Recently, major brands have launched timely new campaigns with some of pop culture’s biggest names. Find out why these partnerships have been successful for both the businesses and their celebrity partners in our Marketing Must Reads.

Beyoncé’s New Ad with Levi’s

Earlier this year, when Beyoncé included a song called “LEVII’S JEANS,” on her new album, a partnership with Levi Strauss seemed inevitable. Last week, the official collaboration finally arrived. In their new campaign “Reiimagine,” Levi’s reworks a classic ad from 1985, which follows Beyoncé as she walks into a laundromat and proceeds to take off and wash her Levi jeans while her song plays in the background. The spot is a gender bend of the original commercial, which featured a male actor stripping off his jeans to do his laundry. In a statement about the partnership, Beyoncé said the ad “celebrates the iconic female perspective, [which] is important to me.”

The collaboration comes at a perfect time for Levi’s, which has recently seen increased sales in its women’s clothing category. Their new partnership with Beyoncé, who commands one of the largest female fanbases today, may help the brand extend the 8% sales growth they experienced last quarter. Watch the new ad here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/levis-beyonce-nostalgia-launderette-culture-campaign/728394/

Sydney Sweeney Joins Dr. Squatch

Up-and-coming men’s grooming brand Dr. Squatch has become notorious this year for its brash and irreverent marketing strategy. Their latest ads, which promote the brand’s natural body wash products, enlist Sydney Sweeney as the “Body Wash Genie.” In three new spots, Sweeney promotes the benefits of Dr. Squatch’s new scented body washes with perfectly-delivered suggestive humor. Consumers will be able to see the new campaign across a wide range of media, including linear and connected TV, YouTube, streaming audio, and social media.

Dr. Squatch’s vice president of marketing noted that Sweeney was an ideal spokesperson for their brand because she is a popular celebrity with both men and women, who often purchase grooming products for their partners. She also has a talent for sarcastic humor and deadpan delivery, which match Dr. Squatch’s brand personality. Learn more about the new campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/dr-squatch-sydney-sweeney-genie/728400/

Jason Kelce’s Ad Blitz

After finishing his final NFL season earlier this year, Jason Kelce has seemingly become one of the most high-profile brand partners in retirement. Before the start of the 2024-25 NFL season, Kelce teamed up with Buffalo Wild Wings on a series of ads alongside the brand’s CGI buffalo mascot. A few weeks ago, Kelce and Giants star Dexter Lawrence launched a new spot with Campbell’s, promoting the brand’s “spicy, hunky” soups. Then last week, Kelce announced he was returning to the Philadelphia Eagles’ annual Christmas album in a duet with the legendary Stevie Nicks.

The new spots highlight Kelce’s sense of humor, as well as his relationships with his high-profile friends and family (looking at you, Travis and Taylor). Check out more details about Kelce’s ongoing partnership with Campbell’s, which kicked off last year with ads featuring both Kelce brothers, here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/09/09/campbell-s-brings-the-heat-with-spicy-ads-starring-nfl-stars-jason-kelce-dexter

Progressive’s Dr. Rick Appears on “Hot Ones”

The latest ad from insurance carrier Progressive blurs the lines between paid and earned media. In a new spot, the brand’s fan-favorite character Dr. Rick appears on an episode of the interview series “Hot Ones,” where the show’s host Sean Evans serves him wings that get “progressively” hotter. Throughout the video, Dr. Rick answers Evans’s questions and offers some life advice, following his character’s recurrent efforts to stop homeowners from acting like their parents.

According to Progressive, the brand chose to collaborate with Evans and “Hot Ones” to position themselves as “more consumer- and culture-oriented.” You can find the video clip on both brands’ social accounts, as well as in upcoming TV spots. Read more details about their clever collaboration here: https://www.campaignlive.com/article/progressives-dr-rick-guest-hot-ones-new-campaign/1890860