message appeared on the stage screens that read, “The first symptoms of Alzheimer’s are forgetting everyday things.” Telus The Canadian telecom launched GameRx, an all-in-one resource about the connection between gaming and wellness. An online hub, created by agency Rethink, explores the connection between gaming and stress, as well as memory, focus, loneliness and even mobility—championing the fact that certain video games can actually be good for you. Telus has partnered with tech and gaming influencers Cara Funk and Matt Moniz for content promoting GameRx across Twitch, Instagram and TikTok. Visit Dubai Newlywed actors Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi are sent on a magical adventure during a stopover in Dubai, prompted by an enchanted script that tells them what to explore next, in a film from the Dubai Corporation for Tourism. The film was written and co-directed by Armando Bo, with Felipe Gomez Aparicio also serving as co-director. It’s the first time the couple have starred on screen together. Contributing: Erika Wheless

12 creative campaigns to know about today

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