So right before that — here are Jan ’26 top performing ads, and how you can copy them into your strategy:

Pringles — Early Super Bowl LX Teaser (2026)

Pringles dropped a celebrity-led teaser with Sabrina Carpenter weeks ahead of Super Bowl ad season, owning pregame buzz and social chatter.

What made it stand out:

Timing!
Beating the “Super Bowl hype window” gave Pringles weeks of shareable moments before most brands even started their releases.

How you can do it too:

Own the runway, not just the runway walk. Early teasers extend conversation and reward anticipation.

IKEA — “If You Saw the Price You Wouldn’t Believe…”

IKEA’s January 22 campaign obscures prices to provoke curiosity and challenge assumptions about value, pairing sleek visuals with a minimalist tease.

What made it stand out:

Simple visual subversion, no price tags, created curiosity behavior, driving double-takes and social discussion.

How you can do it too:

Curiosity trumps clarity (briefly).

Obscure one key detail and let the audience fill in the rest, especially when social sharing fuels discovery.

Budweiser — Baby Clydesdale Teaser (Super Bowl 2026)

Budweiser shared a sneak peek of its upcoming Super Bowl ad starring a baby Clydesdale, tapping nostalgia and heritage early in the year.

What made it stand out:

Iconic brand assets (Clydesdales) + emotional storytelling = built-in buzz even before the principal commercial airs.

How you can do it too:

Leverage heritage as a hook.

When something is already emotionally loaded, teasing pays dividends.

The hot take from Jan ’26: Don’t just show a product — provoke a reaction:
• Be early; be curious; be emotional.
• Timing often beats budget.
• Surprise and heritage activate memory, not just reach.

See you next month at AdFest*.

Most ads in 2025 tried to convince, while the BEST ones activated.

They didn’t explain more.

They made us feel something, encouraged us to talk about it, and invited us to participate.

Here are the 10 top-performing ads of 2025, ranked by performance + conversation impact, and, of course, what you can steal from each:

10. Liquid Death: “Infinite Ozzy.” (June 2025)

What happened: Limited cans containing Ozzy Osbourne’s DNA. Yes.

Why it crushed: Instant sell-out, viral headlines, cult-brand reinforcement.

Steal this: Weird works when it’s unmistakably on-brand.

9. Coca-Cola: “Share a Coke” (Mar 2025 Relaunch)

What happened: The classic returns with QR codes and Gen Z hooks.

Why it crushed: Massive IRL + digital engagement, renewed cultural relevance.

Steal this: Old ideas don’t die. They just need new interfaces.

8. American Eagle: “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” (July 2025)

What happened: Not that you need context since it’s the most controversial campaign of the year, but — A cheeky, provocative denim campaign would be the right definition.

Why it crushed: Product sold out in one day, strong sales lift.

Steal this: Provocation works when it reinforces the product’s truth.

7. State Farm: “Batman vs. Bateman.” (Mar 2025)

What happened: A Super Bowl-level ad dropped during March Madness instead.

Why it crushed: 16M+ engagements, outperformed Super Bowl ads.

Steal this: Cultural timing can outperform premium placements.

6. Little Caesars: “Burn the Burns.” (Remake 2025)

What happened: A meme-native revival of “Disaster Girl.”

Why it crushed: 50M+ views, ~9B impressions, huge organic spread.

Steal this: Internet fluency is a skill. Use it or stay silent.

5. Gap: “Better in Denim.” (Aug 2025)

What happened: Creator-first denim content designed for remixing.

Why it crushed: 576M views, 8B+ impressions, strongest engagement in years.

Steal this: Build ads people can play with, not just watch.

4. Duolingo: “The Death of Duo.” (Feb 2025)

What happened: Duolingo “killed” its mascot and made users revive him.

Why it crushed: 1.7B impressions, +38% downloads, record engagement.

Steal this: Make the product the plot. Participation beats persuasion.

3. Coors Light: “Case of the Mondays.” (Jan-Feb 2025)

What happened: A month-long campaign built on shared Monday misery.

Why it crushed: 12.6B impressions, 1.8M limited packs sold.

Steal this: Own a cultural pain point and stretch it over time.

2. Chili’s: “Fast Food Financing”. (Apr 2025)

What happened: Fake payday-loan booths offering meals instead of money.

Why it crushed: ~6B earned impressions, viral IRL lines, massive foot traffic.

Steal this: Turn economic anxiety into humor that people want to photograph.

1. Nike: “So Win” (Super Bowl, Feb 2025)

If you’ve been reading my work for a while now, this will not shock you: Nike is my top 10 winner, and it’s a Superball ad.
Yet, this one was epic! (Yeah, I know I say that about every Nike ad.. oh well..)

What happened: A raw, black-and-white anthem celebrating women who refuse to be “likable.”

Why it crushed: ~108M impressions, +16pt purchase intent lift, Super Clio winner.

Steal this: Real tension beats polished inspiration. Let people see the fight.

The Pattern of 2025

Across every category, the winners shared three things:

Emotion > Explanation

Activation > Education

Culture > Craft

The best ads didn’t argue their case.

They gave people something to feel — and let the brain do the rest.

If this helped you see ads differently,

You’re already thinking like a CTRL+Ad marketer.

See you in 2026.

I learned this in three very different places:

In my personal life. Whenever I go through something stressful — whether it’s an emergency or a significant life event — I stop at a café and buy coffee. It’s not about the caffeine. It’s about forcing myself to pause, sit, and purchase something that makes me feel safe and calm, even if just for a few minutes. That’s emotional buying in action.

In sports culture. Take the Super Bowl. The biggest ads rarely pitch features. Instead, they tap into emotions like comfort, joy, and belonging. Doritos. Oreos. Beer. It’s food-as-emotion. And millions of people respond to it instinctively.

In my work at findings.co. When a major breach, such as Log4j or SolarWinds, occurs, the market reacts quickly. We’ve learned that timing our messaging to those moments, and offering something actionable right away = drives traction. Why? Because fear and urgency are emotional triggers.

The pattern is clear: Logic explains purchases. Emotion drives them.

The way I see it: when the next industry shake-up or crisis hits, act fast. Highlight the problem, and position your solution as the emotional answer people are already looking for.

They hit the senses, tapped emotions, and used nostalgia, clarity, or pure spectacle to stick in your brain. Here’s what you missed — and what you can steal for your own strategy.

1. McDonald’s × The Grinch: Holiday 2025 Mischievous Campaign

A holiday-themed campaign with The Grinch as its star? Yeah, that’s a first!

What’s going on:

McDonald’s launched a holiday-themed campaign with The Grinch as its star, but with humor and irreverence instead of sentimentality.

What worked:

The Grinch already carries strong cultural and emotional baggage: childhood memories, holiday nostalgia, and a rebellious charm.
That familiarity gives McDonald’s instant emotional leverage.

Here’s a sticky-viral content recipe:
Humor + holiday warmth + a known character = more shareable and emotionally sticky than a generic “holiday sales” campaign.

What didn’t:

Using such a polarizing character for holidays risks alienating those who dislike the subversion of nostalgia or find the tone too irreverent.

In a season saturated with feel-good ads, humor and mischief could get lost or misinterpreted — risky tone balance.

But then again, meh..

Neuromarketing insight:

Nostalgic resonance and social identity cues.
When an ad evokes childhood or shared cultural memories (like The Grinch), the brain activates memory networks associated with strong emotions.
That makes the ad feel personally relevant, boosting recall and emotional attachment.
Additionally, humor lowers one’s guard and makes viewers more open to persuasion.

How does this fit your strategy?

Don’t just aim for “heartwarming.”
If you can handle a bit of edge, use nostalgia + humor + an iconic figure to stand out during noisy seasons.
It’s high-risk, but high-reward when done right.

2. Reuters: “Pure News, Straight from the Source” Campaign

What’s going on:

If you read my usual writings, you know I hate the news.
But even I can’t ignore Reuters’ newly launched campaign, positioning itself as “pure news,” using cinematic Gen-AI visuals combined with authentic footage to try and prove its difference.

What worked:

In a time of misinformation fatigue, offering “authenticity and trust” feels like a strong brand promise, providing psychological reassurance.

The cinematic treatment lends gravitas; it shifts “news subscription” from a cold utility into a meaningful, emotionally resonant identity (that is, if you believe that news = truth).

What didn’t:

Gen-AI visuals may raise skepticism in some viewers (myself included), which could undermine the credibility they try to build.

Heavy visual styling risks overshadowing content authenticity; if the message feels too polished, viewers may doubt genuineness.

Neuromarketing nugget:

This campaign taps into cognitive ease: by positioning themselves as “clear, reliable, no fluff,” they reduce mental friction for users overwhelmed by noise.
Our brain values clarity and predictability under stress, which fosters a sense of trust.

How does this fit your strategy?

If your brand promises clarity, trust, or relief, don’t overcomplicate!
Use clean visuals, honest messaging. “Less noise” is the strongest creative move.

PlayStation 5 — “It Happens on PS5”

What’s going on:

For its 5-year anniversary, PS5 rolled out a global campaign celebrating the wild, impossible moments players experience in games.
From UFOs to gravity-breaking stunts.
Beyond digital, they installed a full UFO crash site in Brisbane to create IRL buzz.

What worked:

I mean, it’s PS5… What didn’t?!

Emotional storytelling rooted in awe, thrill, and “holy sh*t” moments.

Multi-channel + physical installation = reach beyond gamers.

Perfect timing for the holiday period: it reignites cultural hype around PS5.

What didn’t:

Some Xbox fans might argue that the surreal nature might alienate casual gamers who prefer grounded narratives.
boooo!

Neuromarketing Nugget:

Awe triggers the default mode network, creating a memorable “expanded time” effect.
Simply put, people remember ads that make them feel small in a big world.

How does this fit your strategy?

Well, neither of us is PS5. But we can all sell the feeling, not the feature.
People don’t buy specs, they buy moments they can brag about later.

Do I see a pattern this month?

I mean, besides Q4 “let’s spend all our media budget” vibes…

This month proved one thing:
The holiday season brings with it an overwhelming level of investing in stimulating the senses, rather than the logical center.

Emotion > Explanation.
So, give your audience something they can feel, and they’ll fill in the rest.

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you on the next one.

October proved one thing — You need more than a story to win, you need to align with neural truth. Whether Aerie’s raw honesty or eos’ rituals

It’s emotional precision.

Here’s some Q4 ads-that-kicked-your-brain taste with the October roundup:

Aerie with its “No AI-Bodies” campaign.

What’s going on:

Saying NO TO AI is brave these days; some even say crazy.

Aerie boldly goes against AI-generated content to follow up on its no-retouched-bodies approach. Its “No AI-Bodies” pledge became the brand’s most-liked post of 2025 and set off a cultural wave of body authenticity.

What worked:

Short answer: It felt right.

The “let’s geek-it-out answer”: It hit the trust circuit in the brain. In a sea of synthetic perfection, the pledge triggered the anterior insula (which flags inauthenticity) and rewarded the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (which reinforces moral alignment).

What didn’t:

IDK, it feels right and authentic :)

Neuromarketing insight:

Authenticity acts as a neural “reset button” in fatigued audiences.

When consumers see imperfection by choice, it releases oxytocin, increasing brand trust and social sharing.

How you can do it too:

If your brand is saturated, try leaning into imperfection on purpose.

Transparency is now a differentiator, not a risk.

eos: “Smells like inner peace”

What’s going on:

The goal: remind busy city-dwellers to pause, breathe, and reclaim a little daily ritual.

Eos turned everyday self-care into an attention-grabbing public business.

Eos installed over 250 “steamy” digital billboards across New York, Atlanta, Houston, and Phoenix to promote its Cashmere Body Wash.

The screens fog up like shower glass, then clear to reveal a “Window of Self-Care,” complete with playful characters and affirming messages.

What worked:

A masterclass in context hijacking.

Billboards in urban chaos usually scream for attention, but eos did the opposite.

They forced the brain to stop, look, and decode by slowing things down and mimicking a fogged shower.

It also anchored the brand to a universal human ritual — the shower — which taps into comfort, privacy, and sensual pleasure.

What didn’t:

The creative might not translate globally, or work in smaller, non-urban markets without heavy digital OOH infrastructure.

And while most saw it as fun and empowering, a few critics found it too intimate for a public space. Booo them!

Neuromarketing insight:

The campaign’s power lies in mirror neurons.

When people see someone else enjoying a calm, indulgent moment, their brain partially mirrors that emotional state, a phenomenon known as empathetic self-projection.

Add in the novelty of a billboard behaving unexpectedly, and you trigger the anterior cingulate cortex, the brain’s attention watchdog.

In plain science: They nailed it!

How you can do it too:

Find a ritual your audience already connects with and elevate it into public emotion.

Instead of shouting louder, eos slowed time down, creating calm in a noisy environment.

If your product lives in a routine (coffee, shower, commute), bring that ritual to life in an unexpected place and invite people to see themselves in it.

Aerie stripped away AI illusions.

eos turned chaos into calm.

As we enter the holiday season, both campaigns remind us that it’s 2025, and less noise equals more connection.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to learn more about effective cognitive neuromarketing, make sure to subscribe.

Here’s what you can find below:

• Creator-led cultural play remains powerful.
• Episodic and serialized brand storytelling is back as a retention tactic.
• And AI brands are moving from product to people narratives to earn trust.

Let’s dive in:

Apple x Dua Lipa: iPhone tour creative content

What’s going on:

Apple partnered with Dua Lipa to capture tour footage and tie it into iPhone creative messaging, turning a music tour into a product storytelling platform.

This felt more like content marketing than a traditional product spot.

What worked:

Big-name talent + behind-the-scenes access = cultural cache.

The ad turns the iPhone into a creative tool rather than just hardware, which resonates with creator audiences.

What didn’t:

If you want product specs, you will be disappointed.

It trades feature clarity for cultural positioning.

The Neurogeek insight:

This plays on social identity and aspiration.

Fans who identify with Dua Lipa imagine themselves as creators.

The brain stores the brand as an enabler of identity. That emotional identification is stickier than a specs sheet.

How can you do it too?

If you sell tools for self-expression, lead with aspirational stories and creators as proof points.

Make your product the hero of someone the audience wants to be.

Uber Eats’ “Bradley’s Mission” / Football is for Food chapter

What’s going on:

Uber Eats expanded an episodic campaign marrying sport and food culture, using characters and comedic chapters to keep people tuning in.

What worked:

Episodic storytelling builds anticipation and recall.

Comedy lowers guard and makes the brand feel like shared entertainment rather than an ad.

What didn’t:

Episodic work requires continuity. If viewers miss chapters, they may lose context.

The Neurogeek insight:

Comedy and narrative create dopamine spikes, which enhance memory consolidation.

Episodic formats give repeated dopamine rewards, improving brand salience over time.

How can you do it too?

Try multi-part stories that reward repeat viewers.

Short-form episodes work well across socials, bringing people back to your channel or page.

Anthropic: “Keep Thinking” (Claude)

What’s going on:

Wow, I’m a big fan of cinematic teal&orange storytelling-style ads!

Anthropic launched a major brand push for Claude with an optimistic, human-centered creative positioning, signaling a multimillion-dollar move into brand advertising.

What worked:

Positioning an AI as a thinking partner reframes utility from tools to collaborators.

The creative avoids fear-based tropes and instead models helpful, problem-solving behavior.

What didn’t:

Broad, optimistic ads need product experience to match the promise.

If user experience falters, the creative will feel hollow.

The Neurogeek insight:

This style uses mental simulation.

Viewers imagine Claude solving real problems for people like them, activating predictive reward systems and increasing intent to try.

How can you do it too?

When you position a complex product, model real use cases.

Show the brain what success looks like, and the viewer will mentally rehearse adoption.

Bumble: “For the Love of Love”

What’s going on:

Bumble rolled out a black-and-white, romantic chapter featuring real couples who met on the platform. The chapter leans into classic romance to tackle swipe fatigue (or a brand-revival play, if you wish).

What worked:

Authentic, tender moments counter noisy, gamified dating creative.

The monochrome aesthetic signals timelessness and emotional seriousness.

What didn’t:

Sentiment is a slow burn. It may not translate into immediate growth in an economy of short attention spans.

The Neurogeek insight:

Human faces and intimate interactions fire social cognition networks and mirror neuron systems.

Seeing real couple micro-moments evokes empathetic resonance and trusted social proof.

How can you do it too?

If you want to combat category fatigue, slow down.

Use human micro-moments, reduce gimmicks, and let authenticity do the heavy lifting.

Maybelline: New Muse

What’s going on:

Maybelline introduced a new global spokesperson and revisited its iconic sonic branding, updating the classic jingle with a contemporary celeb twist.

What worked:

Familiar assets (jingle, brand cues) plus a fresh voice create nostalgia and novelty together.

That combo smoothly rebuilds brand equity with less friction.

What didn’t:

Long-time fans can be picky.

Reworking an icon requires high fidelity to what made it beloved in the first place.

The Neurogeek insight:

Combining nostalgia and novelty triggers a potent mix: nostalgia activates bonded memory networks, while novelty triggers curiosity and dopamine.

Together, these increase attention and positive valence.

How can you do it too?

If you own an iconic asset, refresh, don’t erase.

Keep the core anchor, update context, and voice for new audiences.

That does it for September’s trend-ads and the science behind why it worked.

Thank you for reading, and if you want to make ads that actually work on people, not just algorithms, you know what to do — Subscribe!

New episode drops every Thursday.

Close your eyes.

Think about your last vacation.
Chances are, you just smelled sunscreen.

Here’s the trick:
Sunscreen brands don’t just sell UV protection.

They sell memories. The unique scent gets wired into your brain’s hippocampus — the same place where experiences and emotions are stored.

That’s why one whiff makes you feel relaxed, happy, free.
It’s not the product. It’s the association.

Need × Feeling = Experience.
Bulletproof marketing.

Now, here’s a challenge for you before you create your next ad: Can you relate your need to a feeling?

How about a sensory feeling?

Worth trying!

Thank you for reading. If you want to make ads that actually work on people, not just algorithms — subscribe.
New episode drops every Thursday.

I learned this in three very different places:

​In my personal life.

Whenever I go through something stressful, whether it’s an emergency or a major life event, I stop at a café and buy coffee.

It’s not about the caffeine.

It’s about forcing myself to pause, sit, and purchase something that makes me feel safe and calm, even if just for a few minutes.

That’s emotional buying in action.

In sports culture.

Take the Super Bowl. The biggest ads rarely pitch features.

Instead, they tap into emotions like comfort, joy, and belonging.

Doritos. Oreos. Beer. It’s food-as-emotion. And millions of people respond to it instinctively.

In my work at findings.co

When a major breach like Log4j or SolarWinds happens, the market moves fast.

We’ve learned that timing our messaging to those moments, and offering something actionable right away = drives traction.

Why? Because fear and urgency are emotional triggers.

The pattern is clear: Logic explains purchases. Emotion drives them.

The way I see it:

When the next industry shake-up or crisis hits, act fast.

Highlight the problem, and position your solution as the emotional answer people are already looking for.

While other tactics may fail, this one always works since it’s based on human nature—or neuromarketing, if you wish.

Thank you for reading, and if you want to make ads that actually work on people, not just algorithms, you know what to do — Subscribe, new episode drops every Thursday.

The ad industry took some time off in August.

Other than the latest AI “that-will-blow-your-mind” launches, no ads really stood out.
Well, except for that one Emu that kidnaps phones, eh?

“Come and Say G’day” (Phase 2)

Early August 2025, Australia relaunched its iconic “Come and Say G’day” tourism campaign with a modular, market-specific twist.
Using local stars (Robert Irwin for the U.S., Nigella Lawson in the U.K., and others), the ads tailor the story to each region using familiar faces and relatable narratives.

What’s going on:

Tourism Australia rolled out a second phase of its flagship global campaign.
This time, executions vary by region, each anchored by a beloved local personality to bring the “Come and Say G’day” message home.

What worked:

Local celebrities create immediate emotional resonance and credibility.

The modular approach feels personalized rather than generic.

Reinforces Australia’s warm, adventurous spirit while adjusting the tone to match local cultural sensibilities.
The Australian

What didn’t:

It could come off as inconsistent if execution quality varies across regions.

Risk of overlocalization diluting a unified brand impression.

Neuromarketing insight:

This is identity-based resonance in action.

Hearing or seeing familiar voices activates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, making messages feel personally relevant and emotionally rich.

It’s about belonging, not just attraction.
The Australian

How does this fit your strategy?

Want to connect deeper?

Personalize your message by region, and use culture-specific talent or tone.
You build trust faster when audiences see themselves reflected, and feel spoken to, not at.

That’s it for August’s smartest ads and the science behind why it worked.

Thank you for reading, and if you want to make ads that actually work on people, not just algorithms, you know what to do — Subscribe, new episode drops every Thursday.

Before Canva became one of the world’s most widely used tools, its founder, Melanie Perkins, was turned down by more than 100 investors.

Her idea wasn’t flashy.

It wasn’t AI.

It wasn’t even particularly new.

It was this:

What if design was just… easy?

No software installs. No jargon. No layers.

Just drag, drop, and go.

She wasn’t just building a design tool.

She was building confidence. And confidence, it turns out, is incredibly scalable.

This is the monthly One Unicorn at a Time post, my ongoing series breaking down how billion-dollar brands grow by aligning their marketing with how our brains actually work.

And Canva might be the most brain-friendly brand of all.

The Problem: Design Felt Intimidating

In the early 2010s, design was a gated skill.

Unless you knew how to navigate tools like Adobe Illustrator or had a degree in design, you were stuck Googling templates or paying someone else to make things for you.

Canva changed that.

It took the fear out of creativity by giving people something their brain loves: simplicity.

Neuromarketing Insight #1: Processing Fluency

Our brains crave ease. When we see something that feels instantly usable, it creates a dopamine hit. That sense of effortlessness increases our trust in the product and in ourselves.

Canva removes clutter, uses friendly typography, and reduces visual friction. Its design feels light, intuitive, and safe to explore.

How can you use it in your marketing?

If you want people to try your product or service, don’t just explain it. Design it to feel easy. From your first headline to onboarding steps, reduce cognitive effort at every turn.

The Power of Defaults

When you open Canva, you don’t start with a blank page.

You start with options: Instagram posts, presentations, resumes, YouTube thumbnails, posters.

They’re not just helpful. They’re brain-calming.

Neuromarketing Insight #2: Default Bias

People tend to choose the pre-set option, not out of laziness but because it reduces the pain of choice.

Canva gave people high-quality starting points. The templates weren’t restrictive. They were liberating.

How can you use it in your marketing?

Start people strong.

Give them a good first step. Whether you’re building software, courses, or a service flow, offer proven, guided defaults to help people feel progress immediately.

Emotional UX: Design That Feels Safe

Canva’s interface doesn’t just look clean. It feels calm.

No aggressive popups. No red errors. No judgment.

That wasn’t just good UX. It was good psychology.

Neuromarketing Insight #3: Amygdala Response

The amygdala, your brain’s fear center, activates under pressure. When a tool feels complicated or high-stakes, it creates subconscious resistance. Canva reduced that threat response by making everything feel light and forgiving.

Canva made undo buttons obvious. They let you play without consequence. Mistakes were easy to fix, and nothing felt final.

How can you use it in your marketing?

Design your experience like a sandbox, not a test. Add gentle feedback, not punishment. Let people feel safe as they try, learn, and grow.

Community-Led Growth (CLG)

Forget PLG (Product-Led Growth). Canva didn’t just market to people; they let people do the marketing.

From teachers to startup founders to TikTok creators, users shared their templates, tutorials, and workflows not because they were told to but because it felt natural.

Neuromarketing Insight #4: Mirror Neurons and Belonging

When we see someone like us using a tool successfully, our brains light up with possibility. It’s not just “I see them doing it.” It’s “I see myself doing it too.”

Canva invested in user-generated content, creator partnerships, and affiliate programs. They made success look relatable.

How can you use it in your marketing?

Don’t only highlight your power users. Highlight real users. Promote UGC. Build creator partnerships. Give people simple ways to share how they use your product, even if they have 12 followers. Authenticity travels farther than polish.

Final Thought: Canva Made Design Feel Easy, So People Believed It Could Be

They didn’t win because they had the most features.

They won because they removed the fear.

Their message wasn’t loud.

It was calm, consistent, and powerful:

You’ve got this.

And when people felt that, they shared it, used it, taught it, and built entire businesses on it.

If you’re building something big and bold, don’t just focus on what it does.

Focus on how it makes people feel.

Because if Canva made it, so can you.

You just have to start with the brain.

This is the CTRL+Ad mindset: less hype, more brain-aligned marketing.

For more neuromarketing insights that can elevate your business, make sure to subscribe.