Denim, Creme Bars & Pumpkin Spice: Is Fall Marketing Finally Here?
Written By: Lexi Rapnikas
Campaign of the week: Cardi B x Old Navy
Gap Inc. is leaning heavily on celebrity, creator and culture-driven marketing to strengthen its brands, particularly around denim. Old Navy quickly revamped its strategy after weak summer campaigns, launching its “Most Wanted Denim” campaign featuring Cardi B and creators including Quenlin Blackwell, Paloma Elsesser and Brooks Nader, which became the brand’s most-viewed campaign ever and helped improve August traffic.
The brand is also partnering with MrBeast on a back-to-school content series. Meanwhile, Athleta is refreshing its marketing with bolder, purpose-driven storytelling and increased social investment, while Gap continues to find success combining celebrities, music, nostalgia and pop culture, including campaigns with Hailey Bieber, Inde Navarrette and Malcom Todd.
Dr Pepper’s Fansville Is Back In Session
Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. has launched the ninth season of its college football-focused “Fansville” campaign, refreshing the long-running platform with new storylines, cultural references and personalities while maintaining its recognizable comedic style. The campaign spans TV, digital, radio, out-of-home, social, live activations and branded merchandise, with appearances from figures like Lane Kiffin and a growing emphasis on content creators.
Dr Pepper is also using AI, consumer data and dynamic creative optimization to personalize and localize more than 200 pieces of content across 50 markets, building on an approach that previously delivered more than double the sales lift and roughly 30% higher incremental ROAS versus its national campaign average.
Hershey’s Says “Pinky Up” with Katseye
The Hershey Company has launched an integrated campaign for its new salted caramel and affogato Creme Bars, partnering with girl group Katseye to connect the product with Gen Z culture and the trend of affordable indulgence. Centered around a subway-set ad featuring Katseye’s song “Pinky Up,” the campaign extends across TV, digital, social, influencer, out-of-home, streaming audio, sampling, pop-ups and select Uber partnerships.
The Hershey Company is also encouraging user-generated content around the “Pinky Up” gesture and will release a steady stream of creator and behind-the-scenes content throughout the year, with the Katseye partnership continuing into 2027.
The UPS Store Introduces "Blu"
The UPS Store has launched a national, multiyear campaign introducing "Blu", its first-ever brand character, as a recognizable face for the brand and its growing range of small business services. Targeting small business owners, the campaign uses humor to showcase offerings beyond shipping, including printing, shredding and business mailboxes, with Blu appearing through a portal to help entrepreneurs tackle everyday business needs.
New spots pair Blu with National Football League (NFL) player and small business owner Aidan Hutchinson and will run across CBS and Paramount streaming, with additional content spanning TV, digital, social and print. The campaign is designed to unify messaging across The UPS Store’s independently operated locations while positioning the brand as a broader, go-to resource for small businesses.
Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Is Back For The Fall
Starbucks is leaning into the Pumpkin Spice Latte’s status as both a seasonal staple and a pop-culture phenomenon with a social-first campaign that playfully embraces the drink’s reputation for being “basic.” The campaign pairs Martha Stewart, an established symbol of fall and lifestyle culture, with “Off Campus” star Belmont Cameli to appeal across generations and tap into a younger, highly engaged fandom.
Beyond the celebrity-led videos, Starbucks is making fans part of the campaign through user-generated content and creator posts, extending the idea across Instagram, TikTok, Meta, YouTube Shorts and TV. The strategy turns the PSL’s annual return into a broader cultural moment rather than simply a seasonal product launch.
