32 of the best brand films and ads of 2025

Every year, brands promise something new. Most deliver a variation on the same few formats.

But some take creative risks, trust the audience, and remember that advertising can still be entertaining.

This roundup brings together the brand films and ads that stood out for the right reasons this year. Work that leans into character, humour and cultural insight. That plays with celebrity rather than worships it, hands over control where it makes sense, and uses the medium with intent rather than excess.

From slow Italian conversations and Scottish self-belief to surreal seals, sleep-talking mattress reviews and five-minute cinematic statements, these campaigns show what happens when brands stop chasing formulas and start telling stories properly.

This roundup cuts through the noise to highlight the year’s standout work – a selection of widely shared hits (in no particular order) – as featured in the weekly newsletter.

#1 San Pellegrino leans into ‘Italian time’

The sparkling water brand dropped a wonderful skit, casting actors Stanley Tucci and Diane Morgan in a laid-back mock-interview that celebrates the joy of doing things the Italian way – slowly, and with sparkle.

#2 Olivia Colman channels London in Burberry series

Burberry’s series leans into character for “It’s Always Burberry Weather.” The British heritage label tapped Oscar-winner Olivia Colman to play a chip shop worker, a cricket fan, a street busker and a tourist guide, each captured with dry wit and affection. Whole series here.

#3 Channel 4 hands the reins to kids – and they school the ad industry

In an industry obsessed with big-name directors and award-winning agencies, Channel 4 reminded us where the real magic can happen — inside the minds of teenagers.

#4 Seal goes full seal for Mountain Dew

The hilarious 30-second spot transforms the Grammy winner into a realistically rendered sea mammal who washes up on Baja Beach to serenade Becky G with a “Kiss from a Lime.”

#5 Men attempted to answer questions that women face in job interviews

This powerful video by Dutch retailer bol flips the script on job interviews. Male colleagues at the retailer were asked questions that female leaders at the business had faced during their careers.

 

#6 Stella Artois introduce David Beckham’s long-lost brother

In a Super Bowl spot from Stella Artois, David Beckham discovers he has a long-lost brother. Beckham tracks down his American counterpart, only to be greeted by Matt Damon.

#7 Jeep turns up the heat for Grand Wagoneer reveal

Jeep ditches the standard SUV script in favor of something cheekier with a social-first campaign starring comedian Iliza Shlesinger.

#8 Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone lager ad gets banned

Jeremy Clarkson dropped the most unfiltered beer ad of the year, but you won’t see it on TV.

#9 Irn-Bru returns to its roots with an hilarious comeback

Lucky Generals unveiled its first campaign for Irn-Bru and brings back the famous “Made in Scotland from Girders” strapline.

#10 Heineken taps Joe Jonas to help the world go ‘Social Off Socials’

Heineken takes aim at digital burnout with “Social off socials”, fronted by Joe Jonas. The campaign invites people to unplug and rediscover the joy of real-life hangouts—no screens, no scrolls, just actual socialising. An excellent film by Le Pub.

#11 Solo Coffee rips up the coffee playbook

Solo Coffee isn’t here for your oat-milk-foam heart art. The cult caffeine brand, known for its punchy concentrates and “coffee for degenerates” ethos, dropped a new lo-fi ad campaign that rips up the coffee aesthetic rulebook.

#12 itsu revives the Wealdstone Raider

After turning heads with Ronnie Pickering parody, itsu kept the meme revival going – this time with the return of Gordon Hill, better known as the Wealdstone Raider.

 

#13 Ikea taps into sleep talkers for honest mattress reviews

IKEA Canada and Rethink have taken a fresh approach to product reviews – by letting people do the talking in their sleep. Their new campaign invites real sleep-talkers to spend the night on IKEA mattresses, with every mumble and murmur captured as an unfiltered take on comfort.

#14 Samuel L. Jackson backs motherf*ckin’ wind farms

Samuel L. Jackson – the A‑lister known from Pulp Fiction, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a former marine biology student – teamed up with Vattenfall to champion “motherf*ckin’ wind farms.

#15 Columbia leans into outdoor carnage

Columbia Sportswear ripped up the traditional outdoor playbook in its first global campaign with adam&eveDDB, embracing the raw, unfiltered chaos of nature.

#16 John Lewis drops an ode to British life for its centenary promise

To mark a century since it first declared it would be “Never Knowingly Undersold,” John Lewis and Saatchi & Saatchi  released a sprawling, slow-motion love letter to British life – one cup of tea, one lava lamp, one pram at a time.

#17 Jacquemus shot an entire fashion campaign on an iPhone

Jacquemus is no stranger to creative marketing moves, and this campaign proves why the brand keeps setting the bar. For La Croisière, its newest collection, the French label teamed up with Apple to create a one-minute campaign film shot entirely on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

#18 Harrison Ford brings signature charm to Glenmorangie

At 82, Harrison Ford has taken on plenty of roles, but his latest might be the most unexpected yet – fronting an ad campaign for Glenmorangie. The Scottish brand’s new 12-part series, Once Upon a Time in Scotland, offers a fresh take on traditional whisky advertising, with Ford at the centre of it all.

#19 Yorkshire Tea hire a head of security

Yorkshire Tea hired a head of security. Happy Valley actor Sarah Lancashire stars – for the new ‘Investigations done proper’ spot by Lucky Generals.

 

#20 Apple’s five-minute masterpiece for the launch of AirPods 4

A mesmerising ad directed by Spike Jonze and starring Pedro Pascal. The film is a visually striking exploration of music’s transformative power.

#21 Oat Cult brings pagan horror humour to breakfast time

A campaign from overnight oats disruptor Oat Cult is bringing pagan horror to breakfast time. Created by creative agency Insiders, the launch film is a dark love letter to cult cinema, blending pagan rituals, horror homages and British humour in a surreal ode to probiotic oats.

#22 Shelter reframe a pop classic to expose the housing crisis

A nostalgia-laced Madness anthem becomes a protest track in Shelter’s new campaign, “Our House is not a Home,” created by DUDE London.

#23 Gordon Ramsay gets the cold shoulder from Burger King

Burger King UK and BBH take the celeb chef playbook and turns it on its head. Not Made By Gordon, stars Gordon Ramsay not as a collaborator, but as the guy who didn’t make the burger.

#24 Jude Law dodges romcom clichés with Uber Eats’

Jude Law is the latest face of the brand’s “When You’ve Done Enough, Uber Eats” platform. In the hero spot by Mother London, Uber Eats playfully leans into, and then swerves away from, Law’s romcom legacy.

#25 The North Face want you to touch the grass – stylishly

The North Face launched a campaign with a familiar internet prescription: touch some grass. The film leans into digital burnout with a tongue-in-cheek tone, led by Berlin DJ and producer LOVEFOXY.

#26 A super creative ad from Sandro Paris.

A mind-bending and super creative ad from Sandro Paris. Campaign spotlights ‘dual moments’ from their Spring/Summer collection.

#27 Olivia Colman declares crumpets a national treasure

Warburtons is back with another star-studded commercial, this time enlisting Oscar-winner Olivia Colman for a deliciously dramatic turn in The Inspection. Known for its playful ads featuring the likes of Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson, the UK’s biggest bakery brand is doubling down on its Hollywood formula – with a British twist.

#28 Robert De Niro and Al Pacino reunite for Moncler

Moncler’s global campaign doesn’t shout about its jackets it lets two of cinema’s most enduring figures do the talking.

 

#29 Toblerone embraces the awkward

A fun spot that sees punters joyfully chomping chunky chocolate triangles like they’ve never heard of dental logistics. Toblerone’s design is rather inconvenient. And now, it’s making that inconvenience look rather irresistible.

#30 McDonald’s x Order Like Stormzy

McDonald’s joined forces with British rap legend Stormzy inviting fans to “Order like Stormzy”. Separately the star’s local Croydon branch has been temporarily renamed Big Mike’s. Watch the rather brilliant promo video by Leos > here

#31 Aryna Sabalenka destroys SUV in powerful Nike promo

Nike got behind tennis star Aryna Sabalenka for the Australian Open with a powerful promo on that puts the spotlight on her serve. The ad, by Wieden & Kennedy, sees the star destroy an S.U.V. with her increasingly fast serve – hitting a a peak of 214 KMH.

Cadbury continued its focus on generosity and connection. The centerpiece is a 60-second film about a daughter gifting her father, who has dementia.

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