THE BOLT: NYFW, DWTS, Scrubs on the Red Carpet + More Brand Marketing Stories⚡️
- Abby Kopp
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 2
September brought whispers of Fall and a roar of marketing & cultural moments — DWTS, NYFW, brand activations + more. Welcome to September’s edition of The BOLT. We’re covering the marketing and branding campaigns, insights, and creative moments that caught our attention and inspired us this month.
From the Catwalk Straight to the Brand Experience 🍎
NYFW has transformed into more than just a showcase of next season’s collections; instead, the streets of New York are overflowing with the fashionably savvy AND brand activations aplenty. What we noticed? SO many newsstands, brand cafes, and unexpected collabs. Here are some of our standout brand moves:
Target’s Tailgate
Scrubbing in for the Emmy’s Red Carpet 📷🩺
Scrubs on the Emmy’s red carpet? Not the level of glamour you’d expect—but this year, FIGS, the scrubs brand built on performance and precision, made fashion history with their first-ever suit for Noah Wyle of The Pitt. The partnership was a perfect fit: an actor tied to some of TV’s most iconic medical dramas, dressed by a brand redefining the medical apparel space. The ultimate alignment of brand, talent, and subject…elevated even more by Wyle’s first Emmy win.
The Logo Heard ‘Round the City
The City of Austin unveiled its new logo this month, sparking plenty of conversation and mixed reviews across the community. As the first official logo since the city seal of 1916, a civic identity refresh was long overdue. Balancing heritage, modern design, and broad public opinion is no small feat. The new mark has people talking about branding, which is significant in itself. What do you think: nailed it or not for me?
DWTS - Dancing with the Stars: A Marketing Masterclass 🪩
DWTS is shaking up socials with a lineup built for audience expansion. From Alix Earle’s viral Gen Z pull to Jordan Chiles’ sports fans and Robert Irwin’s global following, they’ve nailed the art of targeting talent to grow reach and relevance across all ages and backgrounds. Their pros are also building personal brands beyond the show, drawing even more attention. It’s a smart mix of star power and social strategy driving engagement like never before. Every performance, post, and partnership this season feels carefully designed to maximize reach and buzz across platforms.
From the Court to Couture 🐘🏀
The beloved mascot of the WNBA’s New York Liberty traded the sidelines for the runway with her fashion show debut at NYFW. Ellie the Elephant brought the energy of the court to the fashion stage, serving as an activation that perfectly symbolized the collision of sports and style. As the WNBA grows its cultural footprint, this is a case study in brand crossover: a sports league leveraging the buzz of NYFW to amplify visibility with some of the most culturally locked-in audiences. Brilliant!
Bubble X Leighton Meester 🫧
Bubble just launched its first-ever paid campaign, Radical Joy, with Leighton Meester as the face. Known for winning Gen Z with playful packaging and price-friendly formulas, the five-year-old brand is now showing off its grown-up side with cross-generational appeal. Running across digital, social, OOH, and retail, the campaign signals Bubble’s evolution toward legacy status. By tapping Meester, Bubble bridges Gen Z and millennial nostalgia, proving it’s more than a trend, they are here to stay!
Trending Now
TikTok brainrot. Instagram addicts. We scroll a lot, so trust us, we know what works (and what doesn’t). As we head into September, there are plenty of trends worth leaning into. If you're a business owner, this one is for you — jumping on social trends that make sense for your brand can increase visibility and engagement.
Want more where that came from?
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get marketing highlights, our favorite campaigns, and company highlights straight off the press and delivered to your inbox each month! ⚡️
Thanks For Sharing