best ads July 2025

The Best Ads of July 2025: Humor, Heart & Giant Kebab4 min read

July 2025 delivered a masterclass in marketing. From unexpected celeb cameos to car washes powered by crackers, brands stepped up their game with bold, creative campaigns that broke the mold — and our scrolling patterns.

Here are the five best ads of the month that stood out for their originality, cultural relevance, and just plain fun.


1) Taco Bell x Bad Birdie: Golf Gets Saucy

Taco Bell hit the green with golfwear brand Bad Birdie for a campaign no one saw coming. The duo hosted a youth golf tournament and dropped a limited-edition capsule collection that blended streetwear with country club cool.

Tacos and tees? Unexpected, and totally viral.

Why it worked:

  • Opened Taco Bell up to new audiences through a fresh sports crossover
  • Gained traction on social media thanks to the stylish merch drop
  • Showed brand confidence by breaking out of its category

💡 Trend highlight: Unlikely brand collabs spark curiosity and major shareability. Weird is working.


2) Goldfish: The Crumb-Crushing Car Wash

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Families on the Jersey Shore got a surprise this July: Goldfish crackers were offering free car washes and 15 flavors of snacks.

The “Goldfish Retrieval Service” was a fully-branded pop-up experience, complete with themed backdrops and cracker samples. It was delightful, useful and perfectly made for social media.

Why it stood out:

  • Combined practicality with brand playfulness
  • Created a family-friendly experience that doubled as a content magnet
  • Proved snack marketing can still feel fresh

💡 Trend highlight: Experiential marketing is back — but it’s not just flash. Usefulness meets fun is the new formula.


3) Polaroid: AI Can’t Touch This

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Polaroid went analog — and aggressive — with its NYC billboard takeover. Slogans like “AI can’t generate sand between your toes” were scrawled across real Polaroid snaps in a direct challenge to digital fatigue.

It was a beautifully lo-fi way to reclaim real-life moments in an over-edited, over-filtered world.

Why it worked:

  • Strong point of view in a noisy conversation
  • Visual consistency that honored the brand’s analog legacy
  • Stopped people mid-scroll and mid-sidewalk

💡 Trend highlight: Nostalgia still converts, especially when paired with a rebellious edge.


4) Waitrose: Anything’s a Kebab

Waitrose skewered a building — literally — to promote summer BBQs. The 3D billboards in Camden and Westfield featured giant kebab sticks piercing juicy ingredients and stretching across multi-story facades.

It was playful. It was disruptive. It made people stop, stare, and laugh. Everything great OOH is meant to do.

Why it stood out:

  • Dramatic use of space and scale
  • Seasonal messaging made instantly unforgettable
  • Turned a food ad into a spectacle

💡 Trend highlight: Creative OOH is thriving. With the right visuals and context, physical space becomes social content.


5) Hiscox: The Wine-Stained Letter No One Could Ignore

In a category known for being dry (pun intended), Hiscox splashed red across the page — literally. The insurance company mailed out wine-stained letters to high-net-worth prospects, simulating the aftermath of a clumsy, costly accident.

The stain was more than a gimmick. It was a smart metaphor for what happens when you’re underinsured, and it lit up LinkedIn with praise from marketers and creatives alike.

Why it stood out:

  • Visually visceral — you could feel the mistake
  • Clever use of physical media in a digital world
  • Targeted the right audience with an unexpected twist

💡 Trend highlight: Tactile storytelling is making a comeback. Physical mailers that provoke emotion (and a photo moment) can break through the scroll.


What July 2025’s Best Ads Tell Us

  1. Physical still hits when it tells a story. Hiscox showed how a well-placed stain can outperform a digital ad when the story lands with impact.

  2. Unpredictability pays off. Taco Bell and Bad Birdie reminded us that strange collabs = instant buzz — if they feel true to your tone.

  3. Analog is the new rebellion. Polaroid’s billboards tapped into a growing backlash against AI overload with nostalgia and clarity.

  4. Usefulness is the new delight. Goldfish made cleaning your car and feeding your kids feel like an adventure, not a chore.

In a summer full of sameness, these five brands didn’t just show up — they stole the show.

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Keitaro Team
Team to deliver fresh and quality content!

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