The Marketing Mixtape: Where Brand Legacy, Nostalgia and Innovation Collide (September 15 to 22, 2025)
Bubly x Apple Bottoms, Modelo’s centennial, Ask Ralph, Jollibee x KATSEYE and a Birkin claw machine: the campaigns of September 15 to 22, 2025.
Nostalgia did the heavy lifting this week, but only when it came with something new. Bubly x Apple Bottoms remixed a Y2K hit, Modelo thanked its community at 100 and Ralph Lauren put a stylist in your pocket.
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
Bubly and Apple Bottoms jeans made a splash no one saw coming, putting apple-flavored sips and iconic Y2K denim in the same TikTok frame, complete with a “Low” remix that proves old-school hits still pack new-school punch.
Modelo’s centennial celebration honored the Hispanic community with gratitude-scrawled billboards, hand-painted bottles, and local flavor activations, a thank you that turns every sip into a cultural shoutout.
Ralph Lauren dropped the next era of luxury shopping with “Ask Ralph”, an AI stylist that turns every user into an insider, suggesting full looks with the ease and flair of a real-life personal shopper.
Amazon put campaign-building power in everyone’s pocket with a free creative AI planner, leveling the creative playing field from indie upstarts to global juggernauts.
Others kept the culture train rolling: Aldi’s lo-fi TikTok play built community over cash, Kris Jenner’s MAC push redefined “momager” style for all ages, and Glossier’s NYC pop-up made retail feel like a literal dream.
Bubble tapped nostalgia (Leighton Meester!) for next-gen skin care, Uncommon’s PAIN installation made NYFW extra with a rigged claw machine holding a Birkin nobody could win, and Jollibee joined KATSEYE for a culture-bridging BBQ that hit every sense.
The takeaway
The brands winning right now aren’t just part of the conversation. They’re joyfully running the show, remixing nostalgia, gratitude, and innovation in ways that make even industry vets do a double take.
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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