Ads of the Week: Lightsabers, love stories and pastry-clad villains

Why it works:

It treats fans with real respect, turning a simple product tie-in into an interactive, collectible-rich experience that feels crafted for the fandom.

‘Refresh Your Galaxy’ is Coca-Cola and Disney’s new global push celebrating their 70-year partnership and shared love of Star Wars. It features 30 limited-edition Coke can and bottle designs showcasing characters from across the saga, with three ultra-exclusive versions only at Disney parks. But it goes beyond packaging: fans can scan cans or ads to unlock AR holograms and record their own blue-glowing Star Wars-style messages. The launch film, set in a movie theater where Coke bottles become lightsabers, leans into the playful rituals of fandom. It’s a crossover that knows its audience, delivering an experience designed to delight collectors and lifelong fans alike.

Long-lost twins David Beckham and Matt Damon reunite for Stella Artois

Why it works:

It builds on a successful Super Bowl hook with playful storytelling, while turning an on-screen joke into a real-world, purpose-driven product.

Stella Artois continues its partnership with David Beckham and Matt Damon in ‘The Collection,’ the first ad since its award-winning Super Bowl campaign. This time, Damon’s character shows off a near-complete set of state-themed chalices, missing only Wyoming. To bring the idea off-screen, Stella is launching ‘Fifty States of Stella,’ a limited-edition range of chalices designed for each US state, with proceeds supporting Water.org. The campaign was developed with Artists Equity Advertising, the agency co-founded by Damon and Ben Affleck.

New Balance enlists Jack Harlow, Endrick and Gabriely Miranda

Why it works:

It delivers a surreal, playful take on sport that keeps viewers guessing while showcasing star power in unexpected roles.

To spotlight its tennis-inspired T-500 sneaker, New Balance drops a new film in its ‘Quiet Please’ campaign, directed by Tom Emmerson through his studio Red Buoy. The ad stages a bizarre football-tennis match inside a New Balance shoebox, with Real Madrid’s Endrick and model Gabriely Miranda watching from a country club lounge. Jack Harlow adds comic disruption with a noisy cameo. Combining VFX, miniatures and sports choreography, the global campaign runs across social, online and cinema placements.

Hinge mascot meets a messy end

Why it works:

It leans into the brand’s promise of being “designed to be deleted” with humor and emotional honesty, making the breakup with the app feel like a real milestone.

Hinge’s latest campaign, ‘Where Hinge Ends, We Begin,’ is its third outing with agency Birthday and once again sees its mascot, Hingie, meeting an untimely demise. The spot follows a couple’s journey from first sparks to the moment they decide to go exclusive and delete the app. The creative approach balances sensitivity with absurdity, reflecting dating as it really is: imperfect, surprising and very human. It continues the brand’s “designed to be deleted” narrative that’s defined its marketing since 2022.

BBC launches ‘Names Will Be Made’ campaign for Uefa Women’s Euros 2025

Why it works:

It champions rising female stars with creativity and confidence, closing the fame gap while celebrating the women’s game on its own bold terms.

BBC Creative’s 40-second spot for the Uefa Women’s Euros 2025 uses claymation set in the Swiss countryside to turn players into striking visual metaphors. England’s Lucy Bronze is reimagined as a castle-like defender, while Wales’s Jess Fishlock appears as a blazing fireball. The handmade style underscores the dedication at the heart of women’s football, with a tone that’s playful, not overly earnest. The ‘Names Will Be Made’ campaign spans TV, radio, social and out-of-home, rallying fans to back the next generation of stars.

Numan’s surreal ‘Buffet Boy’ spot challenges weight loss stigma

Why it works:

It tackles obesity with dark humor and honesty, confronting the myth of willpower while sparking conversation about real-world barriers to weight loss.

Numan’s new TV campaign introduces Buffet Boy, a pastry-covered tormentor who shadows protagonist Lisa, tempting her at every turn. Directed by Steve Ayson with minimal special effects, the spot uses surreal, handmade costume design to personify the challenges of living in what the brand calls an “obesogenic environment.” Instead of shaming, it highlights behavioral and environmental factors that make weight loss tough. The UK-wide integrated campaign spans TV, BVOD, out-of-home, social, radio, podcasts, PR and digital channels, pushing a franker conversation about weight management.

Toad&Co leans into weird with human–toad love story

Why it works:

It turns sustainability messaging into something personal and memorably odd, reviving a retro tagline with humor and cultural irreverence.

Toad&Co’s ‘Love Your Toad’ campaign, developed with Chicago agency Someoddpilot, resurrects its 1990s slogan for a new generation. The 30-second hero spot sets up a surreal love triangle between a woman, a very expressive toad and her trusty Toad&Co jacket. Spoiler: the jacket wins. Social assets build out the campaign’s star, ‘Toady McToad,’ with a faux IMDb page, mock interviews and vlogs that lean hard into the absurd. The approach aims to do more than sell jackets, telling a decades-long love story between people and clothes they can’t part with. With placements across CTV, paid and organic social, and 15-second cutdowns, the campaign delivers sustainability with a wink.