At Brandnation, we know creative campaigns.
We’ve sent E1 Racebirds flying along the Thames past the Houses of Parliament, turned runners’ Strava data into music at LoveTrails festival for Merrell, toured the country on a double-decker Beauty Bus for Oriflame, created the UK’s most remote gig for Columbia – the list goes on.
So, as we near the end of the year, who better to round up the best marketing campaigns of 2025 than the team immersed in them every day?
Here’s our pick of the work that moved minds and metrics in 2025.
Itsu x Wealdstone Raider
Joe Murgatroyd, Partner and Creative Director
“I’m a big fan of Itsu’s recent work hacking of nostalgic memes. The brand recreated the icon Ronnie Pickering meme, reworking the classic “it’s who?!” line to “Itsu” – a playful way to communicate the insight that 60% of Brits don’t know who Itsu is.”
“This was followed up by another banger. Enter, The Wealdstone Raider – non-league football’s most famous fan. His super quotable “you want some?!” was swapped out for “you want dim sum?”. So clever. So shareable. So British.”
“Brilliant examples of earned-first social.”
@itsuofficial We’ve got no fans! We’re busting to boost our awareness metrics. Move over Ronnie. Wheel out the Raider.
♬ original sound - itsu
Paddy Power Justice Refund
Simarin Tandon, Senior Digital Marketing Manager
“The Justice Refund campaign just worked. It turned frustration into loyalty and owned the headlines with bold, real-time marketing. I also thought it was a great way to engage non-football fans by tapping into cultural moments like Wagatha Christie – iconic”.
“The campaign really matched Paddy Power’s cheeky brand personality and generated more buzz than the refunds ever cost!”
@dailymailsport Coleen Rooney revives Wagatha Christie investigator skills as a detective in hilarious Paddy Power ad... with Man City's 115 charges in her sights 🤣 #coleenrooney #rooney #soccer #mancity #arsenal #paddypower ♬ original sound - Daily Mail Sport
The Oriflame Beauty Bus
Chloe Williams, Junior Account Manager
“The Oriflame Beauty Bus was a fresh and innovative way to meet consumers where they are, especially since Oriflame doesn’t operate a traditional storefront.”
“It was refreshing to see the bus travel beyond the usual London-centric approach, with stops in cities like Brighton, Birmingham, and Manchester, reaching communities that are often overlooked by beauty activations.”
“The experience allowed consumers to explore a wide range of Oriflame products, from fragrance collections to personalised skincare consultations with an expert onboard.”
“It was an engaging, fun, and memorable activation something not many beauty brands are currently doing. More brands should take note: meeting consumers where they are builds stronger connections and fosters true brand loyalty.”
Trail Sonified, Merrell
Sean Stanfield, PR Operations Director
“The Merrell x Trail Sonified was a great opportunity to get Merrell to standout at the world’s largest trail running and music festival, Love Trails.”
“Through data sonification, we transformed runners’ Strava data into a living soundtrack.”
“The campaign was created to make Merrell culturally relevant with a truly unique creation, built through proactively engaging with running communities and the music industry.”
“A fully 360 activation plan, Trail Sonified featured activities across social media, in-person at the festival and press outreach.”
Girls of the Year, LEGO x TIME
Jeremy Page, Global Head of Brand & Strategy
“LEGO partnered with TIME on “Girls of the Year,” turning real young leaders into cover stars and Minifigures.”
“As corporate comms, it is a values-led editorial partnership that makes inclusion tangible and commercially relevant, and it works because it borrows trusted authority, travels through culture, and is measurable on sentiment, saves, and parent consideration.”
Burberry x Bus Aunty
Lola Orome, Account Director
“I really love how Burberry tapped into Bus Aunty. It was such a smart move, featuring someone who feels like everyone’s everyday aunty (well for me), instantly relatable and memorable.”
@burberry Our fare lady: @Bemi Orojuogun ♬ original sound - Burberry
“She stood out so strongly in the ads, cutting through the usual polished imagery we expect from luxury brands. It feels refreshing and human.”
“A clever way to connect on an emotional level while also generating buzz and media attention.”
Our advice for successful creative campaigns
“Get inspired by what’s out there in the industry and look at what joins the dots between different successful creative campaigns, because there is a makeup of each of those that unifies them all,” Brandnation’s Creative Director Joe Murgatroyd advises,
“Being able to do that research, investigate and really unpick why an idea is successful is a good starting point.”
Speaking on Brandnation’s signature Creativity. Multiplied. philosophy, Joe says: “Our approach is to be idea first and channel agnostic – we place importance on the creative having the elasticity to naturally inhabit multiple channels rather than limit its scope by being channel centric.
“As an integrated agency, that’s where the magic of the multiplier comes in. We have been integrated since Brandnation’s inception, well before it became an industry standard, which gives us a competitive edge,”
“We have dedicated teams that are specialists in PR, social, influencer marketing and digital marketing – through this multi-disciplinary strength we apply that multiplier on those big ideas.
“With this approach – one that’s rooted in talkability, cultural relevance and effective integration – we create a rock-solid foundation for our work.
“This unlocks significant benefits when implementing paid media amplification as the idea is already working smarter and harder for the client to stimulate greater commercial impact.”
Curious about creating an integrated, idea-first campaign to elevate your brand? Get in touch today to find out how we can drive results for your business.
