Marketing Campaigns of the 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: Gap unveils the Give Your Gift campaign; Aldi brings Kevin the Carrot back to screens; John Lewis tells the story of gift-giving emotions with Where Love Lives; Burberry presents ’Twas The Knight Before…; Sephora and Mariah Carey turn beauty into holiday magic; AMIRI becomes the official partner of FC Barcelona; Coca-Cola launches Refresh Your Holidays; Etsy celebrates the importance of being seen; Dunkin’ launches its collaboration with Wicked; LEGO invites families to rediscover the joy of play.

Gap unveils the Give Your Gift campaign

Gap introduces Give Your Gift, the new holiday campaign that celebrates the sharing of one’s unique talents as an act of unity and collective renewal, reinterpreting the concept of giving through a contemporary and value-driven lens.

Directed by Bethany Vargas and photographed by Bjorn Iooss, the campaign film features a powerful new rendition of The Climb, performed by rising London-based singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro, accompanied by a multigenerational choir ranging in age from 8 to 72.

“This campaign extends our platform of uplifting creators and connecting with audiences through music and authentic, multi-generational stories that inspire self-belief across every touchpoint, from social to stores,” said Fabiola Torres, Chief Marketing Officer of Gap.

At the heart of the story lies the Holiday 2025 collection, blending comfort and style through the brand’s iconic CashSoft fabric – reimagined in new textures and silhouettes – and the return of the beloved Heritage fleece, offered in refreshed variations.

Aldi unveils its new Christmas campaign featuring Kevin the Carrot

Aldi brings Kevin the Carrot back to screens for the tenth year with a playful three-part love story, playing with the conventions of serialized storytelling and further strengthening the emotional bond with the audience.

The new campaign kicks off with a tender teaser in which Kevin proposes to his beloved Katie the Carrot, alongside their faithful dog, Caulidog.

In the second episode, just released, Kevin and Katie prepare for the big day – but not without surprises. Amid out-of-control stag and hen parties, Kevin ends up tied to the North Pole wearing only a mankini, while Katie enjoys a relaxing spa weekend.

Viewers will now have to wait for the third and final episode to see if the UK’s favorite carrot couple will finally make it down the aisle.

Tracking The Brand Waves – Aldi

After sharing the magic of Christmas with Kevin the Carrot, let’s look at how Aldi is positioned in the Australian market.

According to Tracksuit data, Coles and Woolworths are neck and neck across the brand funnel (awareness, consideration, and preference), while Aldi sits in third place.

Aldi leads on price perceptions (“value for money” 76% vs 38% Coles, 35% Woolworths) but lags on completeness (“has everything I need” 23% vs 58% for competitors).

In short, Aldi wins on price, but Coles and Woolworths continue to win on brand. Aldi’s challenge will be to strengthen its brand value without losing the competitive edge built on savings.

Become a better brand builder by signing up for Tracksuit’s fortnightly newsletter, Shorts, which is jam packed with marketing advice, consumer insights like these, and case studies from around the globe.

John Lewis presents its Christmas advert Where Love Lives

After the success of last year’s Christmas campaign, John Lewis returns with a new emotional chapter, Where Love Lives, created by Saatchi & Saatchi and built around the claim If you can’t find the words, find the gift. The campaign explores the symbolic value of gifting as a form of emotional expression.

At the heart of the story is music: a teenage son chooses a vinyl record to tell his father what he cannot express in words. The record – Where Love Lives by Alison Limerick – becomes a bridge between past and present, memory and reconciliation.

Through an elegant interplay of flashbacks, the viewer is transported to the 1990s, amidst the lights of a club and the echoes of a shared youth, before returning to the present moment in an embrace that conveys everything words cannot say.

Limerick’s song, reinterpreted by Labrinth, becomes an integral part of the story, transforming from a simple soundtrack into a central narrative element.

“This year’s John Lewis Christmas campaign is a celebration of connection, memory, and the unspoken emotions that make the season truly magical. At John Lewis, we understand the power of a thoughtful gift, and we hope the Ad will inspire our customers to find the gift that articulates their feelings, allowing the present itself to speak volumes where words may sometimes fall short,” said Rosie Hanley, Director of Brand at John Lewis.

Burberry celebrates the holidays with ’Twas The Knight Before…

Burberry kicks off the festive season with ’Twas The Knight Before…, the new campaign directed by John Madden, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Shakespeare in Love.

Set in a quintessentially British London townhouse, the film captures the intimate and lively atmosphere of Christmas party preparations.

Starring actress and comedian Jennifer Saunders, the story features an all-star cast including Naomi Campbell, Ncuti Gatwa, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Son Heung-min. Each guest arrives bearing gifts and bringing with them a sense of humor, lightness, and unmistakable elegance.

The narrative follows Saunders as she welcomes her guests for an evening that blends tradition with sophistication.

Sephora and Mariah Carey Kick Off the Holiday Season

Sephora launches the festive season with a partnership with Mariah Carey, in a campaign that turns beauty into holiday magic.

At the stroke of midnight after Halloween, Mariah declared It’s Time! in her highly anticipated annual video, this year reimagined in collaboration with Sephora.

Set in Mariah’s Sephora-branded glam room, the video features a mischievous elf, played by Billy Eichner, trying to steal the singer’s beauty products, while Mariah triumphantly declares It’s Time! and takes off on a sparkling sleigh over a Sephora-inspired winter landscape, illuminated by the magic of the holidays.

Directed by Joseph Kahn, the video symbolically marked the transition from Halloween to the holiday season for millions of fans worldwide.

AMIRI becomes the new partner of FC Barcelona

The American luxury fashion house AMIRI has signed an agreement with FC Barcelona, becoming the club’s new Official Formalwear Partner through the 2029/30 season.

The project includes the creation of custom-tailored suits for both the men’s and women’s first teams, to be worn during European trips and finals, as well as by the club’s executives and board members.

The collaboration highlights the growing synergy between fashion and sport, merging Californian sartorial elegance with the international sporting identity of Barça, creating a meeting point between two worlds united by a shared pursuit of excellence.

Coca-Cola launches Refresh Your Holidays

Coca-Cola returns to move audiences with a campaign that blends tradition and innovation. With Refresh Your Holidays, the brand celebrates the behind-the-scenes givers who, through small acts of kindness, make the holiday season truly special.

The main film, A Holiday Memory, tells the story of a mother caught up in the rush of Christmas preparations who, after taking a sip of Coca-Cola, rediscovers the deeper meaning of the holidays, gratitude and togetherness, through a magical ornament.

In collaboration with San Francisco-based studios Secret Level and Silverside AI, the brand has created two new versions of its iconic commercial The Holidays Are Coming, using generative AI tools to control every visual detail and ensure seamless narrative continuity.

This approach doesn’t replace human creativity, it enhances it. AI becomes a strategic ally, allowing Coca-Cola to adapt its films to different markets with greater consistency and speed.

The campaign also marks the return of the beloved Coca-Cola Caravans and the iconic Truck Tour, bringing immersive experiences to cities around the world and turning the magic of Coca-Cola’s ads into real-life moments.

Etsy Celebrates the Magic of Being Seen with Its New Holiday Campaign

Etsy’s new holiday campaign focuses on human connection and the value of personalization. The ads take us into a community where each person’s quirks are celebrated as unique talents.

At the heart of the campaign is the concept of sonder – the awareness that every individual’s life is as rich and complex as our own.

Through three interconnected stories, the campaign builds on last year’s narrative featuring Waldo, shifting the focus to the people around us.

In the main film, Drummer Boy, a restless young boy discovers that his constant drumming is not a distraction but a talent, thanks to a special gift from his teacher: personalized drumsticks and a handmade pouch.

The other two episodes, Crossing Guard and Coach, highlight a school crossing guard and a coach, respectively, who receive personalized gifts.

Dunkin’ and Universal Pictures’ Wicked present a new collaboration

Dunkin’ has launched a new collaboration tied to the highly anticipated film Wicked: For Good, combining the brand’s iconic drinks and snacks with the fantastical world of the movie.

The line, released nationwide today, includes new offerings such as the Wicked Green Matcha and Wicked Pink Refresher, the famous Wicked MUNCHKINS®, and exclusive merchandise in pink and green, designed for collectors and fans.

To make the campaign even more engaging, Dunkin’ enlisted the film’s stars Cynthia Erivo, a three-time Academy Award® nominee and the actress behind Elphaba, and Jonathan Bailey, Emmy and SAG nominee for the role of Fiyero, in a playful behind-the-scenes spot imagining what would happen if the world of Wicked collided with Dunkin’.

LEGO invites families to rediscover the magic of play with its global holiday campaign

LEGO Group kicks off the festive season with a simple yet powerful question: Is it play you’re looking for?

The short film tells the story of 12-year-old Eddie, who has lost touch with the joy of play. The situation is turned around by his younger sister, who, with a single click of a LEGO® brick, brings the mischievous Cataclaws and a crowd of minifigures to life, reuniting Eddie with his family and rediscovering together the value of shared creativity.

The short film showcases the ingenuity of five builders who used over 97,000 LEGO bricks to create the main set, a fully realized stage complete with a train station, smoking dragons, and disco helicopters.

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.