Welcome to this month’s roundup of campaigns we loved — and this time, it’s all about brands owning their personality and having a bit of fun while they’re at it. From Gap bringing Y2K nostalgia to the global stage with Katseye, to Thomas Cook and the Marine Conservation Society turning everyday holiday inflatables into a striking environmental message, to IRN-BRU showing us that it’s anything but your typical soft drink. Let’s dive in.
Gap x Katseye: ‘Better in Denim’
Gap has teamed up with rising K-pop girl group Katseye for its global Fall 2025 campaign, Better in Denim. Created by agency Invisible Dynamics, the campaign puts a playful spotlight on the revival of low-rise denim with a 90-second film set to Kelis’ iconic early-2000s hit Milkshake. The high-energy spot—choreographed by Robbie Blue—captures the nostalgia of Y2K style while presenting denim as a fresh canvas for self-expression.
This campaign cleverly taps into cultural nostalgia while staying firmly relevant for today’s audiences. By pairing the power of K-pop’s global influence with a social-first strategy. Gap clearly positions itself at the center of the conversation around both fashion and pop culture. It’s fun, bold, and rooted in community, exactly what denim should be.
Marine Conservation Society: ‘Inflatables’
Every summer, millions of inflatables are left behind on beaches or sent to landfill, adding to plastic pollution and threatening marine life. To highlight the issue, Thomas Cook and the Marine Conservation Society have launched a powerful campaign with McCann Birmingham. Running across OOH (including airports) and social channels, the ads feature half-deflated inflatable animals:a dolphin, turtle, and whale washed up on beaches. The stark imagery draws a direct line between discarded holiday inflatables and the dangers faced by ocean wildlife.
The campaign is backed by new research from a survey run by YourSayPays. Findings show that over a third (37%) of holidaymakers purchase inflatables for their trips at home or abroad, yet less than half (47%) plan to reuse or recycle them afterwards. Beyond encouraging travellers to reduce, reuse and recycle, Thomas Cook and the Marine Conservation Society are also urging hotels to step up, 34% of respondents said they would have recycled their inflatables if suitable facilities had been available.
This campaign takes a simple, familiar object and flips it into something impossible to ignore. The half-deflated creatures are both unsettling and memorable, making passers-by stop and think about their own habits. This is something that we all see with our own eyes when we are on holidays. So, by combining sharp creative with a call for both individuals and hotels to act, it truly is a brilliant example of awareness-driving work that feels urgent, relatable, and effective.
Another banger from IRN-BRU
Irn-Bru is embracing its advertising roots with a bold new campaign from their new agency Lucky Generals, bringing back its classic slogan, Made in Scotland from Girders. The ad features a young Scottish boy delivering a witty, impassioned speech in a corner shop, driving home that Irn-Bru is definitely not a “soft drink.” With its retro shop setting, famous Scottish faces, perfectly timed humour, and mini sitcom vibe, the spot nods to classic copywriting we are used to from IRB BRU while celebrating Scottish identity.
As fellow Scottish folk we like the blend of nostalgia, humour, and heritage, giving the brand a distinct voice that feels playful yet proudly Scottish. From TV to social and OOH, like the poster homage to Lunch atop a Skyscraper, the creative makes Irn-Bru’s personality impossible to miss.
