Happy New Year to all who have clawed their way out of the post-holiday reverie and all the best vibes and support possible to those impacted by wildfires and snow drifts across the country.
We’re back after our holiday hiatus—as we will be every week—to share the best #IndieWork from our network and beyond. Members: Submit yours here to be featured next week. Not a member? Start here.
Familiar Creatures for Duke’s Mayo and Crunch Fitness
Move over, Pop-Tarts. Duke’s Mayo’s mascot (a Rick-and-Morty-eyed jar of the product that Familiar Creatures developed several years ago) captured a share of the spotlight from its competitors with a stomach-churching and entirely literal splash—er, splatter? For some added… flavor: While a tub of mayo was upended over Minnesota Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck, Flavor Flav was revealed to be hiding in the unhinged tub-o-mayo costume.
Meanwhile, the agency is hopping aboard the post-holiday guilt train with Crunch Fitness as they put a fresh spin on the brand’s hit “Feel Good, Not Bad” campaign from 2023. The campaign reminds us that a gym visit will make you feel great, unlike a pizza-peddling, equipment-starved wasteland. Plus, they scored a plug in Ad Age.
Serviceplan for Lufthansa
Serviceplan has gifted us an Eternal Sunshine-esque journey across place and time. Experience the magical-realism-inspired connection as two passengers make their globetrotting romance come to life.
St. John for Rooms to Go
Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough is dancing to the tune of Rooms to Go in this glitzy work with St. John.
Tombras for Spirit and RXBAR
Spirit Airlines and AIR Tombras are flipping the script on budget travel with the next voyage in its “More Fly” campaign, pitching blocked middle seats and larger front seats as an affordable luxury. The ads, which build on its recent Frankie Muniz-bedazzled #NotInTheMiddle campaign, aim to woo value-seekers who want to save money without sacrificing sanity in a bid to claim territory after a November bankruptcy filing.
The agency has also translated RXBAR’s instantly recognizable packaging aesthetic to an outdoor campaign that saves all of us from those insufferable “New Year, New You” messages.
D/CAL for Kramer Guitars
D/CAL has been making sweet music for Kramer guitars across social for some time now, and they’ve assembled a reel of their best work to rock out to.
Full Contact with Butcher Box
How do you make meat look delicious? Full Contact and Butcher Box are revealing the sizzle behind their shoots with this savory behind-the-scenes video.
Terri & Sandy for Freshpet
Nobody insults Buddy in this video featuring mafia film and TV stars who are serious about the seriously good dog food Steve Schirripa’s pup deserves for his dinner. Think it’s funny? Think again.
Highdive for Jeep
Need a little multisensory immersion? This work for Jeep is as satisfying as popping bubble wrap.
Work from outside the membership:
With the help of Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), narration by Malika Andrews and a pack of stats, “Tap In” helps ESPN show sports fans it’s the GOAT of digital sports entertainment.
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Jess Zafarris is the author of two books, Once Upon a Word and Words from Hell, with a third forthcoming in 2025. She has contributed to three other books on topics such as social media and gaming. In the past year, she has been quoted in The New York Times and The Guardian, profiled in The Boston Globe, and interviewed on NPR and BBC World Service Radio. She speaks at conferences about writing careers and social media strategy. After 15 years in B2B and enthusiast media, she went independent to write and create content for organizations including Dictionary.com, PR Daily, Writer’s Digest, and Indie Agency News, as well as a host of communications and advertising agencies. Her podcast, Words Unravelled, has reached more than 2.5 million listeners, and her etymology videos are followed more than 100,000 word lovers.
