During 2025, there were many ads that stood out as memorable. I recall some ads based on their creativity, their products, their featured celebrities, and most importantly, their messages. In a continuing series of posts here on my Blog during January in which I've shared marketing highlights from 2025, brand identity changes during 2025, words and terms from 2025, and more, today, let's review my choices for the five most memorable ads from last year.
HOME DEPOT
According to Marketing Dive, "For the first time, the home improvement retailer is featuring the real farmers it partners with in its creative to tell a story about helping families find the right Christmas tree. "The Right Tree" is a 30-second spot that begins as a family member bundles up a young boy in preparation for a Christmas tree search. The ad then shows a tree’s journey from the farm to Home Depot, later featuring the young boy again as he chooses the tree as his perfect fit."
AMAZON
According to AdWeek, "Three lifelong friends sit on a snowy bench watching children sledding. One of the women fires up her Amazon app and orders three sled-worthy seat cushions. A few days later, the cushions arrive, and before you can say “it’s festive advertising time,” the three friends are barreling down the slope with grins that threaten to outshine the Christmas lights. A string version of the tender Beatles classic “In My Life” plays as the old friends are briefly, magically, transformed into children once again. The ad debuted back in 2023 and quickly found footing as Amazon’s most lauded holiday effort. But what makes the ad interesting now is that Amazon has decided to bring it back as its main emotional brand-building commercial for 2025."
HELLMANN'S
According to Ispottv, "Thirty-five years after "When Harry Met Sally," Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal return to Katz's Delicatessen to enjoy a meal. Sitting at a familiar table, the two begin eating. Meg takes a bite of her sandwich and immediately makes a displeased face. "What, no good?" Billy asks. She shakes her head, grabs a bottle of Best Foods mayonnaise from the table, squeezes a generous amount onto the sandwich, and takes another bite. This time, she lets out a loud, satisfied moan, pounding the table as she chews. "Here we go," Billy quips, remembering the last time they sat at this restaurant. Other diners quiet their conversations and turn to look at Meg's evocative and exaggerated display of enjoyment. At a nearby table, Sydney Sweeney, eyes wide open, drops her jaw and tells a server, 'I'll have what she's having.'"
AMERICAN EAGLE
As reported by AP, "U.S. fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make a splash with its new advertising campaign starring 27-year-old actress Sydney Sweeney. Titled "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," the campaign sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to "woke" American politics and culture. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word "genes" instead of "jeans" when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress known for her two HBO series. Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod, either unintentional or deliberate, to eugenics, a discredited theory that held humanity could be improved through selective breeding for certain traits...Eugenics gained popularity in early 20th century America, and Nazi Germany embraced it to carry out Adolf Hitler's plan for an Aryan master race."
Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, said, "The criticism could have been avoided if the ads showed models of various races making the "genes" pun. You can either say this was ignorance, laziness, or intentional. Either one of the three isn't good."
Miles Worthington, founder and CEO of marketing and creative agency WORTHI, said, "They were probably thinking that this is going to be their moment. But this [buzz] is doing the opposite and deeply distorting their brand. It's so clear that they didn't have anybody in the room that poked and prodded at this ad. I would bet all the dollars in the world that it was a very white, very privileged room [full of] people who didn't ask the right questions."
A final note, American Eagle defended the ad on Instagram in an attempt to stop the criticism: "[The] Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" [campaign] is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone."
And did you know that Canadian singer/songwriter Shania Twain partnered with McDonald's Canada during August?
MCDONALD'S CANADA
According McDonald's Canada's website, "McDonald’s Canada and Shania Twain are turning up the flavor on two fan favorites, because you’re never too dressed up to go to McDonald’s and when you add a touch of style, even the best, feel-good moments get a delightful upgrade. For a limited time, McDonald’s classics are getting all dressed up, Shania’s way, with fan-favorite menu items and a keepsake that brings her flair. For Shania, the collaboration is more than just a campaign, it’s a full-circle moment. Before becoming a global country superstar, Shania worked as a McDonald’s crew member in Toronto, making this partnership a heartfelt nod to her roots."
Shania Twain explained, "This collaboration feels like a homecoming for me. I fell in love with McDonald’s fries while working as a crew member in Toronto, so being able to dress them up with my personal touch was surreal. Whether you’re enjoying your All Dressed McShaker Fries, or gearing up for a big moment, life is just more exciting when you’re all dressed up."
The campaign featured two new menu items: "All Dressed McShaker Fries" made from 100 percent Canadian potatoes with a flavor makeover and a "Strawberry Pie" containing real strawberry pieces in a warm, flaky golden brown crust. An exclusive "Cowboy Boot Keychain" was also available for a limited time: a playful, limited-edition keepsake that fans could clip onto a tote, add to keys, or wear as a bag charm.
Don't forget, a month from today is the best day for ads and marketing fans, Super Bowl Sunday!
Image credits: McDonald's Canada and Hellmann's/YouTube.
Watch Home Depot's ad:
https://youtu.be/F-BA_S2MnZo?si=CUAPg4Y-rgDRAB0s
Watch the Hellmann's ad:
https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2025/02/07/hellmann-s-when-harry-met-sally-super-bowl-ad
Watch the Amazon ad:
and
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