“With this new platform, we wanted to celebrate the consumers and culture that share our deep love for coffee,” says Leonardo Aizpuru, the Nestlé VP of brand marketing who leads Coffee-Mate. “Our new campaign showcases just how far coffee-obsession spans, calling into question who is truly the biggest coffee lover.”

Sometimes, brands try to go wacky. But they stop the spigot a tad too soon, and the work feels tepid at best.

Not so Wieden+Kennedy New York. “The Ultimate Coffee Lover” contains 60 seconds of boffo branded buffoonery.

We raise a mug to W+K and LoveSong director Walid Labri for his superbly silly style. Their cup runneth over.

Breaking this week, “Coffee Lover” will run across TV, OLV, social and OOH. Casanova McCann handled Spanish-language adaptations.

So, 63 years in an ad, and she hasn’t aged a day. Must be all that caffeine…

Which brand will take home the 2024 Super Clio for the best Super Bowl commercial? We’ll find out on Feb. 12.

Rob Gronkowski shows some leg in FanDuel’s third and final teaser for its “Kick of Destiny 2 Super Bowl campaign.

Lest you forget, the former NFL tight end will attempt a 25-yard field goal on Super Bowl Sunday. 

Gronk missed a similar try for FanDuel last year during last year. In 2024, he vows redemption. Judging from all the yelling and perspiration in the :90 below, he’s ready. Or not.

This year’s stunt from the sportsbook giant will take place during a commercial between the National Anthem and coin toss. An outcome-specific spot follows around halftime.

Folks can place a free make or miss pick to win a share of $10 million in FanDuel bonus wagers.

Wieden+Kennedy New York developed the campaign. Mike Warzin directed through Arts & Sciences. Carl Weathers and John Cena co-star. They’re both great, but Gronk’s muscular charisma carries the day.

Make that kick! We’re behind you, brand booster!

“Kick of Destiny 2” slots into a trend. Brands are seeking to expand the funnel and drum up hype for weeks before the game. The goal is creating an event and heightened consumer engagement, not just a commercial.

FanDuel and Gronk have pretty much written the playbook in this regard, generating millions of impressions and media attention in 2023 and ’24.

The new spot, which drops this weekend during NFL playoff action. It gets meta and acknowledges the hype. Rob’s right shank poses for photo shoots and appears on faux newscasts and spoof magazine covers.

CLICK HERE to watch all of this year’s Super Bowl commercials as they’re released. 

Which brand will take home the 2024 Super Clio for the best Super Bowl commercial? We’ll find out on Feb. 12.

When Rob Gronkowski bursts through a wall like the Kool-Aid Guy, you know he means business.

Soon, we’re treated to a stare-down between the former NFL tight end and wrestling icon/action star John Cena.

Well, “treated” may be a bit much. Still, the :50 below, FanDuel’s latest film hyping its Super Bowl campaign developed with Wieden+Kennedy, slakes our thirst for campy marketing goodness.

CENA: You’re gonna miss.

GRONK: No, John. I’m gonna make.

Them thar’s fightin’ words! 

They’re referring, of course, to Gronkowski’s upcoming 25-yard field goal attempt on Super Sunday, Feb. 11. 

In 2023, for FanDuel’s first such hype-fest, he botched it. This year, well, it’s a whole new ad campaign.

Folks can place a free make or miss pick to win a share of $10 million in FanDuel bonus wagers.

“Gronk was an incredible trooper on set and volunteered to bust through the wall himself, even though we offered up the option of his stunt double,” W+K New York ACD Macie Soler-Sala tells Muse. “He nailed it on the first take. This moment was a great metaphor for how awesome he was on set. He threw himself, literally—into any ask, any line and any scenario we threw at him.”

“Doing the same Super Bowl idea again is crazy,” she says. “But we’re going to do it anyway, because there’s no way Gronk is going to let his last moment on a field be a losing one.”

As for Cena, “he fully leaned into his ‘villain origin story. He had a great sense of humor about it, and gave us a ton of lines, many improvised, and really embraced it all from start to finish,” Soler-Sala says.

Looks for more loopy ads to drop in the run-up to Super Bowl LVIII as FanDuel looks to lengthen the buzz funnel and create a media “event” rather than just placing a commercial in the game. (The brand succeeded marvelously in 2023, even though Rob’s kick went off course.)

This year’s try will take place during the pre-game show, with an outcome-specific spot airing around halftime.

With his hair grown wild, Rob looks a bit like Geico’s Caveman—who’s also involved in SB antics, actually. “Gronk” even sounds like a caveman name. Not going anywhere with this, but I notice stuff.

Anyway, future installments will feature John Cena as Rob’s nemesis. The kick itself takes place during the Super Bowl pre-game show. Folks can place a free make or miss pick to win a share of $10 million in FanDuel bonus wagers.

Last year, FanDuel said folks placing Big Game bets through its service could win a share of $10 million, but only if Rob succeeded. He erred, but FanDuel paid out anyway.

Of course, brands have tried to extend the SB hype funnel, crafting Big Game “events” rather than just placing commercials. Now, we’re getting ad-series across Super Bowls?

“I wouldn’t say the idea of a series is what spurs engagement,” FanDuel EVP, marketing Andrew Sneyd tells Muse. “Rather, FanDuel focuses on being an exciting part of the Super Bowl and helping our biggest sports moment mean even more.”

We wondered if the brand considered having Gronk try something a bit different, like throwing a touchdown in coverage. But Sneyd says the field goal redemption angle was simply too good to pass up. 

“Right after he missed last year’s kick, Rob had a fresh fire to him and was adamant about getting a shot at redemption,” says Sneyd. “We’re always striving to come up with new and engaging ways for our customers to interface with our products, and we love this year’s twist that puts customers in charge as they make the call on if Rob will make it or miss.”

Ford has teamed up again with actress Sydney Sweeney for a line of women’s workwear. In a video from Wieden+Kennedy New York, Sweeney wears Ford-branded coveralls as she performs maintenance on her 1965 Mustang, replacing the spark plugs and air filter, then changing the oil.

In addition to Sweeney (who’s repped Ford workwear before), the new line is modeled by restoration enthusiasts Adri Law, Gelica Peralta, Sandy Rancatore, Isabelle Rosa and Lauren Fox.

“Sydney shared her passion for restoring her vintage Ford Bronco on TikTok and it showed up on our FYPs naturally,” say W+K copywriter Jen Hubbard and art director Laura Bailey. “It was both exciting and surprising to see, but we realized that it shouldn’t be surprising to see a woman working on her car—it should be normal. That’s what initially sparked our interest in pursuing a partnership.”

The Ford x Sydney Sweeney workwear line, a collab with Dickies, includes coveralls for $119.99, a racing jacket priced at $99.99, a T-shirt for $29.99, and a $34.99 hat.

There’s also a handbook that doubles as a lookbook with instructions on standard car maintenance tasks.

“The campaign helped us widen the stereotypical definition of a Ford driver, as well as who traditionally has an interest in automotive since it is such a male-dominated space (less than two percent of mechanics are women),” Hubbard and Bailey tell Muse. “In making the garage a more inclusive space, it was important for us to design a line of merch that everyone would feel comfortable wearing.”

McDonald’s is not only ingrained in consumer DNA, but pop culture’s as well. The brand’s latest campaign, “As Featured In,” gives viewers a taste of the Golden Arches’ presence across TV and movies through the years.

There are so many references in a 60-second ad from Wieden+Kennedy New York that McDonald’s saved us the trouble of Googling movie and TV snippets by naming each in the spot’s closing credits.

Was it the Seinfeld or Friends reference that stood out, or perhaps it was Coming to America, Clueless or the latest season of Marvel Studios’ Loki?

McDonald’s debuted As Featured In Meals this week, too, available in more than 100 countries, along with custom merch and content.

Consumers can choose either a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, a Quarter Pounder with cheese or Big Mac, along with medium fries, a medium soft drink and the newly-branded Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce—”as featured in” the second season of Loki. Here’s a standalone, all-Marvel, 15-second teaser:

Marvel fans can use the lid off that special sauce to snag a sneak peak at Loki’s latest eps. Scan the lid on Snapchat for exclusive content that’s updated weekly throughout August. Or, for those near Brooklyn on Aug. 30, get your multiverse on and transport back to 1982 inside a Brooklyn McDonald’s (6620 Bay Parkway). For three days, the McDonald’s will take fans back in time, awash with memorabilia from ’80s. Is remaining 1982 part of the fun?

Fans can also purchase exclusive merch from Palace, a London-based skate and streetwear brand, via QR code on “As Featured In” packaging. Folks near Downey, Calif., (10207 Lakewood Blvd.), can buy stuff in-person at a pop-store on Aug. 18.

CREDITS

Advertising Agency of Record: Wieden+Kennedy New York 
PR/Communications: Golin, EGAMI, BODEN, IW Group, The Narrative Group, Rogers & Cowan PMK (Lee Street) 
Creative: Wieden+Kennedy New York, Alma, IW Group, Burrell, BODEN 
Digital Marketing: Publicis Groupe 
Digital Experience, Retail: The Marketing Store (TMS) 
Packaging: Boxer 
Paid Media: Publicis Groupe, Burrell, Navigation Blvd, Admerasia 
Production: 
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy New York 
VFX // COLOR // FINISHING: Preymaker 
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors NY 
Mix & Sound Design: Sonic Union  
Custom Score: We Are Walker 

“This year, in addition to a possible third-straight win, you also have a couple of players on the team who will play in this tournament for the last time creating another interesting storyline,” says Jennifer Matthews, FanDuel VP, brand strategy.

“We wanted to use this as an opportunity to remind fans about the importance of supporting these women, even though it can be challenging for many to tune in. For those who do have the opportunity to tune in, we wanted to be able to provide them with some extra fuel that will power them through their day after late night/early morning watching of the games.”

The company partnered with woman-owned North Edge Craft Coffee, based in Erie, Pa., for the activation.

Those residing outside the designated cities can purchase 12 oz. bags, of course.

In addition, FanDuel has partnered with retired USWNT soccer team captain and two-time FIFA World Cup champion Carli Lloyd. She will demonstrate how fans can bet on the USWNT through the company’s Sportsbook. (Lloyd will also appear on Fox Sports as a broadcaster for the duration of the event, which runs from July 20-Aug. 20.)

Matthews says the brand has made driving engagement in women’s sports a priority, and plans more campaigns in the space soon.

Does he eat the nuggets? They’ve achieved a kind of salty-crispy sentience!

“Our fans have amazing childhood memories of their birthdays at McDonald’s, and Grimace’s Birthday is all about paying homage to the fun moments we all share,” says McD’s chief marketing and customer experience officer Tariq Hassan. “We’re excited to put a modern spin on these memories to continue to drive McDonald’s relevance with a new generation. Grimace is the perfect lovable icon to have McDonald’s meet our fans at the intersection of nostalgia and culture.”

That’s just about right. When McD’s PR nudge hit our inbox, we were all over it. So, it’s a canny read on consumers of a certain age. 

Now, these characters aren’t as beloved as, say, Sesame Street’s Muppets, which have been popping up in ads left and right. Still, it’s fun to see pop culture evolving and reinventing itself as brands lean into familiar tropes through the years.

It’s comforting. Like fries that don’t talk back.

“Celebrating Grimace’s Birthday gave us a chance to show fans more of his character over time,” W+K copywriter Nell Stevens tells Muse. “We were able to do it through the lens of ‘McDonald’s Birthday’ nostalgia—pulling from fan favorite memories as Easter eggs in the spot (ie. the apple-pie Tree, retro uniforms, stacking clamshells game, etc.). Ultimately, it made for an idea that also feels relatable across ages and audiences, highlighting those celebrations with your friends and family at every phase of life.”

She adds: “We’ve been working on this for close to a year. And when we started, I had one purple item of clothing. Shortly in, a lot of the team started wearing purple for important meetings about Grimace’s birthday. Right after we got back from the shoot, there was an unfortunate laundry mishap, and in a poetic twist of fate, all of my whites turned purple. Every time I go to dry my hands on my now lavender hand towels, I’m reminded of Grimace and I cannot help but laugh. It feels like the most fitting end to this campaign.”

The Grimace gambit includes:

• A retro 8-bit birthday-cake-quest video game developed with Krool Toys.
• T-shirts, socks and other merch.
• Grimace Birthday Meals, complete with purple shakes. (Yum?)
• In lieu of gifts for the big dude’s special day, McD’s asks fans to support Ronald McDonald House Charities. (Guess we’ll have to return that lilac tie.)

Heinz is the Nike of condiments and baked beans. Its name and iconography are instantly recognizable. They’re cultural icons of the highest order, modern-day totems with enduring power and appeal.

Just ask an A.I. They know.

Such societal scope fuels intense fandom—folks get obsessed with the stuff! And this consumer-brand relationship—a love affair of sorts—informs a global Kraft Heinz initiative launching today across major media platforms.

The theme line—”It Has to Be Heinz,” covering the full product range—isn’t exactly red-hot wordplay. It doesn’t have to be. This brand’s speaking from a position of strength, with millions of devotees signing its praises. Indeed, their stories fuel a raft of playful, relatable ads.

Developed with Wieden+Kennedy New York, the work serves as a grand celebration of all things Heinz and it offers a peek, perhaps, at oh-so-saucy times to come.

There’s an appetizing lightness of tone across the work, which tells real (or real-ish) stories of everyday folks interacting with the brand in various ways. Some choose to fill suitcases with Heinz Beanz. Others, in fancy bistros, season their filets using ketchup packs they sneaked through the door. Tattoos are big—and juicy.

“As we looked to unify the brand under one global brand platform, we dove into the world of our consumers and found that they all shared one thing: the irrational lengths they go to for Heinz products,” offers Diana Frost, the company’s chief growth officer for North America. “As a brand obsessed with our consumers, we created ‘It Has to be Heinz’ as our love song back to them, our fans are our muses.”

Chris Knox’s piano-driven retro-bopper “It’s Love” provides the soundtrack. It’s the perfect accompaniment for dunking fries.

Camille Summers-Valli directed the spots through production company Love Song. Ads roll out across the U.S., U.K., Germany and Canada first, expanding to other markets in coming months.