2025 saw brands blending culture, tech, creativity, and experiential storytelling like never before, inspiring marketers to embrace storytelling and cultural resonance as key drivers.
From interactive billboards to cinematic product launches, these campaigns exemplify key 2025 trends that align with current marketing practices. Here’s our roundup of the year’s top campaigns with key takeaways for communicators and marketers.
Dunkin’ × Sabrina Carpenter “Strawberry Daydream Refresher”
Why it stood out: Dunkin’ teamed with pop star Sabrina Carpenter for a bold summer launch built around a character-led short film, “Dunkin’ Daydream Hotline,” that blended nostalgia, humor, and brand playfulness. The campaign was designed for social virality and story-rich storytelling rather than conventional product ads.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLUw3x7sn2j/
Takeaway: Build character-driven narratives that feel entertaining first, commercial second. This was a key driver of shareable content in 2025.
[Instagram highlights from the campaign (search @dunkin or @sabrinacarpenter for posts)]
Gap’s “Better in Denim” with Katseye
Why it worked: Classic Americana meets cultural resonance. Gap collaborated with global girl group Katseye on a dance-heavy ad spot to spark user-generated content and viral choreography trends, tapping Gen Z nostalgia for Y2K culture and music.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNiZlQOJgAN/
Impact: The campaign drove cross-platform engagement and playlist integration via Spotify, illustrating how multi-touchpoint experiences can significantly amplify a clothing brand’s cultural footprint and influence consumer behavior.
Spotify’s Annual Wrapped Campaign
Spotify’s 2025 campaign invited fans to real-world branded experiences. From an 800-ft red hair cascade in NYC to giant installations in Rio, Spotify created visuals people wanted to photograph and share.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSLlYdBEr5g/
Key insight: Let your audience become the promoters. Campaigns built for organic sharing dramatically reduce reliance on paid ads.
Bottega Veneta “What Are Dreams”
Luxury brand Bottega Veneta took a cinematic approach, releasing a black-and-white short film starring Jacob Elordi, directed by legendary photographer Duane Michals. The emphasis wasn’t product shots, but rather dreamlike, artistic storytelling.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQmjMYBAV9u/
Lesson: Not all campaigns need to sell a product first. Sell meaning and mood, and brand equity follows.
Rare Beauty’s Scratch-and-Sniff Billboards
Taking OOH to the next level, Rare Beauty (Selena Gomez) launched interactive scratch-and-sniff billboards featuring QR codes for free samples, blending physical and digital engagement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DM8TyGwyI9O/
Data insight: This type of experiential marketing delivered magnitude increases in views and sampling rates compared with standard static ads.
Honorary Mention: American Eagle “Great Jeans” Viral (and Controversial) Cultural Buzz
American Eagle’s denim campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney dominated headlines with 40 billion+ impressions, 700K+ new customers, and surging engagement despite the controversy, proving that risk can drive reach.
Note: Controversy can be a brand amplifier, but be prepared for divided sentiment and robust response strategies.
Overall Themes from 2025
These campaigns show that today’s audiences crave meaningful, shareable, and participatory experiences. This is a trend we expect to evolve into 2026.