AI Pee, Croc Mascots and Retail Therapy Are Changing Marketing
Written By: Lexi Rapnikas
Campaign of the Week: Liquid Death and Garage Beer Want Your WHAT?
Liquid Death and Garage Beer are turning a serious AI data-center issue into one very weird marketing campaign. Their new music video, starring NFL legend Jason Kelce, tackles data centers’ massive water needs with a tongue-in-cheek call to “give us your pee” to cool computers. Complete with a “Coolant Collector” product, quirky lyrics and plenty of Liquid Death humor, the campaign transforms growing backlash over AI’s environmental impact into an unexpected and unforgettable brand collaboration.
The campaign plays off widespread concerns about the water demands of AI infrastructure while keeping the tone firmly in the brands’ comedic wheelhouse. These brands are proving that even a complex tech issue can become a wildly memorable marketing moment.
JCPenny Says Cheaper Isn't Always Better
As shoppers tighten their budgets, JCPenney is making the case that cheaper doesn’t always mean better. Its new campaign puts six “retail regret” shoppers through a hilarious wellness retreat complete with trust falls, mantras and primal screams, all to help them break their off-price shopping habits.
The playful effort aims to give JCPenney a fresh look while reminding deal-seekers that value is about more than just the lowest price. Created with agency Mischief, the campaign uses humor to challenge shoppers’ assumptions about deals and position JCPenney as a place where affordability and quality can coexist.
Crocs Takes Over Socials with Niles the Crocodile
Crocs is taking its marketing from shoes to scales with Niles, a 6-foot-tall crocodile mascot who’s ready for his close-up. Ahead of the brand’s 25th anniversary, Niles is starring in a new social microseries, interacting with real Crocs employees and bringing his own quirks, ambitions and personality to the brand. Designed to be more sitcom character than traditional mascot, Niles could become Crocs’ next big piece of long-term brand storytelling.
The character has already been teased across Crocs’ social channels, including through the appearance of a mysterious egg during TikTok Shop livestreams. With his own social account and a growing storyline, Crocs is betting Niles can become a recognizable piece of its culture-first marketing strategy, think Duolingo’s Duo, but with more clogs and scales.
Chipotle Teams Up with Influencer Salish Matter
Chipotle Mexican Grill is serving up a new strategy for reaching Gen Alpha by teaming up with 16-year-old creator Salish Matter on its first-ever creator-inspired Kids’ Meal. Available exclusively through the app and website, the limited-time “Salish Matter Order” includes a cheese quesadilla, rice, black beans, guacamole, chips and chocolate milk. The campaign also gives fans a chance to win a trip to L.A. to meet Salish and create content with her, showing how Chipotle is taking its successful influencer-order playbook with Gen Z and adapting it for a younger, increasingly influential audience.
Zendaya's Never the Same, but Always Herself with Prada
Zendaya is stepping into a new role as the global face of Prada Beauty, starring in a cinematic Prada Paradoxe campaign directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins. Centered on the message “Never the same, but always myself,” the campaign celebrates women who can be confident, vulnerable, complex and constantly evolving, all while staying true to who they are.
The launch also introduces Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry, a new fragrance designed to capture that same mix of softness and strength. With Zendaya’s signature style and Jenkins’ storytelling at the forefront, the campaign blends Hollywood glamour with a message of individuality. It’s a polished reminder that evolving doesn’t mean losing yourself.
