Brand Waves This Week
Brunello Cucinelli tells the story of a bygone cinema, Owala turns Wicked fans into protagonists, and Tracksuit triples its global market coverage.
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: Brunello Cucinelli presents the Cinema Meraviglia campaign; Owala strengthens its emotional connection with Wicked fans; Banana Republic invites everyone to slow down and rediscover holiday rituals; YMCA tells its story with No Place Like This Place; Gap and Summer Fridays combine fashion and self-care; Intermarché reinterprets Christmas with a live-action and animation film; Amplifon launches The Wish; Trainline redefines train travel with The Way To Train; and Tracksuit expands its reach to international markets.
Brunello Cucinelli presents the Cinema Meraviglia holiday campaign
For the Holiday season, Brunello Cucinelli launched the Cinema Meraviglia campaign, set in an early 20th-century cinema. The spot evokes the full charm of an imaginary world of worn wood, warm lights, shared anticipation, and small rituals that recall the intimacy of the holiday season.
The viewer’s journey - from the snow-dusted ticket booth, through the bustling foyer, to the grand auditorium - becomes a symbolic walk through the winter collection, presented as part of a sensory experience.
To create this visual universe, the brand collaborated with an outstanding team: Framestore, Partizan, and director Michael Gracey.
Artistic and technical direction intertwine seamlessly thanks to proprietary AI-based workflows, which allow the extension of exteriors, the addition of vintage vehicles, the modeling of crowds, and snow effects without losing aesthetic consistency.
Owala launches Wicked Special Edition bottles
Owala and Universal Products & Experiences have released two special edition bottles inspired by the iconic characters Glinda and Elphaba from the series Wicked.
The campaign strengthens Owala’s emotional bond with its audience, highlighting the brand’s ability to enter digital and social conversations, where fans share their passion for Wicked and the Owala universe.
Tracking The Brand Waves - Owala
In the United States, the market for reusable water bottles is no longer just a functional category, but a true tool for self-expression. In this context, Owala positions itself as a key driver of this change.
According to Tracksuit data, over the past 12 months Owala has recorded increases in key metrics: brand awareness (+10 pp), consideration (+6 pp), and usage (+6 pp), with particularly strong performance among 18-34-year-olds and female consumers.
Despite these positive results, there is still room to strengthen the connection with the audience: only 38% of those aware of Owala say they know the brand very well, and these consumers are 4.4 times more likely to consider the brand compared to those with only a superficial understanding.
Building familiarity and emotional closeness therefore remains the main lever to convert awareness into consideration and consolidate growth in an increasingly competitive and crowded market.
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