Blackbook Weekly: 005

The campaigns and moments in culture that you need to see.

Another week, another batch of campaigns proving that the best brands aren’t just selling products, they’re showing up where culture already is.

From Nike tapping Central Cee and Josh for callisthenics to Molly Mae and adidas teasing the launch of a new shoe collaboration, here’s what caught our attention this week.

Nike featured Central Cee putting in work for a callisthenics session.

Nike has been leaning into the gritty, ‘underground’ side of fitness lately, and partnering with Josh, a rising creator in the fitness scene, for a callisthenics routine with Central Cee feels like a natural fit.

Very on brand for Nike, which consistently follows and matches the culture where it is.

Topicals launches Faded Dark Spot Patches, building on the success of their Faded eye patches.

Topicals knows how to create amazing visuals. The Faded eye patches already proved they understand what people actually want from skincare, targeted, effective and cute to wear. This feels like a smart next step. Welcome to the Faded Dark Spot Patches.

Ousmane Dembélé and Paul Pogba star in Adidas’ latest campaign for the Predator football boot collection.

Adidas is stacking its football roster with superstars in the culture, not just athletic credentials. Pogba and Dembélé bring the kind of personality that makes boots feel less like equipment and more like statement pieces. The Predator deserves this kind of treatment.

We’re really enjoying the attention UK and European football is getting.

Burna Boy leads Sporty’s new global “For Everybody” campaign.

Sporty’s clearly positioning itself as the platform for people who exist at the intersection of sport and culture, especially football in Africa. Burna Boy leading the charge makes sense; he’s a globally recognised African artist who performs extremely well internationally. And amazing footballers were included as well, such as Eduardo Camavinga, Nicolas Williams, and Michael Essien.

Wonder what the deal looked like…

Molly Mae teased the launch of a new shoe collaboration with adidas.

Molly Mae’s influence is undeniable at this point, whether you like it or not, and adidas knows it. Whether this lands with widespread customers, outside of Molly Mae’s audience, will depend on execution, but the tease alone is doing numbers, which is probably the whole point.

Looking forward to seeing what’s next.

D Rose announced his new family owned flower shop, Rose’s Flower Shop.

This is the kind of post-career pivot that feels genuinely wholesome and kinda makes sense. It’s a quick win.

Rose’s Flower Shop isn’t trying to be a lifestyle brand, rap career, or a streetwear collab, which is typical for athletes during retirement or in the off-season; it’s just D Rose doing something different with his family. Really sweet video too.

Megan Thee Stallion launched ‘Megan’s Mango Protein Refresher’ in collaboration with Dunkin.

We can tell that Dunkin understands their audience from this collab with Megan.

In recent years, she’s shown her workouts, and the Hotties love to watch and follow along. Also in line with the wellness, healthcare kick everyone’s on, including those currently following the Chinese holistic medicinal hot water and house slippers routien, Hotties want fuel that fits the lifestyle and a protein refresher at Dunkin checks that box.

The ad is playful, practical and very her.

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