The Week's Campaign Lineup: Gap, Marc Jacobs, Heinz and 9 More

Adweek's latest weekly roundup collects 12 campaigns from brands including Gap, Foot Locker, Heinz, Marc Jacobs, J.P. Morgan Wealth Management and Amazon. The selection is led by cultural cameos: Gap pairs musician Malcolm Todd and actress Inde Navarrette for a fall denim push set to a Robyn cover, while Foot Locker uses rapper Method Man to narrate a two-minute film marking more than 50 years of sneaker culture.

Several campaigns target younger consumers directly. CeraVe enlists reality television star Tyler Cameron and dermatologist Dr. Chloe Goodman to demolish a tanning bed and address Gen Z's 'tanmaxxing' trend, while Hinge promotes an audiobook of real dating stories to lovesick Gen Zers. Marc Jacobs frames its latest 'Question Marc' episode as a Manhattan detective story featuring Rowan Blanchard and Jemima Kirke, and Google Pixel uses NBA star Stephen Curry as a cameo to show off the Pixel 11 series' HiLight notification controls.

Other campaigns mix purpose with audience fit. Always Discreet enlists real NFL mothers, including Katie DeJean and Elisha Jarrett, to address bladder leak stigma, noting women make up almost half of the NFL fan base. J.P. Morgan Wealth Management stars Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in a 30-second spot about meeting his financial advisor before he became the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The week also includes product-led ideas and stunts: Heinz introduces the Love Lid with 'Like,' 'Love,' and 'Crazy Love' flow settings; Liquid Death teams with Goodwipes for a flushable wipes pack and a 'Buttler Sweepstakes'; Kalshi uses an almost endless sandwich to explain its prediction market app. Amazon's back-to-school spot with Kathryn Hahn was named the roundup's most effective ad, generating 951% more effectiveness than the average online retail ad during the week of August 5-11, according to data from EDO.

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Why This Week's Ads Lean Into Gen Z Creators, Niche Celebrities and Absurd Tie-Ins

Gen Z targeting is the clearest through-line

The campaign choices point toward a demographic strategy rather than isolated creative. Gap explicitly says its denim push aims to broaden its customer base with younger shoppers, and it uses musician Malcolm Todd and actress Inde Navarrette rather than traditional mass-market stars. Hinge's audiobook, CeraVe's anti-'tanmaxxing' series, and Google's Pixel spot all use talent or themes that speak to younger consumers. That indicates brands are trying to buy relevance in specific communities rather than relying only on broad reach.

Celebrity casting is being matched to cultural credibility

Foot Locker pairs Method Man with sneaker history, which gives the credibility message to long-time collectors and newer fans. J.P. Morgan Wealth Management chooses Jayden Daniels to make financial advice feel less corporate. Marc Jacobs keeps Rowan Blanchard, Jemima Kirke and the designer himself in an artful fashion detective story. The pattern is more notable than any single ad: the celebrity must carry an existing cultural connection to the product or category.

Product changes and absurdity are taking the place of traditional persuasion

Heinz is not simply selling ketchup; the Love Lid turns a flow control into a story about personal preference. Liquid Death's Goodwipes 'Buttler Sweepstakes' uses shock humor to drive Walmart distribution and earned media. Kalshi's sandwich explains a complex prediction market through an absurd visual. These are attention-first mechanics, but they need a clear product tie-in to be effective.

Amazon's EDO result gives a measurable benchmark

The only effectiveness data in the selection is decisive. Amazon's 'Back to School - Llamas' spot outperformed the average online retail ad by 951% during the week of August 5-11 and aired most frequently on Headline News and Lifetime. That suggests heavy cable frequency, early timing — the ad debuted July 12 — and a clear back-to-school use case created a measurable lift, though the data covers one week and one retail category, so it should be read as a point-in-time signal, not a universal rule.

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From Amazon's 951% Effectiveness to Heinz's Love Lid: Usable Campaign Lessons

For brand marketers, the roundup offers concrete mechanics rather than a single creative formula.

  • Use talent with built-in category credibility. Foot Locker matched Method Man to sneaker culture and J.P. Morgan matched Jayden Daniels to a story about long-term financial trust. Broad celebrity for its own sake is less visible in this week's selection.
  • Time back-to-school creative early and monitor frequency. Amazon's ad debuted July 12 and generated 951% above category effectiveness during August 5-11, with the most airings on Headline News and Lifetime. Marketers with school-season products should test similarly early placements, not wait until late August.
  • Turn a minor product feature into a shareable campaign. Heinz's Love Lid uses three flow settings to make ketchup preference a talking point. A packaging or product change that maps to consumer habits can carry the message without a complicated narrative.
  • Pair humor or shock with a functional reason to buy. Liquid Death's Goodwipes pack uses the 'Buttler Sweepstakes' to draw attention, but the product is flushable wipes sold at Walmart. The stunt is only useful because the product and purchase point are concrete.
  • Use social creators for demographic expansion, not just reach. Gap is explicitly aiming to widen its customer base with Malcolm Todd and Inde Navarrette; brands with an aging customer profile should test creator-led product demos rather than legacy TV formats.