• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

 

My top two most-read stories of 2025 involved celebrity-driven campaigns.

Back in January, Coffee Mate revealed that country pop singer/songwriter Shania Twain would star in its first Super Bowl ad, promoting the brand’s recently-introduced Coffee Mate Cold Foam Creamer line.

Shania Twain Revealed As Star Of Coffee Mate's Super Bowl Debut

In November, Jeff Goldblum starred in an ad for Xfinity nodding to the release of “Wicked: For Good” as part of the brand’s “Imagine That” campaign. The theatrical spot was a collaboration between Universal Pictures, Xfinity Creative, and creative agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P).

Jeff Goldblum Brings 'Wicked' Wizardry To Xfinity's 'Imagine That'

Unusual brand collaborations tend to attract attention, and a Mountain Dew shampoo was no exception. Mountain Dew teamed up with “community-driven grooming brand” Blind Barber for personal grooming sets inspired by its Baja Blast flavor: “The Beach Bound: Refresh Kit,” a grooming kit featuring a shampoo, body bar, and body lotion, and The Beach Bound: Body Spray Set.

Mountain Dew Shimmies Into Shampoos To Promote New Baja Blast Flavor

Number four on the list was something of an outlier: a story on consultancy Beano Brain’s examination of “The 100 Coolest Brands” among Gen Alpha consumers in the U.S. YouTube and Netflix topped the list, but there were some surprising contenders as well.

Gen Alpha Stays Online: YouTube, Netflix Top List Of 'Coolest Brands'

A story touching on brand participation in a cause-related campaign for an organization impacted by the Trump administration’s gutting of USAID funding took the middle spot on this year’s list. Paramount and KFC partnered with  humanitarian organization Plan International for an “Empower Girls. Change the Future” International Women’s Day campaign that promoted educational and leadership opportunities for girls. According to Plan International, the campaign arrived amid a backslide on gender equality since 2024.

Plan International Partners With Paramount, KFC For 'Empower Girls. Change the Future’

Coca-Cola consistently commands attention, and that was again the case with this year’s top stories. The company’s rebranding of its Dr Pepper competitor, once again known as Mr. Pibb, with a new flavor formula, was number six on the list.

Pibb A Mr. Again: Coca-Cola Rebrands, Reformulates Dr Pepper Competitor

Rounding out the list at number 10 was a story looking at a continuing theme for Coke's flagship brand from last year: backlash to its use of AI in its holiday campaign. We caught up with some marketing experts about the implications of the response to Coca-Cola’s use of AI in its holiday ads, and what marketers can learn from it.

What Marketers Can Learn From Backlash To Coke AI Ads

Sports-related marketing news held two of the top 10 positions.

My seventh most-read story this year was about Marriott Bonvoy’s “Points For Points” March Madness campaign. The NCAA sponsor staged a promotional sweepstakes offering rewards points equivalent to the points totals for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments.

Marriott Bonvoy Goes 'Points For Points' With March Madness Campaign

At nine on the list is a story about Spectrum becoming the official telecommunications partner of its hometown St. Louis Cardinals. The multiyear marketing agreement arrived as the struggling team is in the midst of rebuilding.

Spectrum Enters Multiyear Marketing Deal With Struggling St. Louis Cardinals

At eight on the list is a recent development about some big beverage news.

Back in August, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announced it was acquiring coffee company JDE Peet’s, and subsequently would be splitting up its soft drink and coffee businesses -- which had been under the KDP banner since the 2018 merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple Group -- into two separate companies. In late October, KDP shared updates about its plans to separate into separate coffee and beverage entities, including leadership plans for the move, which it anticipates completing by the end of 2026.

Keurig Dr Pepper Shares Updates For Plan To Split Into 2 Companies