Brand Waves This Week
Kith tells the story of summer, Nike flips the script on football, rhode accelerates its global expansion, and 818 Tequila turns summer into a participatory platform.
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 newsletter is sponsored by Tracksuit, the always-on brand tracker built for marketers and agencies to answer the question “Is my strategy working?”
Today’s newsletter includes: Kith Women introduces the new Summer Escape; Nike turns football into a narrative universe with Rip the Script; McDonald’s brings the FIFA World Cup 2026 into a global brand experience; 818 Tequila launches Best Summer Ever; adidas Originals collaborates with Willy Chavarria; rhode accelerates its global expansion with the Summer ’26 Collection; Aimé Leon Dore debuts in womenswear; and Corona presents the Beach 100 2026 guide.
Kith Women unveils the Summer Escape collection
Kith Women launches Summer Escape, centered around the Island Hiatus chapter, which places the swimwear collection within a specific travel narrative, using the coastal landscapes of Antigua as both a backdrop and a source of inspiration.
The campaign, photographed by Cameron Hammond, highlights Kith Women’s deeper exploration of the swimwear category this season, featuring matching tops and bottoms as well as one-piece swimsuits.
The entire Summer Escape collection is structured around chapters - destinations, moments, and wardrobes - giving the swimwear launch a narrative dimension that positions it as part of a broader seasonal story.
Nike unveils Rip the Script
Nike presents Rip the Script, its new manifesto dedicated to football fans around the world, built around a message that encourages players to break away from predefined systems and embrace a creative, instinctive, and entertaining style of football.
Set inside a massive Hollywood film studio, the film shows the greatest football stars of yesterday and today as they decide to ignore the script and follow their instincts, unleashing a wave of creative chaos that celebrates free-flowing play.
The project brings together some of the biggest names in contemporary football, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Vinícius Júnior. Alongside them appear legends such as Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba, and Jorge Campos, as well as figures from worlds seemingly far removed from football, including LeBron James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Ted Lasso, Kate Scott, Channing Tatum, Young Miko, and LISA.
“We know the magical moments in football happen when players trust their instincts,” says Helena Thornton, VP, Nike Brand Management. “That’s the kind of football we love: fresh, instinctive, unexpected and creative.”
Translating The Brand Waves for the Boardroom
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McDonald’s launches global campaign for the FIFA World Cup 26
McDonald’s announces its new global campaign dedicated to the FIFA World Cup 26, featuring a limited-time menu and exclusive collectibles.
The initiative aims to turn the tournament into a global brand experience through merchandise and activations designed to engage fans beyond the product itself.
The menu includes one of nine collectible cups featuring international football icons such as Christian Pulisic, David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Son Heung-Min, Lamine Yamal, Alphonso Davies, and Santiago Gimenez, along with the brand’s mascot Grimace.
818 Tequila launches the Best Summer Ever campaign
818 Tequila introduces the Best Summer Ever campaign, a new initiative celebrating summer through cocktails, social moments, and shared experiences.
At the heart of the initiative is the Best Summer Ever sweepstakes, launched on June 2, which gives fans the chance to win $8,180 throughout the summer, turning the campaign into an ongoing participation mechanism.
All summer long, 818 will also roll out a series of weekly Summer Fridays giveaways on Instagram and TikTok. The campaign will culminate in a National Tequila Day celebration in the Hamptons on July 24 at the iconic Surf Lodge, strengthening the connection between brand, place, and live experiences.
“’Best Summer Ever’ really captures the magic of 818 and the kind of experiences we want to create for our community,” said Kendall Jenner, founder of 818 Tequila. “For us, summer has always been about the rituals; the golden hour margarita or the spontaneous hangouts over tequila cocktails that turn into the best nights.”
adidas Originals and Willy Chavarria launch Comienza Con El Sueño
adidas Originals partners with Willy Chavarria to launch Comienza Con El Sueño, a collection and campaign built around the idea that dreams do not begin on the world stage, but long before.
The project focuses on the roots that make success possible. It is in the streets that raised us that determination is built, identity takes shape, and people learn to play for something bigger than themselves: a collective dream.
Because when the moment everyone has been waiting for finally arrives, it does not come out of nowhere. It carries with it everything that came before. Comienza Con El Sueño celebrates this journey, the space between who we are and where we come from, the place where the dream truly begins.
In the accompanying campaign, adidas Originals and Willy Chavarria spotlight the rising young talents of the Selección Nacional de México, introducing a new generation of footballers whose ambitions are set on future World Cup stages.
rhode launches the new Summer ’26 Collection
rhode introduces its new Summer ’26 Collection, a selection of glow and bronzed-inspired products designed to accompany every moment of the summer season. The collection expands the brand’s offering with new releases and limited editions, including Pocket Bronze, the brand’s first-ever bronzer, alongside Pocket Brush, Highlight Milk, and a range of lip tints and lip shapes.
rhode will accompany the launch of its new products with a series of in-person activations across the United States, Canada, and Europe, creating opportunities for brand-consumer engagement and strengthening the dialogue between digital presence and physical experience.
Within the same framework, the brand also announces a significant international expansion. Starting June 9, 2026, rhode will be available for the first time in Mexico, as well as in several European markets including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland.
“This is such a special milestone for us because it’s about bringing the rhode community together on a more global scale, not only further into Europe but also with our first introduction to the Latin American market,” said Hailey Rhode Bieber, Founder, Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation at rhode.
Aimé Leon Dore launches its first dedicated women’s collection
The New York-based brand Aimé Leon Dore officially presents its first collection dedicated to a female audience, marking a significant step in the brand’s evolution and in building a more complete and versatile offering.
Rather than entering a new category, the launch represents a natural extension of the aesthetic universe the brand has built over the years. The collection reinterprets Aimé Leon Dore’s visual identity through a feminine lens.
The Women’s Capsule Spring/Summer 2026 features understated and refined tailoring, lightweight and versatile pieces, and sport-inspired separates designed to accompany the transition into peak summer season.
Corona launches the Beach 100 2026 guide
Ahead of World Oceans Day on June 8, Corona is launching its annual global beach guide, the Corona Beach 100 2026.
The guide is connected to Corona’s This Is Living platform, which encourages consumers to step outside and fully embrace life during the summer, and it develops into a true narrative ecosystem that brings together editorial content, travel experiences, and impact-driven initiatives.
The 2026 edition introduces 27 new beaches, hundreds of Tripadvisor travel experiences inspired by some of the world’s most breathtaking coastlines, and an expansion of the Beach 100 Grants in collaboration with Oceanic Global, further strengthening the connection between exploration, entertainment, and sustainability.
If you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out last week’s edition of Brand Waves This Week for more standout campaigns and unmissable creative ideas!
Brand Waves This Week
Giorgio Armani presents its new campaign set on the Amalfi Coast; adidas Originals and Bad Bunny launch the new Ballerina Vivid Red; Tommy Hilfiger brings New York preppy style into global football.
The wave doesn’t stop here.
We’ll be back next week with more stories shaping the future of brands, tech and culture. Catch the next one with us.