Brand Waves This Week
Kith and Columbia blend fashion and performance, McCain celebrates the authentic chaos of the table, and Squarespace turns the domain into a style statement.
Welcome to The Brand Waves, your weekly snapshot of the most innovative marketing campaigns from around the world. In this edition, discover stories, strategies, and creative ideas that are redefining how brands connect with audiences.
This edition is in partnership with Tracksuit, the affordable, always-on brand tracking dashboard that helps marketers and agencies make insights-backed decisions and prove the impact of their boldest brand work.
Today’s newsletter includes: Kith renews its collaboration with Columbia Sportswear; Liquid I.V. unveils the I.V. O’CLOCK activation in Times Square; Squarespace reasserts the value of the domain as the first act of identity a brand; Starbucks presents Drawn Together; McCain captures the authentic chaos of mealtime; and Porsche embraces the craftsmanship of hand-drawn animation.
Kith unveils its new collection in collaboration with Columbia Sportswear
Kith and Columbia Sportswear renew a longstanding collaboration with the launch of a collection dedicated to winter sports, strengthening a dialogue that goes beyond the product and works on imagination, experience, and culture.
The collection of winter sports apparel, accessories, and footwear is enriched with artwork inspired by the Nippon Snow Expedition and references to Japan, particularly iconic locations such as Hokkaido and Mount Yōtei.
The accessories line follows the same logic as well. Designed for snow expeditions, the Kith for Columbia NSE collection includes carryall duffle bags conceived for versatility and functionality, enhanced with custom artwork.
Finally, the renewed collaboration in footwear expands the depth of the offering and reinforces the perception of Kith as a brand capable of moving with authority across fashion, performance, and lifestyle.
Liquid I.V. Launches I.V. O’CLOCK
Liquid I.V. has launched I.V. O’CLOCK with a Times Square takeover at 4:00 PM on June 4, 2025. The brand took over the giant screens with a fake error message that revealed it was officially I.V. O’CLOCK, time to hydrate.
With this campaign, Liquid I.V. focused on habit-building, linking a specific moment of the day - the classic afternoon energy slump - to a recurring consumption ritual.
Tracking The Brand Waves
In the United States, this approach is already delivering tangible results.
According to Tracksuit data, between December 2024 and November 2025, within the Sports Beverages and Powders category, Liquid I.V. recorded growth across the entire funnel: awareness increased from 38% to 46%, consideration from 25% to 29%, claimed usage from 14% to 20%, and preference from 7% to 9%.
This growth is driven primarily by men and consumers aged 18-34.
However, a familiarity gap remains compared to category leaders: only 42% of those aware of Liquid I.V. say they know the brand very well, versus 81% for Gatorade and 68% for Powerade. This is a key insight, as consumers who know Liquid I.V. very well are five times more likely to consider it.
The next step for Liquid I.V. will be to turn these high-impact activations into everyday familiarity, strengthening emotional connection and competing more confidently with long-established players.
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