Johnnie Walker Enlists Sabrina Carpenter and Damien Chazelle for French New Wave Ad

Johnnie Walker's new ad has La La Land director Damien Chazelle reimagining Sabrina Carpenter's "Keep Walking" in a French New Wave style. Carpenter performs in a jazz bar with a highball in hand, swapping the espresso of her own recent promotion for whisky. The spot is a high-profile example of a spirits brand pairing a pop star with a prestige filmmaker.

Why it matters: Brands in regulated categories like spirits are increasingly using celebrity talent and auteur directors to build cultural credibility, which is a branding tactic marketers can weigh against their own creative and talent budgets.