Top 25 Ads That Defined 2025: Celebs, Nostalgia, and Viral Moments

2025 made one thing clear right away: culture moves faster than brands can pause to catch up.

The ads that broke through were the ones that showed up at the right moment, with the right people having something real to say.

From celebrity credibility to meme speed and a growing allergy to hollow AI work, this year rewrote what actually earns attention.

Here are 25 campaigns that defined 2025 by tapping culture, timing, and trust in ways audiences actually cared about.

1. McDonald's x Kai Cenat

McDonald’s partnered with streamer Kai Cenat to debut the Chicken Big Mac through a social-first launch that included Grimace and a marching band.

The move reflected the fast-food giant's understanding of dupe culture and how livestreaming reaches Gen Z outside traditional promos.

2. Freshpet x Steve Schirripa

Freshpet's “My Boy Junior” stars "The Sopranos" actor and his Dachshund, Willie, in a mob-inspired setup that highlights the emotional bond between pet owners and their dogs

The campaign from Terri & Sandy debuted during Netflix’s Christmas NFL games, positioning refrigerated dog food as a higher standard of daily pet care.

Schirripa’s real-life relationship with Willie kept the tone natural and prevented the spot from tipping into parody.

3. Nespresso x George Clooney

"Detective George" stars in Nespresso's whodunit commercial with Eva Longoria, Camille Cottin, and Kim Go Eun, inspired by "Murder on the Orient Express."

Created in partnership with Citizen Relations, it showed how long-term brand ambassadors can keep partnerships feeling fresh through clever creative premises.

4. Hellmann's x Meg Ryan & Billy Crystal

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal returned to Katz's Delicatessen to recreate the iconic scene from "When Harry Met Sally," this time with Hellmann's mayo as the star.

In a cameo, Sydney Sweeney delivered the legendary "I'll have what she's having" line, bridging generations of rom-com fans.

This Big Game spot from VML New York also came with a $120 sandwich kit that let fans recreate the meal at home.

5. Sure: 'Whole Body Deodorant'

AMV BBDO created a playful campaign for Sure's Whole Body Deodorant range using nicknames like "booties" and "ta-tas." 

The work helped the brand tackle a taboo topic with humor while also showing how their products can serve different areas of the body.

6. State Farm x Jason Bateman

Highdive assembled Jason Bateman, SZA, Kai Cenat, and Jordan the Stallion for "Batman vs. Bateman," a two-minute comedy spot parodying superhero films.

Directed by Bryan Buckley, the ad debuted during the Big Ten Men's Championship and extended through March Madness.

7. Apple x Pedro Pascal

Spike Jonze directed "Someday," a five-minute film showing Pascal's post-breakup journey from grief to rhythm after activating AirPods' Active Noise Cancellation.

TBWA\Media Arts Lab produced the spot, which aired globally and reinforced Apple's strategy of leading with human emotion instead of focusing only on tech specs.

8. Miller Lite x Christopher Walken

Miller Lite celebrated its 50th anniversary with "Legendary Stories Start With a Lite," narrated by Christopher Walken.

The campaign features never-before-seen images of celebrity fans, including John Madden and Luke Combs.

It reminded consumers that Miller Lite invented light beer in 1975, creating an entire category.

9. Coca-Cola "Share a Coke"

Coca-Cola relaunched one of its most beloved campaigns for the new generation, complete with QR codes for digital customization and a national truck tour.

The effort built on the "Real Magic" platform while targeting Gen Z's craving for authentic connections.

10. Heineken: 'Real Friends'

Heineken jumped into the AI companionshipconversation with a tongue-in-cheek October campaign reinforcing that real friends are made over beers.

The NYC OOH placement and social posts went viral, sparking organic national media coverage while championing the brand's ongoing #SocialOffSocials initiative.

As wearable AI friendship devices began trending with their own OOH placements, Le Pub New York created a functional bottle-opener necklace as Heineken's take on "AI friendship tech."

Ali Payne, Heineken USA's CMO, reflected on the campaign with DesignRush:

"Being included among the year’s best creative work is especially meaningful because this campaign reflects our ongoing 'Social Off Socials strategy,' showing up in culture in ways that encourage people to reconnect in real life. 

By playfully engaging with timely conversations, we used creativity and design to reinforce something timeless: real friendships are built offline, together and sometimes over a beer.” 

11. Lincoln x Serena Williams

Hudson Rouge created "Mic Drop" where Williams catches a falling microphone in a cinematic spot where mics literally rain down from the sky.

It debuted during March Madness' Elite Eight, showing how athlete partnerships can amplify brand positioning when the star embodies the same pioneering spirit as the product.

12. Bobby Flay: 'National Nacho Flay Day'

Chef Bobby Flay launched the campaign on April 5 to honor his late Maine Coon cat and culinary muse.

Created for his premium pet food brand Made by Nacho, the initiative donated over 59,000 meals to shelter cats and supported 40+ adoptions through Paws Crossed Animal Rescue.

13. Starbucks & PepsiCo: 'Eye of the Tiger'

Energy BBDO revived "Glen," the iconic character from the chain's 2004 Doubleshot ad.

To promote Starbucks Iced Energy this time, it introduces office hero "Roy," who gets his own rock anthem.

The original Glen even makes a cameo, proving that brands can successfully honor legacy moments while also moving the story forward.

14. Method x Coachella

Soap brand Method returned as Coachella's official sponsor with "Dream in the Desert," a multisensory installation featuring four surreal worlds matched to Dream Foam fragrances.

The activation drove a 1,351% year-over-year increase in Meta impressions and 730% engagement growth.

It shows how experiential marketing at cultural moments can deliver measurable social impact.

15. Old Navy x Lindsay Lohan

Old Navy launched "Old Navy, New Moves" starring Lohan in its first major activewear campaign in over a decade.

The cast exercised to Devo's '80s hit "Whip It," proving that nostalgia works when it solves current needs like affordable athletic clothing.

16. Anthropic x Rick Rubin

Anthropic partnered with music producer Rick Rubin for "The Way of Code," an interactive digital book inspired by the "Tao Te Ching."

The 81-chapter project introduced "vibe coding," showing how brands can connect with developers through culture instead of dry, functional messaging.

17. Mountain Dew x Seal

Goodby Silverstein & Partners and director Taika Waititi created "Kiss from a Lime" for Mountain Dew's Super Bowl spot, featuring Grammy winner Seal as an actual seal.

The campaign included experiential activations, like Spot the Baja Blast Campervan, showing the increased effectiveness of Super Bowl ads when they transcend into real-world experiences.

18. Apple: 'Garrett the Cat'

Director Andreas Nilsson created a short film where a couple debates removing their cat Garrett from a photo using Apple's Clean Up AI tool, before instantly reversing the decision.

It reinforced the tech giant's strategy of showcasing AI features through relatable, everyday moments, such as two people musing over their beloved pet.

19. Liquid Death AI Spec Ad

Writing-directing duo Too Short For Modeling created an unofficial Liquid Death commercial using Google's Veo 3, producing studio-grade quality without agency backing or brand approval.

The spot went viral, raising questions about fan-made content and AI-powered creativity while earning Liquid Death free reach and cultural momentum.

20. KFC: 'Kentucky Fried Comeback'

KFC launched its comeback campaign with a stern-faced Colonel Sanders and chef Matty Matheson offering a "Free Bucket On Us" promo.

President Catherine Tan-Gillespie explicitly linked the campaign’s creative tone and promotion to the company's recent market share challenges.

21. American Eagle x Sydney Sweeney

American Eagle's "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" campaign positioned the actress as the face of its Fall 2025 denim push.

The effort included a limited-edition butterfly jean benefiting Crisis Text Line and a 3D billboard on the Las Vegas Sphere.

It sparked global controversy over Western aesthetics and representation, though it ultimately amplified the brand's reach, driving over 700,000 new customers.

22. PrizePicks x Druski

Colormatics and comedian Druski created a sketch-driven video campaign parodying the "guy who knows ball" archetype.

Shot like a basketball scientist's chaotic lab, the spot generated rewatch value through several meme-worthy moments.

23. Sephora x Mariah Carey

Director Joseph Kahn created a holiday film starring Carey as an angel declaring the season's arrival, with Billy Eichner as a sassy elf.

The campaign anchored Sephora's "Give Something Beautiful" holiday push and curated Carey's favorite products online.

It proves that celebrity star power and instant recognition still drive massive organic reach.

24. Walmart: 'WhoKnewVille'

Publicis Groupe agencies created the 90-second commercial reimagining Dr. Seuss' Whoville to showcase Walmart's app and digital tools.

The campaign expanded Walmart's "Who Knew" platform while harnessing nostalgia to communicate the store's convenient price offerings during a tight economic year.

25. Pizza Hut x '6-7' Meme

VML helped Pizza Hut capitalize on Gen Alpha's "6-7" viral meme with 67-cent boneless wings on November 6 and 7.

The campaign moved quickly to catch the peak of the “6–7” trend, showing how timing can make or break meme marketing.

What Worked and What Didn’t in 2025 Campaigns

Some of the strongest campaigns in 2025 leaned on familiar faces while staying closely tied to cultural developments.

Edelman's 2025 Trust Barometer found that 73% of consumers trust brands more when they authentically reflect current culture.

This helps explain why long-running celebrity or influencer partnerships consistently performed better than short-term activations.

Timing and creative choices drew a clear line between campaigns that broke through and those that stalled this year:

• Speed shaped visibility. Brands that acted while trends were still peaking captured attention, while slower responses quickly lost relevance.
• Automation tested trust. Highly automated creative struggled when it felt emotionally flat, showing that efficiency alone rarely earns engagement.
• Nostalgia needed purpose. References to the past worked best when they helped audiences process the present, not when they relied on sentiment alone.

Teams with the authority to move quickly and protect creative intent consistently outperformed those slowed by approvals, tooling, or risk aversion.

Our Pick: The Ad That Got 2025 Right

If there’s one campaign that captured what worked best in 2025 for me, it was Hellmann’s reunion of Ryan and Crystal.

I think the spot understood why the original moment mattered, then used that memory to say something relevant now.

The cameo from Sweeney also bridged generations, making the joke land for audiences who weren’t alive when the film first premiered.

The ad also trusted viewers to recognize the reference, feel the emotion, and connect the dots without overexplaining or overproducing.

In a year full of fast memes and flashy AI experiments, my vote goes to Hellmann’s for slowing down just enough to feel human.

And I think this balance of timing, familiarity, and emotional pull is the standard most brands will be chasing in 2026.

Need help moving at the speed culture demands? These top creative agencies help brands translate cultural moments into campaigns before they expire.