Marketers hit a new gear in September 2025. Across industries, brands traded loud gimmicks for intelligent creativity — campaigns that made people feel and think. From thoughtful AI storytelling to immersive travel experiences, this month’s top work redefined what smart advertising looks like.
Here are the five campaigns that captured global attention.
1) Nike — Why Do It?
Nike flipped its legendary slogan into a question — Why Do It? — challenging a new generation to find personal purpose in sport and everyday life.
The cinematic film spanned multiple countries and sports, featuring community athletes instead of global superstars.
Why it worked:
- Reinvented one of advertising’s most iconic taglines without losing its spirit.
- Blended emotion, motivation, and social realism.
- Cross-platform storytelling built a global conversation around purpose.
- Showed that Nike still owns the motivational category.
💡 Trend highlight: Purpose-driven rebrands. Legacy slogans are being reframed to match modern values — introspection over bravado.
2) Canva — Put Imagination to Work
Launched worldwide in early September, Canva’s campaign celebrates creativity as a superpower. Each short film follows professionals — a teacher, designer, and marketer — rediscovering play through Canva’s AI design tools.
Why it worked:
- Humanized AI by showing real users, not robots.
- Connected productivity with joy instead of pressure.
- Bright visuals and humor made complex tools feel approachable.
- Global reach across YouTube, TikTok, and connected TV.
💡 Trend highlight: Humanized AI. Tech brands are softening automation with storytelling about people and imagination.
3) Telstra — Scamageddon (Australia)
Australia’s biggest telco recruited Steve Buscemi as a cosmic scam-slayer in a wild, cinematic campaign about online safety.
Half sci-fi movie, half comedy PSA, Scamageddon turned cybersecurity into entertainment.
Why it worked:
- Star power meets absurd humor — instantly viral.
- Educated consumers without boring them.
- Distinct Aussie tone that balanced trust and self-awareness.
- Showed brand bravery in a “serious” category.
💡 Trend highlight: Edutainment 2.0 — transforming dry topics (finance, safety, privacy) into pop-culture events.
4) Intrepid Travel — Only Intrepid: The Next Chapter
The adventure-travel company refreshed its global identity with a campaign built on authenticity and sustainability. Real travelers and guides share off-grid stories shot across Morocco, Vietnam, and Patagonia — no influencers, no filters.
Why it worked:
- Authentic content feels like a documentary, not an ad.
- Perfectly timed with post-summer travel inspiration.
- Reinforces the brand’s purpose-first positioning.
- Built credibility through local voices.
💡 Trend highlight: Real world, real people. Audiences are tuning out influencer gloss and craving grounded experiences.
5) Lush — Café Gourmand Pop-Up
Lush turned a Manhattan store into a Parisian bakery for the launch of its dessert-inspired fall collection.
Visitors could “order” soaps like pastries, with real bakers serving bath bombs on trays and latte-art foam demos.
Why it worked:
- Multi-sensory retail experience that begged to be filmed.
- Blurred line between beauty, food, and lifestyle.
- Reinforced Lush’s handmade-fresh ethos.
- Drove massive organic UGC on TikTok and Instagram.
💡 Trend highlight: Multisensory experiential marketing — brands are bringing physical pleasure back to the digital age.
What September 2025’s Best Ads Tell Us
September’s campaigns showed that creativity is evolving into connection. Across industries and continents, five clear trends emerged:
- Purpose Reimagined — Nike proved heritage slogans can evolve when they ask bigger questions.
- Humanized Tech — Canva and AI brands are reframing innovation through human stories.
- Education Through Entertainment — Telstra showed that serious topics stick when they make you laugh.
- Authenticity Over Influence — Intrepid replaced influencers with genuine travelers and won trust.
- Tactile Storytelling — Lush reminded us that smell, touch, and taste still beat pixels.
💡 How Marketers Can Apply It
- Lead with meaning, not messaging. Your tagline is only as strong as the purpose behind it.
- Make tech human. Show how innovation improves life, not just performance.
- Dare to entertain in boring categories. Humor and imagination build recall.
- Choose truth over filters. Real people and imperfect moments earn more trust than polished influencers.
- Engage the senses. In an age of screens, physical experiences create emotional memory.
✨ September was filled with algorithms and AI talk, these five campaigns reminded us that creativity — human creativity — is still what makes advertising magic.✨
