This Week's Adweek Lineup: 12 Brands, From Gap Denim to Amazon's Back-to-School Llamas

Adweek's latest weekly advertising selection rounds up 12 campaigns from brands spanning fashion, packaged food, finance, technology and retail. Gap and Marc Jacobs showcase denim and handbags through younger actors and musicians, while Foot Locker uses rapper Method Man to narrate a two-minute celebration of sneaker culture. Heinz is promoting a new adjustable ketchup lid, Hinge has released an audiobook about couples who met on its app, and Amazon's back-to-school spot with actress Kathryn Hahn was named the week's most effective ad by measurement firm EDO.

Celebrity talent is the clearest common thread. NFL quarterback Jayden Daniels appears in a J.P. Morgan Wealth Management spot about his pre-fame financial advisor, NBA star Stephen Curry makes a cameo in a Google Pixel 11 ad, and reality TV figure Tyler Cameron takes a sledgehammer to a tanning bed in a CeraVe sun-safety series. Gap pairs musician Malcolm Todd and actress Inde Navarrette in a denim campaign set to a cover of Robyn's 'Dancing on My Own,' while Marc Jacobs casts Rowan Blanchard and Jemima Kirke in a detective-style chase through Manhattan.

The week also features purpose-driven and product-led work. Always Discreet enlists NFL mothers to reduce the stigma around bladder leaks, and Kalshi uses an absurdly long sandwich to explain how its prediction market app works. Liquid Death and Goodwipes have teamed up on flushable wipes tied to a 'Buttler' sweepstakes, with a grand prize of a live-in wipe assistant. Amazon's spot, which debuted July 12, was 951% more effective than the average online retail ad during the August 5–11 week, according to EDO, and aired most frequently on Headline News and Lifetime.

How Celebrity, Nostalgia and Shareable Stunts Drove the Week's Most Notable Campaigns

Why Gap, CeraVe and Hinge Are Betting on Creators and Real Stories

Several campaigns are aimed squarely at younger consumers. Gap's use of musician Malcolm Todd and actress Inde Navarrette, rather than a traditional A-list celebrity, matches the brand's stated goal of widening its customer base and welcoming a younger demographic. CeraVe's Tyler Cameron series targets the Gen Z 'tanmaxxing' trend by dramatizing the removal of a tanning bed, while Hinge's audiobook uses five real couples who met on the app to turn dating success stories into brand content. The pattern suggests advertisers are trading broad celebrity reach for talent and formats that feel more native to younger feeds.

Nostalgia and Star Power Still Carry Foot Locker, Google Pixel and J.P. Morgan

At the same time, established cultural figures remain central for brand trust and attention. Foot Locker's Method Man-narrated film mixes historical footage with recreations of basketball and neighborhood scenes, tying its new brand platform to more than half a century of sneaker culture. Google's Pixel spot uses Stephen Curry as a visible distraction to showcase the HiLight feature, and J.P. Morgan Wealth Management's Jayden Daniels story leans on his pre-fame relationship with a financial advisor. The combination suggests that established brands are pairing familiar names with a backstory of authenticity rather than relying on celebrity endorsement alone.

The Shareable Stunt: Heinz, Liquid Death and Kalshi Turn Product Features Into Entertainment

Heinz's Love Lid is a packaging change with three flow settings, but the campaign frames it as a personality test for ketchup users. Liquid Death and Goodwipes go further with a live-in 'buttler' sweepstakes attached to flushable wipes sold in Walmart, while Kalshi's comedic short uses an almost never-ending sandwich to explain what a prediction market platform does. These stunts are built for social sharing, but each also serves an explanatory function: the lid demonstrates customization, the wipes pair with a sweepstakes, and the sandwich clarifies an unfamiliar financial product.

Amazon's EDO Number Shows Back-to-School Retail Is a High-Stakes Attention Battle

Amazon's back-to-school ad with Kathryn Hahn was 951% more effective than the average online retail ad during the week of August 5–11, per EDO, and aired heavily on Headline News and Lifetime. That figure reflects one measurement vendor's effectiveness model, not necessarily sales, but it is a reminder that the back-to-school season is a concentrated spending moment where humorous, celebrity-fronted creative can break through. Advertisers competing in online retail should treat the August window as a costly and crowded fight for attention rather than a low-stakes seasonal event.

What Advertising and Marketing Teams Can Learn From This Week's Campaign Mix

  • For Gen Z campaigns, test creator pairings over traditional celebrities. Gap paired musician Malcolm Todd with actress Inde Navarrette and set the spot to a Robyn cover, explicitly to widen its younger audience.
  • Use real customer stories where the brand can verify them. Hinge built an audiobook around five actual couples who met on its platform, giving the campaign a credibility hook that scripted romance ads may lack.
  • Turn a product feature into a controllable, shareable experience. Heinz's Love Lid gives ketchup users three flow settings and a simple way to see themselves in the product.
  • Do not leave back-to-school creative to the last minute. Amazon's ad debuted July 12 and, per EDO, was 951% more effective than the average online retail ad during the August 5–11 week, with frequent cable placements on Headline News and Lifetime.
  • Match stunt marketing to an existing brand voice. Liquid Death's 'Buttler' sweepstakes with Goodwipes is attention-grabbing, but brands without that established irreverent tone risk the stunt overwhelming the product.