Brand Waves This Week

Welcome to The Brand Waves, your weekly snapshot of the most innovative marketing campaigns from around the world. In this edition, discover stories, strategies, and creative ideas that are redefining how brands connect with audiences.

This edition is in partnership with Tracksuit, the affordable, always-on brand tracking dashboard that helps marketers and agencies make insights-backed decisions and prove the impact of their boldest brand work.

Today’s newsletter includes: McDonald’s Australia launches its new summer campaign with the Grinch; Ford launches new global platform Ready Set Ford; Miu Miu celebrates the 2025 holidays with nostalgia and glamour; Ralph Lauren introduces Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA; Vodafone tells the story of Christmas nostalgia from 1980 to today; H&M and Perfect Moment bring après-ski glamour to the Swiss Alps; Casey’s celebrates the perfect Pizza and Pepsi duo; HEINZ reinvents Thanksgiving with HEINZ Leftover Gravy; GODIVA launches The Most Chocolatey Time of the Year; and Yoki presents Stranger Things-inspired popcorn.

McDonald’s Australia launches its new summer campaign with the Grinch

McDonald’s Australia and Wieden+Kennedy Sydney unveil a new summer campaign that flips one of the most iconic Christmas antagonists on his head: the Grinch.

The idea behind it is simple and immediately recognizable to the local audience: the best summer days always end at Macca’s.

In the film, the Grinch watches the residents of Australiaville enjoying the sun and their holidays, and decides to target Macca’s, even twisting the famous jingle into I’m ruinin’ it. ba-da-ba-ba-DUM.

Paradoxically, however, his plans fail and only make the season shine even brighter.

The narrative universe extends into OOH, taken over by the Grinch’s signature green and his cheeky messages, such as “It’s Grinch Boy Summer”, “Unhappy Holidays!” and “Eat, Drink And Be Wary”.

Ford launches new global platform Ready Set Ford

Ford introduces Ready Set Ford, its first global campaign in over 15 years – not just a new tagline, but an attempt to reposition the brand in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape, shifting the focus from individual models to people’s potential and the lifestyles the brand enables.

The platform has a clear ambition: to become a catalyst designed to help our customers reach their full potential and feel ready for anything, making Ford more aspirational and less anchored to a purely “patriotic” narrative.

Tracksuit data helps explain why this shift is needed: while Ford matches Toyota on Awareness (85%), it lags significantly on Consideration (30% vs 49%) and especially on Preference (9% vs 21%). In other words, the brand is well-known, but chosen less often.

In this context, Ready Set Ford aims to close the gap by working on desirability and cultural relevance: less focus on cars as products that simply take you “from point A to point B,” and more emphasis on “passion vehicles,” communities, and stories that can rebuild a strong emotional connection with the brand.

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Miu Miu presents the Holiday 2025 campaign

Miu Miu has unveiled its Holiday 2025 campaign, directed by Angela Hill and starring Gigi Hadid, Dede Mansro, Viola and Ju Xiaowen, portrayed as they gather to celebrate the holidays in an Elizabethan villa nestled in the British countryside.

The decision to set the storytelling in a historic, evocative location, combined with the use of film and Super 8, creates an authentic, tactile imagery that evokes feelings of nostalgia and familial warmth.

The sets – with old bricks and time-worn stone – stand in contrast to the youth and beauty of the protagonists, turning the setting into a stage where the products themselves take center stage.

Ralph Lauren introduces Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA

Ralph Lauren introduces Polo Ralph Lauren x TÓPA, the fourth collaboration in its Artist in Residence program, confirming a brand strategy that puts co-creation with communities and artisans who keep living traditions alive at its core.

The capsule, part of the Polo Ralph Lauren Fall/Holiday 2025 collection, blends the distinctive cultural elements of the TÓPA brand with Polo’s timeless and iconic style: it is not just aesthetic inspiration, but a true dialogue between American heritage and contemporary Indigenous identity.

The landscapes of the American West, long at the heart of Ralph Lauren’s visual universe, become the natural backdrop for this collaboration, strengthening the brand’s positioning as a storyteller of an America that is broad, multifaceted and inclusive.

Vodafone taps into nostalgia for Christmas 2025

Since 1983, Vodafone has been helping the UK stay connected during the holidays – a journey that began with the world’s first text message, a simple “Merry Christmas” sent on 3 December 1992, which helped establish the company as a symbol of closeness and family communication.

This year’s spot tells a story that begins in the 1980s, with a young couple sharing a tender moment on the original “brick” phone, capturing the emotion of the first mobile communications.

The narrative evolves alongside technology and Christmas traditions, moving from 1990s text messages to 2020s video calls.

Despite changes in devices and channels, the emotional core remains the same: the desire to feel close to loved ones, whether from afar or in person.

H&M and Perfect Moment Bring Après-Ski Glamour to the Swiss Alps

H&M and Perfect Moment recently unveiled their new après-ski collaboration through an immersive Alpine experience in Verbier, Switzerland.

The event combined fashion, lifestyle, and sport, offering guests – including Lila Moss, Justine Skye, Olivia Neill, and others – a first-hand encounter with the collection against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss mountains.

Set in a chic mountain chalet, the day highlighted the collection’s balance of performance and style, with voluminous outerwear, statement knits, and sleek separates taking center stage.

“This collaboration is about embracing the thrill of the slopes and the joy of connection – feeling powerful, playful and perfectly in the moment,” says Jane Gottschalk, founder of Perfect Moment.

Casey’s has launched a collaboration with PEPSI

Casey’s has entered into a strategic collaboration with PEPSI as part of the Food Deserves Pepsi campaign, celebrating the perfect pairing of Casey’s handmade pizza and an ice-cold Pepsi.

The campaign unfolds through a commercial following a Pepsi Chaser, tasked with ensuring that no slice of pizza is enjoyed without the bold, refreshing taste of Pepsi.

The initiative reinforces the perception of both brands as experts in great taste and creates a memorable moment linking the product to shared enjoyment.

HEINZ reinvents Thanksgiving with HEINZ Leftover Gravy

For Thanksgiving, HEINZ has launched HEINZ Leftover Gravy, a condiment inspired by the iconic Moist Makersandwich from a ’90s sitcom, transforming traditional turkey gravy into the perfect companion for the day-after sandwich.

The launch reflects a marketing strategy aimed at reaching millennial hosts, a growing audience that is redefining holiday traditions.

In a Thanksgiving now celebrated over multiple days, 94% of Americans make leftover sandwiches, and nearly half agree that gravy is the must-have ingredient.

“While HEINZ Gravy has always been a fan favorite on the Thanksgiving table, we decided to focus our attention on the day after ritual—because we all know leftovers are the best part and our unmistakably rich and smooth gravy makes them that much better,” said Jamie Mack, Associate Director of Brand Communications for HEINZ U.S.

GODIVA Transforms the Holidays with The Most Chocolatey Time of the Year

GODIVA kicks off the 2025 holiday season with the campaign The Most Chocolatey Time of the Year, reimagining chocolate as a magical, sensory experience and turning each piece into the centerpiece of a festive, sparkling universe.

The campaign represents a strategic move for the brand, which, ahead of its centennial, aims to strengthen emotional connections with consumers by combining craftsmanship, innovation, and experiential storytelling.

For this edition, actress and singer Leighton Meester returns to embody the spirit of Lady Godiva, reinforcing her role as the brand’s iconic muse.

“We’re not just gifting chocolate — we’re gifting emotion, craftsmanship, and culture. Our reimagined holiday collection reflects the spirit of our brand reset and sets the tone for our centennial year,” said Steve Lesnard, President of GODIVA.

Yoki launches a new Stranger Things-inspired popcorn

Yoki, the renowned Brazilian brand owned by General Mills, has launched a limited-edition popcorn inspired by the latest season of Stranger Things.

Available exclusively in Brazil, the product stands out for its innovative Upside-Down Coating, a mysterious blue seasoning that transforms during preparation, delivering a surprising cooling effect.

The campaign, developed by DAVID São Paulo, immerses fans in the series’ universe, recreating the atmosphere of Hawkins Lab.

“To bring this partnership to life, we leaned into the visual tension and mystery of Stranger Things, translating the show’s atmosphere into a fun, unexpected product experience,” says Marie Julie Gerbauld, CCO at DAVID São Paulo.

If you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out last week’s edition of Brand Waves This Week for more standout campaigns and unmissable creative ideas!

The wave doesn’t stop here.

We’ll be back next week with more stories shaping the future of brands, tech and culture. Catch the next one with us.