The Campaigns That Cut Through: Heineken, Cardi B, and Goldfish
In a week where ads leaned heavily on human connection, several brands stood out for their creative approaches. Anheuser-Busch marked International Beer Day with a pair of spots that follow colleagues, sports fans, and new homeowners sharing a cold beer in joyful moments. Heineken took a different, more personal route: its new campaign with Serena Williams invites fans to trade old ticket stubs for a trip to the U.S. Open, while an animated-and-live-action film traces Williams’ career and the social bonds fandom creates.
Nostalgia made a notable comeback, too. Goldfish revived its early 2000s “The Snack That Smiles Back” tagline in two offbeat spots that blend stop-motion with live action, positioning the crackers as a feel-good, real-cheese snack. Meanwhile, Old Navy turned to star power, enlisting Cardi B and a cast of models in a high-energy short set to a Groove Armada track to showcase its fall denim line—complete with mocked-up backdrops that let the collection shine.
Other attention-grabbing campaigns included Reebok’s community-driven spot starring Karol G, Audible’s pair of 30-second films about audiobooks enriching everyday life, and a collaboration between Liquid Death and MrBeast that launched a peanut-butter-cup-flavored sparkling water. Kalshi’s surreal ad with Timothée Chalamet trying to say the brand name through dental tools was named the most effective ad of the week, outperforming the category average by 71%.
Why Connection, Nostalgia, and Star Power Ruled This Week’s Ads
Connection as the week’s creative backbone
Whether it was Anheuser-Busch celebrating the unspoken bond of a “cheers” or Heineken linking fandom to a healthier social life, many of this week’s campaigns explicitly sold togetherness rather than just the product. Heineken’s “Fans Have More Friends” research platform, for example, turns a ticket trade-in into a statement about the value of shared passions—a move that positions the brand as a facilitator of real-world relationships, not just a zero-alcohol beer.
The return of an old tagline, and what it signals
Goldfish reviving “The Snack That Smiles Back” after two decades is part of a broader pattern: familiar slogans can cut through a crowded snack market where health credentials are under scrutiny. By leaning on a phrase many parents remember, the brand injects warmth and authenticity while using stop-motion craft to emphasize real cheese ingredients. It’s a strategy that tries to win back attention without a hard sell, trusting that nostalgia and playfulness will do the heavy lifting.
Celebrity muscle, used with purpose
Old Navy’s Cardi B-led denim push, Reebok’s Karol G campaign, and Kalshi’s Chalamet spot show that celebrity endorsements are still a default—but execution matters. Old Navy used Cardi B’s taking-over-a-film-shoot persona to make fast fashion feel cinematic; Reebok tied Karol G’s music and style to a broader community of dancers; and Kalshi’s offbeat dental-chair gag turned a hard-to-pronounce platform name into a memorable, shareable moment. Each partnership matched the celebrity’s public image to a specific creative mechanic, rather than simply pasting a famous face onto a product shot.
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