What a relaxing month to have spent unplugged… just kidding—we were fully online for this chaos, but were you? In case you missed it, August delivered everything from viral campaigns and nostalgic throwbacks to meme-worthy moments and bold marketing moves. Here’s our roundup of our favorite campaigns, unfiltered takes, and everything in-between—because the internet never sleeps, and neither do we!!!
❤️🔥 Taylor Swift Breaks The Internet (Again)
Taylor Swift shook the internet with the announcement of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, sparking a global frenzy among her devoted fans. Brands quickly jumped on the moment, racing to tap into the hype and engage Swifties by creatively adapting their products and campaigns across social media.
Takeaway: Know your audience and act fast. Understanding the fanbase (Swifties, in this case) ensures that campaigns feel authentic rather than opportunistic. Major cultural moments, like album drops, create real-time opportunities for engagement—but timing is everything.
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🌟 Shania’s Sides: All Dressed & All Iconic
Shania Twain joined forces with McDonald’s Canada for Shania’s Sides, transforming everyday menu items into limited-edition fan favorites. With All Dressed McShaker Fries, Strawberry Pie, and collectible cowboy boot keychains, this collab shows how a major celebrity can create buzz and connect with the right audience. The right audience is in fact me, and now I’m craving a mid-afternoon treat.
Takeaway: Create exclusivity with limited-edition offerings. Limited-time menu items or collectibles, like the cowboy boot keychains, generate urgency and social sharing. Making it a Canada-only collab with an iconic Canadian country artist adds an extra layer of uniqueness and local relevance, boosting engagement even further.
🏕️ Columbia Engineers an Unhinged Masterpiece
Forget snowcapped peaks and perfectly framed golden hour hikes. Columbia’s “Engineered for Whatever” campaign tosses perfection out the window—literally and figuratively. Gritty, grimy, and darkly funny, it showcases adventurers in real, messy, unpredictable situations rather than curated outdoor magazine moments. Finally, a brand that embraces the chaos of the outdoors and doesn’t shy away from the unpolished side of adventure.
Takeaway: Authenticity and relatability can drive engagement. By ditching overly polished visuals in favor of gritty, humorous, and imperfect scenarios, Columbia connects with audiences who value real, unfiltered experiences. Embracing imperfection—and leaning into humor—can help brands stand out, feel more human, and foster stronger emotional connections.
🔥 The Campaign the Internet Took Literally
Gatorade’s “Let Her Cook” campaign went viral by playing on the popular internet slang “let her cook,” which basically means “let her do her thing because she knows what she’s doing.” The campaign leaned into this playful, internet-savvy language to connect with a younger female sports audience—but not everyone got the joke. Some viewers took it completely literally, sparking confusion, memes, and heated debate online. The campaign raises the question: was this a clever marketing win that tapped into digital culture, or a total miss highlighting the risks of leaning on slang in advertising? Either way, it succeeded in getting people talking.
Takeaway: Using internet slang or culturally specific language can generate buzz and make a campaign feel fresh and relatable—but it comes with risks. Not every audience will understand the references, and some may take the messaging literally, leading to confusion or backlash. To succeed, balance playfulness with clarity and test how your messaging resonates across different audience segments. When done well, tapping into digital culture can drive conversation, engagement, and strengthen brand relevance.
👖 Gap Dances Through The Denim Drama
Gap launched its Fall 2025 campaign starring global girl group Katseye with “Better in Denim,” a playful nod to early-2000s fashion. The campaign revives low-rise jeans and mini skirts, set to Kelis’ iconic track “Milkshake,” appealing to both Gen Z and millennials—connecting younger audiences to the performers while sparking nostalgia for those who grew up in the Y2K era.
Takeaway: Timing and representation matter. By releasing a diverse, nostalgia-driven ad alongside American Eagle’s denim backlash, Gap captured attention and positioned itself as a more inclusive alternative. Strategically aligning campaigns with cultural moments and highlighting authentic representation can significantly amplify impact and engagement.
🎶 InstaCart Takes Us Back To The 90s
Unfortunately for me this title doesn’t apply to me (queue the baby comments). Nothing gets the internet going more than nostalgia and the ability to fight with other generations over who was born in the “better” year.
Instacart is closing up its summer ’90s nostalgia campaign with its first live event—a free concert headlined by Third Eye Blind on Sept. 4. From throwback ads to decade-themed discounts, the grocery app is giving millennials both vibes and savings.
Takeaway: Nostalgia is a powerful engagement tool. By tapping into a generation’s formative years—like the ’90s for millennials—brands can create emotional connections that drive shares, comments, and conversation.
Want More?
And that’s a wrap on August—a month packed with chaos, creativity, and campaigns that made us laugh, cringe, and double-tap in equal measure. From viral hits to nostalgic throwbacks, the internet kept us scrolling, sharing, and arguing over who was born in the “better” year (I’m not allowed to give my opinions on this). ANYWAYS, see you next month—may September bring you endless pumpkin spice lattes, perfectly curated Instagram shots, and just enough Wi-Fi to survive the chaotic scroll.
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