Find the Breakthrough
Industry trends, insights, and updates from ASTER.
Speak Through the Traces of Walking Out — The "Unfinished" Ad easyJet Made Its Billboard
There's a move that goes the opposite way from a polished ad: leave it unfinished and show only the traces of someone walking out. In June 2026 easyJet's "Drop Everything" billboards looked like abandoned worksites—letting viewers supply the story. Here is why it worked, and how a small business can copy it.
2 min read
Turn a Hidden Constraint into a Weapon — How Levi's Flipped Its "Covered Logo"
A constraint imposed from outside isn't something to lament—it is raw material. When FIFA forced Levi's Stadium to cover its name at the 2026 World Cup, Levi's leaned in, draping the same white cloth over its stores worldwide and lifting engagement more than 400%. Here is the structure, and how a small business can copy it.
2 min read
Erase the "Hassle" at the Moment of Use — The "Cut Line" Corona Etched into a Lime
A product's appeal comes across faster by erasing one inconvenience than by explaining it. In 2026 Corona used a food-grade laser to etch a cutting guide onto real limes—erasing a tiny, universal stress and winning a Cannes Lions Bronze. Here is the structure, and how a small business can copy it.
2 min read
Turn Queue Time into a Touchpoint — The "Free Kindness" Del Monte Handed Out at Wimbledon
Attracting customers isn't only about gathering a crowd yourself. At Wimbledon in July 2026, Del Monte slipped its brand into a queue someone else had already built—turning dead waiting time into the best possible customer moment. Here is why it worked, and how a small business can borrow the move.
2 min read
Fuse Two Unrelated Things Into One Real Product — The Invention of the Absolut x Tabasco "Fusion"
Collaborations usually end with a giveaway — but Absolut and Tabasco upended that assumption in 2026. The key: fusing them all the way into "one product you can actually use."
2 min read
Turn Ketchup Into a Beer Keg — How Heinz Made a Bit Player the Star by "Swapping the Vessel"
You don't have to change the product itself. Just change the "meaning of the vessel," and a bit player becomes the star. In 2026, Heinz proved it with ketchup.
2 min read
Borrow Your Rival's Ad Format, Swap Only the Content — How a Berry Group Turned "Familiarity" Against the Enemy
A viral ad doesn't need a wildly original idea. Borrow a "familiar format" and change only what's inside — that alone can make even an unknown player impossible to ignore. Here's how a UK industry group did exactly that in July 2026.
2 min read
Turn a Holiday Into Your Own Flag — The "Single Point on the Calendar" KFC Made Its Own
The calendar is a goldmine for going viral. But to win on a holiday everyone crowds into, you need to find the one point only your brand can own. In 2026, that's exactly what KFC pulled off on Independence Day.
2 min read