The Marketing Mixtape: Legacy Brands Remix Their Cool (September 1 to 8, 2025)
Johnnie Walker x Sabrina Carpenter, Pepsi’s NFL tailgate, Nike, Ray-Ban, Dr. Squatch and Rhode at Sephora: the campaigns of September 1 to 8, 2025.
Heritage brands spent this week proving they can still surprise people. Johnnie Walker, Pepsi, Nike and Ferragamo leaned on their history, then added a new voice, a new partner or a new place to show up.
About the Mixtape
The Marketing Mixtape is our running commentary on campaigns worth studying. The brands featured are not The Vibe Curator co. clients. We highlight them because the strategy behind the work is worth learning from.
The campaigns
Johnnie Walker didn’t settle for a standard celeb tie-in. Their partnership with Sabrina Carpenter is more than a cameo. It ties empowerment, music and the whisky world together, timed to her chart-topping album. The launch borrows from the golden age of advertising but feels totally next-gen, classic product experiences with an irreverent twist.
Pepsi, meanwhile, gives “sideline soda” a marketing upgrade with its new NFL campaign. The message? Fandom is for everyone, and community is king (and queen, and rook). Nike’s “Why Do It?” unpacks aspiration, making the pursuit of greatness deeply personal and refreshingly real, proof that even icons need to question the status quo.
Ray-Ban isn’t just resting on legendary cool; they’re remixing it, centering K-pop energy and new influencers for a brand with truly global cred. Dr. Squatch, as always, finds the fine line between parody and power with Manlandia, a campaign that gets men (and everyone else) in on the joke.
Fashion goes cinematic with Ferragamo’s Pre-Fall homage to Hollywood: grand visuals, classic set pieces, and the spirit of Cinecittà on full glamour display. Meanwhile, Rhode’s minimalist magic goes mass, landing in Sephora and bringing coveted beauty rituals to IRL retail explorers.
And Crocs, never content with everyday comfort, brings in SLBS for a tech-forward streetwear spin that’s as practical as it is pulsating.
The takeaway
The lesson? The brands redefining connection now are those that blend legacy, curiosity, and a fearlessness for new collaborations. It’s not enough to show up. You have to show up with purpose, play, and a pitch-perfect remix of what people want next.
Who’s your favorite brand remixer this week? Drop your pick, tag your marketing squad, and let’s keep the culture conversation rolling.
Go deeper
Want the full playbook behind this? Read Brand Collaboration Examples: 12 Partnerships and What Small Brands Can Learn. 12 recent brand collaboration examples, from Gap x KATSEYE and Rare Beauty x Tajín to Pop-Tarts x Liquid Death, and the lessons small brands can use.
Keep reading
Brand Collaboration Examples: 12 Partnerships and What Small Brands Can Learn 12 recent brand collaboration examples, from Gap x KATSEYE and Rare Beauty x Tajín to Pop-Tarts x Liquid Death, and the lessons small brands can use.
Experiential Marketing for Small Brands: 12 Ideas That Build Loyalty 12 affordable experiential marketing ideas for small brands, from ritual partnerships to pop-ups, AR and gamified loyalty, plus 2026 data and how to measure.
How to Market to Gen Z in 2027: What Actually Builds Loyalty How to market to Gen Z in 2027: what the latest research says about discovery, trust, AI content and loyalty, plus a practical playbook for small brands.
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Erika Gardner, Founder and Chief Strategist, The Vibe Curator co.
Erika Gardner founded The Vibe Curator co. in 2016. She leads brand strategy, websites, email and SMS, and fractional CMO work for growing brands from offices in Houston and Atlanta.
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