And just like that, summer is pretty much over. August gave us Spider-Man: Brand New Day continuing its ridiculous box office run, the return of Apple TV’s mind-bending Dark Matter, the beginning of another football season, the U.S. Open, and the annual realization that Labor Day somehow arrives approximately 17 minutes after the Fourth of July.
August also brought some painful goodbyes. We lost country music icon Dolly Parton at 80, Heroes and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere at just 36, Rocky Horror legend Tim Curry at 80, and Peter Cullen, the unmistakable voice of Optimus Prime, at 85.
It was one of those months that seemed to swing constantly between celebration and loss.
Fortunately, advertising had a pretty entertaining August too.
Brands put men in houses above Sunset Boulevard. They sent terrible shoppers to rehab. They treated bad dog breath like a family intervention. They transformed sports betting into cinematic spectacle.
And because apparently no creative person could look at August and think, You know what this month needs? More dignity, Liquid Death and goodwipes teamed up to offer America something it never knew it needed:
A personal Buttler. Yes, with two T’s.
Here are some ads that stood out to us.
goodwipes x Liquid Death | SonderCo
We love bathroom humor over here at Reel 360 News. Physically, we are adults, but mentally we’re around 15. Liquid Death teamed with goodwipes for one of the stranger collaborations of the summer: limited-edition flushable wipes made with Liquid Death Mountain Water and inspired by the scent of its sCREAM Soda.
And because apparently scented wipes weren’t enough, the brands are supporting the launch by giving one person their very own “Buttler.”
Guess Natalie Harp wasn’t available.
bet365 | VML Seattle
bet365 and VML Seattle took their “Winning Is Everything” campaign to the movies. The latest chapter introduced a new series of TV spots that position bet365 as “The Home of Winning Early,” spotlighting features including Early Payout, Early Bird Special, and Early Cashout through the visual language of classic movie genres.
Each spot opened like a dramatic movie trailer, complete with heightened stakes, genre-specific visuals, and larger-than-life storytelling. Then the revealed: the supposed hero is simply a bettor who cannot resist sharing why they think they have the game figured out.
REELated:
ICYMI: The best ads of July 2026
JCPenney | Mischief @ No Fixed Address
JCPenney treated bad shopping habits like a condition that needed fixing in a new campaign directed by Good Behavior’s Pete Marquis.
Titled “Retail Rejuvenation,” the four-minute film followed six shoppers attending a fictional Retail Rejuvenation Retreat, where they work through everything from clothing cleanses to mindset mantras before discovering JCPenney as the answer to their shopping frustrations.
Minties | TiNY
Minties got personal in its latest effort against dog breath. Following the success of last year’s “Dog Breath Is Over” campaign, the pet dental-care brand reunited with independent creative agency TiNY for “Minterventions,” a new campaign inviting dog owners to confront their pets’ less-than-fresh breath.
The effort promoted Minties FreshBites, a line of chewy dental treats designed to be offered throughout the day for a longer-lasting chew.
Netflix | In-House
There was a man. In a house. Thirty feet above Sunset Boulevard. Not a photograph of a man. Not CGI. Not some clever forced-perspective illusion.
An actual guy was living inside a billboard.
Thirty feet above Sunset Boulevard. To promote its new sci-fi thriller The Last House, Netflix transformed a billboard at Sunset and Selma into a fully furnished living room, then placed a performer inside it for three days.
Beginning Thursday, Aug. 6, the unidentified performer moved into the elevated installation and stayed through Saturday, Aug. 8, eating cereal, lounging around in a bathrobe and communicating with commuters and pedestrians below using a whiteboard.
And that’s it for the Best of August. See you next month!
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
