This week’s brand brief is heavy on invoking the feels … whether it’s the excitement felt from reliving the boy band heyday, the irrational love you may have for Jonathan Bailey, reality TV and/or pizza rolls, the sheer machismo rush of wearing a scent that reminds you of your beloved truck or just the feelings of inclusion, pride and resignation that well up during your everyday travels. We’ve got it all.Let’s get into it …WalmartThe mega-retailer created Alwayz, a faux boy band circa the ’90s and early-aughts era, to promote its Walmart Deals event — ostensibly locking into the insight that the consumer most likely to shop big during this time is currently living their best life during the current Backstreet Boys resurgence. Created by in-house team Walmart Creative, the Catchin’ Feels campaign features a number of playful, nostalgia-tinged spots in both English and Spanish the brand hopes shoppers will remember. MartiniWicked and Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey returns to make everyone envious of his life as he steps into the shoes of the brand’s stylishly carefree aperitivo-loving “Martini Man.” The brand announced a multiyear partnership with the British actor, who offers a modern take on the Italian brand’s iconic aesthetic vehicle paying homage to its racing heritage in a gorgeously shot film that will run across broadcast, streaming, digital and social. The campaign will also include an experiential component, with activations in Milan, Madrid, Berlin, Biarritz, Montpellier and New York. SeatGeekThe ticket procurement platform released a fun new campaign from agency Flower Shop positioning the service as one that can make buying tickets for events a more skillful experience than other everyday activities. Directed by LJ Johnson of Hungry Man, the Be Good at Seats campaign serves as a humorous cautionary tale against thrifting vintage dolls and encouraging non-athletically inclined children to stand in front of machines hurtling fastballs while simultaneously attempting to give you confidence you can find reasonable same-day tickets. Totino’sThe General-Mills-owned snack brand released The Feeling Is Real for Totino’s, a comical new campaign for its pizza rolls tapping into the angsty emotion of teens, whose love for the snack exceeds that of potential sweethearts. Created in partnership with Dentsu Creative and directed by Steve Miller, the spots — released in both English and Spanish — taps into insights finding moms also love the snack for its affordability and ability to feed their family something they genuinely enjoy, and targets Hispanic families, a key audience for the brand. HubSpotThe marketing and sales software-maker launched a cheeky spot promoting its HubSpot AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) tool featuring Summer House breakout star and Loverboy canned cocktails brand founder, Kyle Cooke. Created by Maximum Effort, the spot alludes to Cooke’s messy relationship and business drama before shamelessly plugging the service. ArmraCooke’s Summer House co-star (and another fan favorite) Ciara Miller delivers her own winks and nods to their shared drama in the first of three spots for the wellness brand’s I’m On It campaign. The remaining two spots will roll out in July and run through November for the 360 campaign, which is currently running across social, digital, CTV, DOOH and OOH placements including branded wrapped trucks and taxi toppers in Los Angeles and New York. Crown Royal The Diageo-owned Canadian Whisky brand released Bring It, the new anthem spot for its new brand platform and campaign featuring a blend of unique personalities, each with their own main-character energy, coalescing in a Texas honky-tonk amid music by Canadian country artist Ryan Langdon and Randy Savvy of the Compton Cowboys, line dancing choreographed by Kat Burns and spirits by the brand. The campaign rolls out this summer nationally across social, digital, streaming, OOH and additional media channels, with the anthem available on music streaming platforms for fans to enjoy.NaturiumThe E.l.f. Beauty-owned brand tapped follically blessed influencer and creator Bretman Rock to “serve face” as the face of its Glow Better Together campaign promoting its popular Glow Getter products in support of the skincare brand’s rapid growth in the U.S. The campaign also notably features 11 members of its real-life community across ages, backgrounds and personalities after holding an open casting call inviting fans to submit or nominate “individuals and duos who embody confidence, joy, self-expression and connection.” The community-driven campaign feels vibrant, authentic and not as overproduced as many beauty brand campaigns can often elicit. DailyPayThe “on-demand” pay provider launched its largest campaign to date with The Future of Pay, a new spot narrated by Back to the Future’s time-traveling kooky scientist, actor Christopher Lloyd, giving a clever nod to the brand’s message that the process of people waiting long periods to receive wages they’ve already earned is antiquated. The campaign will run across digital, social, OLV, OOH and audio channels and will also include experiential.DodgeThe “muscle-truck” maker has announced its branching out into the fragrance space with an appropriately on-brand — and slightly off-the-hinges — new social campaign from Razorfish for the launch of its Dodge Charger Fragrance. Shot in parody-style inspired by early-aughts videos, the spot features screaming banter and aggressive posts that both caters to and playfully mocks its Dodge and Ram truck fanbase. The campaign will run through June and positions the scent as the “the ultimate Father’s Day gift,” which might be both a correct assessment and a triggering moment for your next therapy session. Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeWhile we’re in Dodge territory, the motor oil brand released The Ride Wrangler, an integrated campaign featuring a car-riding cowboy developed in partnership with 3Headed Monster to promote its services to neglectful drivers. The campaign is running across broadcast, CTV and OLV, in addition to social, display, OOH and radio.
The Brand Brief: Walmart’s new ‘boy band,’ Totino’s brings teen angst and more
The week’s notable creative and brand marketing news.










