exploring the Powerful Partnerships Shaping Culture Vol. 22
Post Grammy’s and I cannot see another Bad Bunny meme. I know I advocated for more memes in last week’s volume but I fear I summoned a demon, I do not want it. Call me fickle, tell me to pick a lane, but this is how it is.
This week is varied, but as usual and I promise it is not on purpose, some twunk is mentioned, this week’s choice is Jacob Elordi who is loosely tied to Airbnb’s activation with Wuthering Heights. (He is in the film, thus a loose association).
These campaigns are smart because they all take a very simple, ownable brand truth and then push it into culture in a way that feels playful, talkable, and inherently social rather than “ad-like.” Each one uses a different lever (data, meme logic, physical space, fandom, or IP) to do that and that’s why their resonance is so unique.
Couples that are still together, in flip flops, who are old - sign me up. Havaina’s come through with the cutest campaign, extending their brand reach beyond the beach and into everyday life. By rejecting traditional romantic tropes in favor of something more playful and real, the brand frames intimacy through everyday comfort and humor. That creative choice stays true to Havaianas’ relaxed, human tone while extending relevance beyond seasonal or beach-based use. It subtly reframes the product as emotionally connected without ever feeling precious or forced.
Kendall Jenner - Betting Fanatics Ad
The Kardashian Kurse is age old lore at this point. And boy do we love to talk about it. If you recall my BrooklynPeltzBeckham piece, I love rich people drama. Fanatics Sportsbook monetised this, and turned it into storytelling. Kendall appears in luxurious settings, mentions ex-boyfriends who are basketball players and “didn’t make the playoffs” or “fell out of the league”, and then announces it is time to bet on something new: American football players. And it worked: "We've seen a big spike in downloads, and we're seeing that accelerate as we get closer to the game," King said in a recent interview. Long live the Kurse is all I say.
IKEA uses one of its strongest brand codes - the flat-pack box - and scales it up to city size, wrapping buildings, buses, and street furniture as if they were giant IKEA products. Strategically, it’s a masterclass in distinctive assets: it turns packaging (usually a low-interest touchpoint) into the hero, earns social photo-sharing, and reinforces the idea that “IKEA is everywhere in your everyday life” without pushing price or promo. IKEA will always be a pillar of unique branding.
Opportunity for below average men with matching sporting ability to throw and or kick balls at the wall. To mark both the NBA and UEFA Champions League arriving in the capital, Sony Interactive Entertainment has unveiled a one-of-a-kind, playable installation dubbed The Ultimate Combo. This is golden brand activation and marketing. Playstation has brought in Marcelo, the legendary footballer and five-time UEFA Champions League winner, who took on the Ultimate Combo himself to officially kick off the event - in an actually super impressive video I have to admit. By bringing two huge events under one activation, it is the ultimate moment. Que loads of men having ‘knee injuries.’
Wuthering Heights Premiere - AirBnB
Anything to get closer to Jacob Elordi. Anything. The film that has us all salivating, and The Bronte sisters turning in their graves, has now ‘opened the doors’ to Cathy’s (Margot Robbie’s) bedroom. This is not only content crack, it is very smart. By placing audiences inside the story rather than adjacent to it, Airbnb turns its core product into a narrative device. The brand feels additive to the cultural moment instead of opportunistic, reinforcing its promise of immersive, story-driven travel. It’s brand marketing at its most refined, much like Jacob Elordi in Bottega.
Creator Favourite of the Week
Cody is a witty intellectual. Pretty much my catnip. Following the abhorrent truths revealed in the releases of the Epstein Files which, hopefully, continue to be exposed, Cody has produced a series of ‘bitesize’ news Videos which successfully walk the line between informative and personal. His sharp political satire is engaging, critical, brilliantly acerbic and correctly damning. He brings information that everyone is aware of into a focal point, pushing actual engagement not just awareness. This type of content aligns with a wider movement towards longer form, informative, intellectually charged content that goes beyond entertainment and into education.
FOUNDER’S THOUGHTS
our segment where we hear from Mythos Founder George on his thought of the week
Anthropic just bought a Super Bowl ad to tell us why ads in AI are a bad idea.
Here’s the real play here. Anthropic is making its Super Bowl debut. On the most ad-saturated night of the year to argue against ads in AI.
That’s intentional positioning.
The spots are deliberately uncomfortable. Ask Claude how to get a six pack. You get solid advice, then boom, a fake, hyperactive ad for insoles.
Ask how to communicate better with your mum. You’re interrupted by a dating site for seniors. It’s funny. It’s jarring. It lands.
The message is simple. Ads corrupt the moment. Especially when the moment is personal, vulnerable, or human. This isn’t really about OpenAI. But it also definitely is. Anthropic is clearly defining the enemy. Ad-funded incentives inside intimate AI interactions. They’re saying “we don’t monetise your attention, or your emotions.” Using the Super Bowl to make that argument is the flex. Borrow the biggest distribution machine on earth to tell you why they won’t use it inside the product.
Brand strategy 101: If you don’t name the enemy, the market will do it for you.
Claude here is really selling its values. Well played Anthropic, well played.
HAVE YOU JOINED THE RIDE?
hello@mythosmkrs.com
Follow Our Substack