Duracell, CENTURY 21, Casper and Five More Brand Moves

Our Sales Leads column discusses the latest brand and media agency initiatives. View past columns in the archives here.

• Duracell

Duracell unveiled its partnership with the greatest soccer player of all time, Lionel Messi. As the world’s eyes fixate on the pitch for this summer’s most anticipated soccer tournament, Duracell and Messi are teaming up to prove that true greatness isn’t just born – it’s also engineered. “At Duracell, we engineer our products to be the G.O.A.T. of the battery category,” said Javier Hernandez Reta, Chief Marketing Officer at Duracell. “We wanted to show that Duracell batteries are fundamentally built differently. When the world is watching and the pressure is at its highest level, generic power isn’t an option. You need the best.” The collaboration is anchored by a cinematic 0:30 creative spot, titled Messi Reboot, that shatters the myth that all power – and batteries – are created equal. Capturing the high-tension reality of elite soccer, the ad shows how Duracell unlocks Messi’s peak performance, proving that those who endure at the highest level are Built Different and require a battery built to match.
The partnership extends far beyond the pitch, ensuring fans are fully charged for every moment of this summer’s global tournament. Fans will be able to bring the elite performance of Duracell and Messi into their own homes with limited-edition battery packs hitting retail shelves this summer. The packs will feature imagery of the G.O.A.T himself, including his iconic tattoos on the battery cells. And, unlike generic batteries that settle for the bare minimum, these feature Duracell’s exclusive PowerBoost™ ingredients – engineered to deliver maximum power, just like Messi.
To keep fans powered up this summer, Duracell is also launching an exclusive sweepstakes from May 1 through August 30. Any purchase of Duracell-brand batteries will give consumers a chance to win merchandise signed by Messi, along with other premium soccer gear. Full details and the sweepstakes entry form will be available at SoccerSweeps.Duracell.com.

• CENTURY 21 Real Estate

CENTURY 21 Real Estate announced the next evolution of its brand platform with the launch of “Joy of Home: Chapter 2,” a national advertising campaign designed to refocus the real estate conversation on what matters most to consumers: the joy, meaning, and possibility that come with finding a place to call home. The campaign debuted last week at the brand’s annual One21® Experience global conference in Las Vegas, where agents and brokers affiliated with the CENTURY 21® brand were introduced to a new :30 television spot, “Color of Happiness,” and a suite of customizable marketing assets that allow its system members to bring the campaign to life in their local markets. The launch coincides with the brand’s second year as an official partner of Major League Soccer (MLS), extending the campaign’s reach to a fast-growing, next-generation homebuyer audience.
At the heart of “Joy of Home: Chapter 2” is the CENTURY 21 brand’s unmistakable “legacy gold”, a color that has symbolized the brand for more than 50 years and now serves as a visual shorthand for the emotional milestones that define homeownership.
“Last year, we established joy as our emotional territory,” said Tori Keichinger, Vice President, Head of Marketing, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. (Read this Portada feature on Century21’s 2025 campaign). “This year, we’re activating it in a more consumer-centric way. While working with our advertising agency and speaking with consumers, we learned that our gold yard sign posts were seen as iconic and so closely identified with our brand that the gold-colored posts, even without our sign attached, prompted people to immediately associate the color with the CENTURY 21 brand. Our ‘legacy gold’ isn’t just a brand color; it’s a signal. It marks the beginning of the home-buying or selling journey and represents the joy our agents help deliver every day. This campaign honors where we’ve been while showing up for today’s consumer in a modern, meaningful way.”
Created by the CENTURY 21 brand’s advertising agency of record, Siltanen & Partners, the :30 spot uses evocative imagery and narration to explore where gold appears in everyday life—from gardens and breakfast tables to nurseries, celebrations, and morning light. The story builds toward a simple truth: the joy of home is created through moments, and CENTURY 21 independent agents help make those moments possible. The spot will run across an integrated media plan that includes digital, social, and streaming placements, with prominent visibility during MLS matches on Apple TV, beginning this season.

CHECK OUT: 
CENTURY 21’s Tori Keichinger tells Portada about the differences for marketers between the Super Bowl and the upcoming Soccer World Cup

• Nike

  Nike Soccer and Unisport are launching a multi-year partnership with Alianza, a Hispanic soccer property in the United States, to create expanded opportunities for Hispanic players, clubs, and families across the nation. As part of this collaboration, Nike and Unisport will have a brand presence at all 2026 Alianza Tour events, including retail activations and experiential programming. The partnership will also debut Alianza Select, a teams program providing unique benefits to participating clubs, and deliver branded gear to more than 2,500 Alianza participants throughout the 2026 tournament season.
  “Alianza has been part of the fabric of the Hispanic community for decades,” said Heath Pearce, President of For Soccer, Alianza’s parent company. “Nike’s focus on growing the game and building strong relationships with the Hispanic soccer community, coupled with Unisport’s market expertise, make this partnership a perfect fit. We’re thrilled to bring everything Nike and Unisport have to offer to our Alianza family.”
  Starting in May 2026, the 2026 Alianza Tour will visit eight U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Dallas, and is expected to draw more than 27,000 players and 240,000 fans. Match play opportunities span ages 6 through adult, and participants in Alianza’s Sueño development program will have the chance to compete in front of scouts from U.S. Soccer, the Mexican Football Federation, MLS, Liga MX, NWSL, and more. “Nike remains committed to making athlete dreams real across every dimension of soccer in the U.S.,” said Nuno Silva, VP/GM, Nike Soccer North America. “Whether helping to create pathways through grassroots or elite play, this new partnership with Alianza allows us to continue our role at Nike as a community enabler and to create and fuel a love for the game across existing players and new generations.”

• Dropbox

  Big Spaceship has been named the social agency of record for Dropbox. Big Spaceship will partner with the brand to highlight how Dropbox enables creative communities.  This new partnership comes on the heels of a year’s worth of project-based work. Throughout 2025, Big Spaceship partnered with Dropbox to reimagine the brand’s social strategy through audience analysis and target market definition, channel strategy, visual identity, and template development.  “Artists and creators from all walks of life have used Dropbox to create and share work for years. Big Spaceship understood the creative pulse that drives our platform, helping us explore new territories with those communities,” said Liz Armistead, VP of brand marketing at Dropbox. “Our partnership with Big Spaceship drove increased engagement quarter over quarter in 2025, making this shift to a social agency of record a natural choice.”

LEARN ABOUT PORTADA EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR 2026. Portada events are highly curated events. Their agenda is designed to maximize knowledge-sharing and networking among top brand marketers, media agencies, and media executives. Coming up:

Portada Chicago, March 17, (check out recap article!)
Portada Live, CDMX, Abril 16
Portada Los Angeles, June 4
Portada Live, NYC, September 17
To learn more about thought leadership and networking solutions for the events above, please contact Marcos Baer at [email protected].

• Henkel

  

  Building on the excitement for the world’s biggest sporting event coming to U.S. soil in 2026, Henkel has launched its fan-focused U.S. Soccer Summer of Soccer Sweepstakes. As a proud Official Partner of U.S. Soccer, Henkel has designed its sweepstakes to supercharge fan spirit and immerse the 132 million soccer fans who will be celebrating the U.S. Men’s National Team this summer. Henkel’s first-ever portfolio-wide consumer sweepstakes will engage fans through an integrated social-first campaign through its well-known consumer brand portfolio, including Dial® soap, all® free clear and Persil® laundry detergents, göt2b® hair products, and Loctite® adhesives. “This summer is an exciting and defining moment for the sport of Soccer in the U.S. Henkel and our well-loved brands are committed to helping fans win – on and off the field. With millions of fans eagerly anticipating the chance to watch our U.S. Men’s National Team take to the field, we are celebrating the wave of soccer enthusiasm, and our promotional sweepstakes provides fans with immersive ways to cheer on our home team,” said Jenny Schiavone, Vice President Corporate Communications, Americas at Henkel.

  Henkel’s U.S. Soccer Summer of Soccer Sweepstakes brings U.S. Soccer fans closer to the fun – both at the stadium, and at home. From April through July, fans can enter for the chance to win the following:

  • A VIP flyaway experience to watch the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Germany on June 6 – fans can enjoy high-demand tickets and cheer on the team
  • Newly released Official 2026 U.S. Men’s National Team Jersey – fans can win the iconic jersey and display their support for the team
  • Gift cards for U.S. Soccer swag – for fans to gear-up and show their energy as they celebrate the team’s passion

• Casper

  Casper’s first major brand campaign in 4 years is called “Daymares.” Developed by creative agency Orchard, the campaign leans all the way into common, uncomfortable daytime moments, amplifying them with a horror film flourish to create a blend of humor, sophistication, and emotional truth. Each of the campaign’s three launch spots highlights a unique Daymare.  The campaign will live across OTT and digital, and marks Orchard’s first work for Casper.  “It’s been a while since we’ve been in front of consumers with major brand work, and we wanted a partner who could create something that felt memorable and relatable,” said Torrie Belknap, VP of Marketing at Casper. “Orchard deeply understood the message we wanted to bring to life and translated it into something that not only reinforces what’s special about Casper, but does so in our own, unique way.” The tagline for the campaign, “Goodnight, Day,” succinctly reminds what Casper offers – a night guaranteed to end well, no matter what happened during your day.
  “Sleep is such an integral and restorative part of our lives, and yet our value of sleep is rarely ever matched by our concern for what we sleep on. Casper’s products deliver the best version of a night’s rest,” said David Kolbusz, Orchard Chief Creative Officer. “We brought this campaign to life by juxtaposing the horrors of the day – all the microaggressions to the major transgressions – with the womblike comfort of a Casper-furnished bedroom.” The campaign aims to reestablish Casper as the leader in superior sleep, pushing it back to the center of culture after a hiatus from any major brand campaigns.

• Nex-Playground

  Nex Playground, a good-for-you game system company, announced a partnership with Scale by Zambezi!, a Los Angeles headquartered agency, as creative AOR, including media strategy  Nex is reimagining screen time through active play—helping families move, connect, and grow, all while having fun.

• Smashburger

  

  Smashburger®, the fast-casual restaurant company that popularized smashed burgers, announced a new partnership with Understory, a modern creative agency known for driving breakthrough growth with insight‑led, culturally attuned, and impact‑driven marketing. This collaboration marks a significant step in elevating the brand’s storytelling to drive customer engagement, and support long‑term growth strategy. “We’re entering a pivotal chapter for our brand,” said Tom Ryan, Founder of Smashburger. “As we scale, we need a partner who understands not just where we are, but where we’re going. Understory brings a modern, energetic approach to brand building that matches our ambition. Their team immediately understood our vision, and we’re excited to build something powerful together.”