Marketing Moves of the Week: Publicis, Spotify, Sweaty Betty, Chanel, SKIMS
What it is
Publicis marks its upcoming 100th year with a film that blends live action and AI, created by Publicis Conseil. The work reflects the company’s path from a small creative shop in Montmartre to a global network that now uses proprietary AI tools across the Groupe. It revisits past reinventions while framing AI as the next chapter in its evolution.
Why it is good
This is one of the first large-scale industry films to treat AI as part of a creative lineage. The integration feels grounded because the story is already about transformation. By showing human craft and AI capability in the same frame, the film positions the technology as an extension of creative practice rather than a threat to it. That framing matters. Many brands still articulate AI as a replacement for human ingenuity. Publicis uses it to reinforce the value of its people instead. Other marketers can borrow this approach by letting the creative idea govern the technology rather than the reverse.
What it is
Spotify released a high-energy UK film celebrating the artists, fans, humor, and cultural moments behind this year’s Wrapped. The creative features Louis Theroux, PinkPantheress, Jade, Lewis Capaldi, and others interacting with everyday listeners. Activations across London and Manchester extend scenes from the film into the real world, including a Jade “Plastic Box” installation and a PinkPantheress-themed phone booth.
Why it is good
Wrapped has reached a point where it does not need amplification. Yet Spotify continues to build new layers around it. This year’s approach leans into the social truth that people share Wrapped results because those results signal identity. The film captures that instinct by showing fans and artists in shared spaces. The extensions across the UK give people physical backdrops for content, reinforcing Wrapped as a cultural moment rather than a dashboard output. When you own a recurring tentpole, do not repeat the same play. Build side doors that keep the tradition alive without exhausting the format.
What it is
Sweaty Betty installed a moving billboard in London lined with its waterproof outerwear, offering shelter to passersby caught in the rain. The activation ties directly to research showing how frequently Brits check and comment on the weather, and how often they still get caught unprepared.
Why it is good
The installation works because it solves an immediate problem in the environment where that problem occurs. The brand’s outerwear becomes a functional prop rather than a visual prop, which makes the product promise feel lived. Utility often travels further than novelty, especially when the audience recognizes the truth behind it.
What it is
Chanel released a New York–set short film ahead of its Métiers d’Art 2026 show, directed by Michel Gondry and starring Margaret Qualley and A$AP Rocky. The narrative plays like a silent-era love story, with Gondry’s signature visual experimentation and Chanel’s classic romanticism woven throughout.
Why it is good
Luxury storytelling often struggles to modernize without losing its center. Chanel avoids that tension by choosing a director whose aesthetic already aligns with the maison’s cinematic sensibility. Gondry provides invention. Chanel provides identity. Both remain intact. The work also demonstrates that celebrity casting can feel meaningful when the performers are chosen for narrative compatibility rather than fame alone. The larger takeaway is that brand worlds expand most successfully when they collaborate with creators who share the same visual language organically.
What it is
SKIMS launched its first holiday livestream event, “Kimsmas Live!,” a 45-minute variety-style broadcast hosted by Kim Kardashian and streamed exclusively on TikTok. The show includes limited-time offers, bundles, giveaways, guest appearances, and surprise segments revealed only during the live. The production was handled by OBB Media with multi-cam direction from Sam Wrench.
Why it is good
This is SKIMS operating with clear fluency in modern commerce. Livestream shopping is becoming a baseline behavior on TikTok Shop, yet most Western brands still treat it as experimental. SKIMS commits to the format fully by delivering entertainment, scarcity, and community activation in one event. The stream gives fans real-time involvement. It also mirrors how livestream culture works in Asia where the blend of personality, product, and immediacy drives conversion. For marketers evaluating livestream commerce, this offers a blueprint.
@kimkardashian KIMSMAS LIVE: Join me and friends for @SKIMS’ first-ever holiday live, filled with festive moments, exclusive @SKIMS deals, giveaways and special guests. Tune in tonight at 6:30PM PT only on TikTok.
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