Some drinks are symbols of celebration and reflection, handed down from one generation to another. Drinks when someone decides you are worth the good stuff.

The Macallan has built an entire campaign around. It started with a social listening insight: People are often introduced to The Macallan by someone older — a parent, an uncle, a mentor — to mark an occasion, like a first house, a birthday, or a difficult life decision. A moment that deserved something more than whatever was in the cabinet.

Rather than manufacture that story, they found someone living it: James Marsden and his son, Jack, a real generational handoff. At a moment when the alcohol category is navigating genuine headwinds and every brand is trying to figure out how to talk to a generation that's drinking more intentionally and spending more carefully, The Macallan made a bet on something timeless. The most powerful marketing isn't a campaign; it's a memory someone didn't know they were making. 

We sat down with Valerie Marks, Marketing Director for The Macallan at Edrington to hear how they did it.

Volition America is a patriotic lifestyle brand built around a simple, stubborn belief that the American flag is a symbol of passion and pride, not politics. They’re building brand partnerships across categories and providing scholarships to children of fallen soldiers and first responders. They believe “patriot” doesn’t belong to one party, and it doesn’t mean you agree with every decision being made. 

With America's 250th birthday one week away, there is no better moment to ask: What does it mean to build a purpose-driven brand in a country this divided? Can you actually be patriotic without being political? 

We sat down with CEO John Sapiente to hear all about it.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠.

Prime Day starts Tuesday, and Chamberlain Group is using it as the first real commercialization moment for a repositioned brand, a new product story, and a marketing organization that has completely rebuilt how it connects creative to conversion. We sat down with CMO Elina Vives to hear how.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠.

Sports fans are another level of loyalty, and smart brands are figuring out how to show up authentically in that space. Lowe’s is doing just that with the NFL and Lionel Messi. We sat down with Gerardo Soto, VP of Media and Sports Marketing, to hear how.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠.

Everyone has a Nordstrom story. Stories about the shoes they wore down the aisle, the suit that started a career, the tomato soup that turned a hard day around. To celebrate its 125th anniversary this year, Nordstrom is putting those stories on screen.

Their “Based on a True Story” campaign is the opposite of every three-second scroll-stopper we’ve been told marketing has to be right now. It’s long-form. It’s emotional. It’s a child narrator that perfectly captures that wide-eyed sense of discovery.  We sat down with Olivia Kim, SVP of Brand and Creative to hear how they pulled it off.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠. 

In the last couple of years, the casual dining industry has decided the goal was to get you in and out as fast as possible. Or better yet, they’re skipping the “in” part entirely. Third-party delivery. Curbside pickup. Drive-thrus of the future.

And after 70 years, a few ownership changes, and a pandemic that forced the entire industry off-premise, Shakey's Pizza Parlor is doing something genuinely countercultural: They're inviting people back in.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠. 

Godiva turns 100 this year, and they’re celebrating their centennial leaning into the Treat Yourself mentality with small indulgences, celebrating the moments that don't have a bow on them but probably should. We sat down with CMO Ahad Afridi to hear how they’re honoring a century of history without becoming a nostalgic act, balancing premium with accessibility for all.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠.

The Dallas Cowboys aren't just a sports team; they are a global entertainment brand that happens to play football on Sundays. Love them or hate them, you can’t argue with the brand. The star. The cheerleaders. The stadium. The cultural footprint that extends from Texas to Tokyo. This week, we sat down with Senior Director of Brand Marketing Rob Sender to talk about growing an already passionate fanbase, leveraging all your assets, and getting people excited even when the product isn’t having a good year.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠. 

You probably know Land O'Lakes as butter. What you might not know is that they’re a member-owned co-op rooted in the farmers and agricultural communities that make up rural America. And they decided to do something about that gap. They built the Modern Rural Collective, a long-term initiative to change how rural America is seen, depicted and understood in today’s media.

This episode is supported by ⁠Wunderkind Ads⁠. 

Kellogg has decided 2026 is the Year of Fiber, and they kicked it off with a Super Bowl spot featuring William Shatner in what might be one of the more delightfully unexpected casting decisions in recent advertising history. This week, we sat down with Doug VandeVelde, Chief Growth Officer at Kellogg, to hear how they’re making this macro sexy, how to reframe a misunderstood category, and how to carry Super Bowl momentum all year long.

This episode is supported by Wunderkind Ads.