A NEW DANCE ERA IN MARKETING?
We might just be witnessing a new era of marketing in the making.
Are we entering a dance era in marketing? This was a realisation I had in real time in my Broadcast Channel on my Instagram.
Over the past couple of years, more and more brands (particularly those in apparel) are putting dance front and centre in their ads. Just ask Gap, Levi’s, Nike, and Skims.
On the surface, this seems fun and light hearted. But I have a feeling this wave has something much deeper behind it.
The ad that made me go ‘hang on… this feels like the start of something’ was a spot by Levi’s that launched during the Super Bowl LX (which was this morning in AUS time). Like most people who work in marketing, I’m always on the edge of my seat to see what ads come out during the game, and Levi’s did not disappoint. I saw the ad and was immediately like ‘hell yeah I love this’. Butt… (pun intended) at face value, the ad is full of bums.
The ad features an array of butts, all wearing Levi’s, with the iconic red tag and jacron (that brown patch on the back) in the centre of the frame. The clips range from workmen, to Woody, to musicians and dancers from all walks of life, all wiggling and moving their bums in different ways without revealing anything else about their identities, until - spoiler alert - we see the fabulous Doechii turn around at the end.
So I had to ask myself, umm why do I love this ad so much and why does an ad full of bums feel so hopeful and refreshing? If you watch the ad below, you’ll see what I mean. (And it’s not because I love bums or anything. Promise.)
(I have also just discovered that Levi’s are doing a reveal of each of the people on their Instagram. They really killed it with this one.)
But this Levi’s spot, along with a few other iconic ads I’ve listed below really feels like the start of a new marketing wave.
Interestingly, dance as a medium of marketing feels like it is gaining traction in a perfect time for our world today, mainly for two big reasons:
Globally, we’re sharing a political climate that feels more divisive, hostile, and heartbreaking than ever, so seeing more dance on my screen feels like a glimmer of hope, light, and joy that the world desperately collectively needs right now. Dance allows us to come together across cultures, races, genders, sexualities and abilities, and helps us quieten the noise of the world for a brief moment in time. Put this in a commercial lens and suddenly we’re united in the least expected way possible. And perhaps selfishly, it feels like a much needed pause and escape from all of the news-filled content that often fills my feed.
It’s also a flat out rejection of the world of AI, and a rebellion against it. Everywhere I turn it feels like there’s slop, slop, and more slop. (Seriously. Have you scrolled on LinkedIn lately? It’s TRAGIC.) And then there’s slop that I can’t even tell if it’s AI or not, which might just be the worst kind of slop. So it feels like a huge breath of fresh air to see ads that put people at the centre, and in a way that feels so authentically human that I don’t have to question if it’s AI or not. Not even for a second. I’ve always thought that sometime in the future, it’ll be a brag for brands to say ‘we don’t use AI’, like that is the marker of good, solid creative work - but that time has arrived much sooner than I expected.
Dance in marketing has always existed in some way or another. This isn’t a majorly new thing. But it also feels like dance is getting more airtime in marketing in the last couple of years. And I really think the above reasons are playing a big role in that.
And these brands are clearly getting something about the dance direction right. These ads collectively get millions of views and social shares, which is all you have to see to understand how loved the dance-led ads are, and how widely they resonate. And the comments sections are often a testament to that too. Dance goes beyond all language barriers, after all.
Mid-Century Modern Design emerged as a source of post-war optimism from the 1940s-1960s. Could dance in marketing be our collective preemptive dose of hope? And a reminder all that is good is not lost in the world?
Gap might just be the dance-in-marketing trendsetter, with multiple campaigns since just 2024 that feature dance front and centre, all leading with movement rather than product. They’re certainly not the first to bring dance into marketing, but it also feels like they’re one of the most intentional, and it definitely feels like a direction they’re wanting to own. With three dance-led campaigns so far, it’s a creative direction they’re leading with and I highly doubt we’ve seen the last of it from them. Not to mention they’ve also dabbled in music too, with this one starring Sienna Spiro.
Even if more dance in marketing is a sign that we are well and truly living in the pits of modern reality, I am here for every moment of it, and I would love nothing more than to see brands embracing more dance and more joy. And if for no other reason, the world really needs it right now.
Dance in marketing might just be the crossover we never knew we needed.
And maybe, just maybe, dance (and love and joy and unity and music and the arts and everything that we are lacking in humanity right now) will save the world.
LEVI’S BEHIND EVERY ORIGINAL (2026)
The Levi’s ad that aired during the Super Bowl LX, and the one that made me clock what might be going on here.
GAP | BETTER IN DENIM (2025)
GAP | GET LOOSE (2024)
Starring Aussie royalty, Troye Sivan
GAP X JUNGLE | LINEN MOVES (2024)
Jungle is the band behind the song Back On 74 that was probably all over your TikTok and Instagram feeds in 2023. Gap clearly saw an opportunity to jump on such a viral moment and got the dancers and crew back together from the original music video to recreate it and turn it into a campaign (above) with the dancers wearing Gap’s linen line. Taking on such a widely popular music video would’ve been no easy feat to do justice to the original, but they got it just right. Both videos being oners is really just the cherry on top.
LISA X NIKESKIMS (2026)
Dare I say they might’ve gotten inspired by Gap’s Better in Denim campaign? The two have eerily similar beginnings.
Also, an honourable mention to NikeSKIMS campaign (shared on their Instagram here) for their Australian launch that was shot on Sydney Harbour. Like literally floating on the water. Iconic, really.
E.L.F H&M (2026)
REDKEN X SABRINA CARPENTER (2025)
I was quite hesitant to include this one, as it doesn’t feel like it fits in the same realm as the above ads, because it’s not ENTIRELY dance-led. It definitely feels more like a broadway musical with some dance sprinkled throughout which is perfectly on brand for Sabrina. However I do think it’s also interesting to see brands embracing the playful joy of dance in different and less overt ways.
And some extra proof that the dance era of marketing looks like it’s only just getting started.
