Ads of the Week: 8 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From American Eagle to Dove

This week’s ads tackled what some might call taboo territory, from funeral planning to hair loss. 

Liquid Death and Spotify teamed up to create an urn with a built-in Bluetooth speaker for post-life playlists. Dove mined Reddit for unfiltered testimonials, and Nutrafol convinced men to finally ditch the hats hiding their thinning hair. Plus, Philadelphia Cream Cheese introduced its first brand mascot, a cow-riding cowboy.

Our Most Effective Ad of the Week, in partnership with EDO, might make you hungry.

Keep reading for this week’s standout campaigns.

American Eagle | “Be Yourself”

American Eagle is partnering with rising country star Bailey Zimmerman and sponsoring country music festival Stagecoach as it aims to capitalize on the genre’s popularity among Gen Z.

Liquid Death X Spotify | “Eternal Playlist Urn” 

We’ve all thought about which song we’d want to play at our funeral. Now, thanks to Liquid Death’s collaboration with Spotify, you can create an entire post-life playlist. The two brands debuted a product you probably didn’t know you needed: the Eternal Playlist Urn. It’s a sleek urn with a built-in Bluetooth speaker that syncs up with Spotify to play personalized playlists based on questions like, “What’s your eternal vibe?”

Nutrafol | “Under Every Hat There’s a Comeback” by nice&frank

Unilever brand Nutrafol wants men with thinning hair to throw off the shackles of their shame—or in this case, their hats—and reclaim their confidence. The new work marks a shift from Nutrafol’s previous earnest testimonials to laugh-out-loud, relatable stories.

Dove | “R/eal Reviews” by David London and AKQA Paris

Dove has long championed more honest advertising, as seen in its long-running “Real Beauty” campaign. The brand wanted to build on that heritage, “but reinvent what a testimonial means today,” said marketer Berengere Loubatier. So Dove turned to arguably the most honest place on the internet: Reddit.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese | “Really Philly Good” by Johannes Leonardo

Philadelphia Cream Cheese debuted its first brand character, Phillyboy—a cow-riding cowboy embodying its dairy heritage—as part of its new “Really Philly Good” creative platform. The campaign aims to reposition the century-old brand as a versatile, everyday kitchen staple.

Olaplex | “Science Never Looked so Good” by Mother

Olaplex teamed up with actor and comedian Chloe Fineman to introduce its new No.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment. The humorous effort aims to make the brand’s bond-repair science more approachable for everyday consumers.

The National Association of Realtors | “More Than Opening Doors” by Uncommon Creative Studio

This campaign reframes realtors as essential guides and professional safeguards, not just property tour facilitators, amid an increasingly complex and high-stakes housing market. Later this year, Uncommon and NAR will also launch REALTOR Studio, a universal design ecosystem built to help members elevate their businesses and personal brands.

Most effective ad of the week

Subway | “Protein Pocket for $3.99”

Subway’s ad debuted on Feb. 20 features the brand’s new “Protein Pockets,” with over 20 grams of protein and crisp veggies for only $3.99. The ad was 64% more effective than the average fast casual restaurant ad in the past week and aired most frequently on MTV2, BBC America, and Lifetime.