Marc Jacobs x Rachel Sennott
UPDATE May 2: Rachel Sennott did make it to the Met Gala. Some parts of the internet seem to think this ad got her there. I wish I still existed with that level of whimsy and excitement. Marc Jacobs knew Rachel was going to the Met…but it did spark a big blue dot trend:
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Marc Jacobs partnered with Rachel Sennott to write and star in “The Scene,” a social series for its pre-Fall 2026 campaign. The episodes follow Rachel around Manhattan, with the same vibe as her series “I Love LA’s” finale. It’s part of the brand’s broader move toward what it calls “social entertainment.” More
The real story: Marc Jacobs hired an actress-screenwriter to make a vertical video series (they’re so hot right now) about getting to the MET, which is already more plot than most brand content manages (so good on ‘em). Their social team now has to be “editorial, multi-hyphenate people,” which is a polite way of saying everyone’s job just tripled.
Casper
Casper returned to advertising for the first time in 4 years with “Daymares.” Three darkly comic films showing uncomfortable and relatable daytime stress: a birthday party with a creepy mascot, a packed elevator, and a frozen video call. Each resolves with the quiet nighttime relief of a Casper mattress, with the tagline “Goodnight, Day.” The campaign marks Casper’s first major brand push since the company was sold to Carpenter Co. in 2024. More
The real story: Four years of silence, a sale to a mattress conglomerate, and Casper resurfaces with spots about how terrible your day is. “Goodnight, Day” works as a tagline and as a reasonable summary of the brand’s last half-decade.
Powerade
Powerade launched “Power Your Fate,” its global World Cup 2026 campaign. The film features Lamine Yamal and Rodrygo Goes. The campaign is “social-first” and will run across social, digital, outdoor, TV, and OLV, plus stadium branding and fan events. Powerade also partnered with street portrait artist Devon Rodriguez to create custom art on Powerade Squeeze Bottles. More
The real story: Powerade’s World Cup campaign is “social-first,” which somehow ended up meaning they made a TV spot and also cropped it for vertical. The Devon Rodriguez bottle art is a nice, thoughtful touch, but I can’t find the artwork posted anywhere. Everything else is the standard pre-tournament playbook.
If you’re new here, I write a monthly serialized novel called Everything is Advertising, about a burned-out Creative Director and his cynical team that accidentally create QAnon through a viral marketing campaign. If you like that kind of thing, you can start at Part One and catch up from there.
Every Wednesday, Open Woods tracks the cultural moments worth paying attention to. Curated weekly for brands that want to move first.
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Every Sunday, Above the Fold breaks down what’s running in advertising, what’s landing, and what’s a total disaster.
I genuinely applaud some of the creative in some of these spots. Maybe we aren't as cooked as I thought.