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 and BMW celebrate the fourth chapter of their partnership; Gap unveils Denim on your own; Stanley 1913 collaborates with FARM Rio; Kylie Jenner’s KHY makes its footwear debut with GIA BORGHINI; Marc Jacobs presents The Swap; Urban Outfitters puts 76 real students at the center of its first Back-to-Campus campaign; Crocs brings Niles to life; Hinge launches No Ordinary Love; and HEINZ introduces Love Lid.
Stanley 1913 announces its partnership with FARM Rio
Stanley collaborates with FARM Rio to launch a new collection with a sophisticated vacation spirit, built around color, nature, and self-expression.
The collaboration brings FARM Rio’s signature prints to some of Stanley 1913’s most iconic products, introducing three designs: Tropical Destiny, Painted Banana, and Tropical Woods.
Inspired by Brazil’s biodiversity, the collection features bold, saturated hues and distinctive charms, evoking a dreamlike vision of the country’s tropical landscapes, fauna, and flora.
Gap launches Denim on your own with Malcolm Todd and Inde Navarrette
Gap has unveiled Denim on your own, its new Fall 2026 campaign starring musician Malcolm Todd and actress Inde Navarrette.
The campaign is set to Malcolm Todd’s reinterpretation of Robyn’s Dancing on My Own, created specifically for the project. The story follows Todd and Navarrette through a series of different settings, allowing each of them to express their own rhythm, personality and way of wearing GapDenim.
Built around the idea that personal style is a powerful form of self-expression, Denim on your own shows how Gap’s timeless pieces become part of the artists’ everyday lives as they create, perform and connect with their audiences.
Tracking The Brand Waves - Gap
This isn’t the first time Gap has used music, talent and cultural references in its campaigns. The real question is whether being part of culture necessarily means becoming a brand that people prefer.
Data from our partner Tracksuit tells an interesting story, especially when comparing Gap with one of its key competitors in denim, American Eagle.
Gap starts from a position of strength, with 78% awareness, compared to American Eagle’s 73%. But further down the funnel, the advantage reverses: American Eagle converts 28% from consideration to preference, compared to Gap’s 18%, reaching 10% preference versus Gap’s 7%.
The difference also shows up in brand perception. Over the past 12 months, American Eagle has strengthened several brand associations, while Gap has seen a significant shift in just one attribute: “innovative”.
The two brands take very different approaches. While Gap aims to build relevance through music, nostalgia and cultural impact, American Eagle leans into the cultural power of celebrities.
For Gap, then, the challenge doesn’t seem to be capturing attention or building cultural relevance. Being part of culture can keep a brand relevant, but the real test of brand building is turning that relevance into preference.
This is the kind of insight Tracksuit shares fortnightly in their newsletter, Shorts: brand tracking analysis, consumer insights and case studies designed to understand what is really driving brand growth.
Kith collaborates with BMW for the fourth chapter of their partnership
Kith and BMW reunite for the fourth chapter of their partnership, presenting a collection of apparel, accessories, and bespoke automobiles.
The collection is inspired by the Kith for BMW color palette, drawing from the automotive brand’s archives and the colors that have defined different chapters of the collaboration.
The colors featured throughout the partnership include the M3 E30’s Cinnabar Red, Kith-developed Vitality Green, Techno Violet, and Inka Orange.
Kylie Jenner’s KHY launches its first footwear collection with GIA BORGHINI
KHY, Kylie Jenner’s brand, announces its first footwear collection, made in Italy in collaboration with GIA BORGHINI.
The debut collection reinterprets classic styles through KHY’s aesthetic and marks the brand’s first expansion into a new category.
The line introduces three distinct silhouettes, all crafted with the maison’s exceptional savoir-faire: Studio Thong, Muse Thong, and Icon Sandal.
Marc Jacobs presents the Fall micro-drama The Swap
Marc Jacobs presents The Swap, its Fall 2026 micro-drama starring actor Rowan Blanchard and artist and actor Jemima Kirke.
Set in the moments following Marc Jacobs’ latest runway show, the film follows the two protagonists through the streets of New York after their Scene Bags are accidentally swapped.
As Blanchard and Kirke discover the contents of each other’s bags, first impressions are called into question, giving rise to a mystery about identity, perception, and the stories we create about others.
Urban Outfitters unveils the All Together Now campaign
Urban Outfitters presents All Together Now, its first commercial entirely dedicated to Back-to-Campus.
The campaign features 76 real students from more than 10 universities and celebrates the people who help shape campus culture.
Set at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium, the film captures the energy of college Game Day through a cast made up entirely of students.
Crocs introduces Niles, its official mascot
Crocs is expanding the way it engages consumers by introducing Niles, the brand’s official mascot, who has his own personality, his own “voice,” and a dedicated social media presence, @nilesthecroc.
The little crocodile that has been part of the Crocs logo for years is now becoming a character designed to evolve over time alongside the company and its community.
Niles’ universe will be built through episodic content, real-world appearances, and ongoing fan engagement.
Hinge launches No Ordinary Love
Hinge launches the third chapter of No Ordinary Love, the platform that encourages people to have brave conversations, openly share their feelings, and build the foundations for a meaningful relationship.
Developed in collaboration with Dazed Studio, the audiobook brings together five real love stories that began on Hinge, written and narrated by contemporary authors Tembe Denton-Hurst, Raven Smith, Rufi Thorpe, Nicola Dinan, and Curtis Garner, with a foreword by author Hunter Harris.
The project also extends through collaborations with creators, Substack writers, and podcasters, who will explore the themes featured in the stories, while the campaign will also come to life through out-of-home activations in New York and London.
HEINZ introduces Love Lid
HEINZ introduces Love Lid, the first customizable ketchup lid, designed to let consumers choose the ideal amount of sauce with every use.
Inspired by online conversations about the “right” amount of ketchup to use with fries, burgers, and hot dogs, HEINZ now lets fans “measure with their hearts,” giving them control over the flow of the sauce.
Love Lid features three settings - Like, Love, and Crazy Love - each corresponding to a different amount of ketchup dispensed.
“We all experience love differently and our fans’ connection to ketchup is no exception. People have deeply personal rituals around how much ketchup they squeeze, and we celebrate every one of them,” said Nina Patel, Vice President, Global HEINZ at the Kraft Heinz Company. “Whether they ‘like it,’ ‘love it,’ or have full-on ‘crazy love,’ there’s no wrong way to enjoy HEINZ. The Love Lid is an innovation that lets consumers squeeze to their heart’s content, because HEINZ has always been more than a condiment, and this summer we’re proving we have a love language all our own.”
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
Athleta partners with San Francisco Ballet; Ben Stiller launches Stiller’s Soda; Burberry unveils its new Autumn 2026 campaign; PUMA reimagines an icon with Suede Bloom.
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.