TD Bank could not legally print Apple, Nike, or Google logos on its billboards. So Ogilvy Canada cut a precise window into bright green boards, installed them in front of actual brand storefronts, and let the real logos show through. The tagline “Own a piece of it” promoted fractional share investing. Copyright bypassed, concept intact.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 did not run a standard film campaign. Meryl Streep shared a Vogue cover with Anna Wintour. Miranda Priestly lookalikes filled the front row at Rio Fashion Week. Mercedes built a custom car with a “THATSALL” license plate. Starbucks launched character-named drinks. The film turned its entire promotional run into a fashion world takeover.
Vaseline named itself the “Official Nipple Protector” of the TCS London Marathon and placed “Nip Stops” along the 26.2-mile course. Simultaneously, it launched Vaseline Originals, a product line crediting the everyday creators who invented its most viral beauty hacks nearly two decades ago. Two campaigns. One platform.
Zepto entered Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan without a celebrity or a TV spot. Instead, it placed hyper-local billboards rewriting Bollywood songs and regional phrases, city by city. Agra got a Taj Mahal reference. Kota got a maths pun for students. Each board spoke one specific neighbourhood’s language to announce “10 minute delivery” had arrived.
Nike put up a sign at its Boston Marathon store reading “Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated.” The backlash was immediate. Asics countered with a billboard near the course reading “Runners. Walkers. All Welcome.” Altra posted “Go where you’re celebrated. Not where you’re tolerated.” Nike pulled the sign. Its rivals kept the moment.
IAMS placed giant oversized dog and cat rears directly above the baggage claim carousel at Orlando Sanford International Airport. The “Smooth Deliveries” tagline connected pet gut health to the one moment every traveller understands: waiting for something to come out. The featured rear belonged to internet-famous creator Brodie That Dood.
NASA’s Artemis II mission generated viral brand moments for three companies without a single paid media placement. A floating Nutella jar during a live broadcast. NASA is confirming an iPhone 17 Pro Max captured deep-space Earth photos. Mission Control is quoting Project Hail Mary alien dialogue on air. None of it was planned. All of it is global.
Indian Railways solved fare evasion by turning every valid ticket into a lottery entry. One commuter wins ₹10,000 daily. Another wins ₹50,000 weekly. FCB India’s “Lucky Yatra” campaign replaced enforcement with incentive across Mumbai’s seven-million-daily-passenger network, winning a PR Grand Prix and two Lions at Cannes 2025.
Rio de Janeiro’s government depicted human lungs as rotting strawberries, mangoes, and pears, paired with taglines like “Strawberry Flavoured Emphysema” and “Mango Flavoured Fibrosis.” The campaign by Propeg dismantled the fruity branding vaping companies use to attract young users by showing exactly what those flavours look like inside the body.
