Why Hugh Jackman Isn’t a Jerk

The multi-talented Hugh Jackman, who is not only an actor but a humanitarian and Goodwill Ambassador, is well known for his optimism and pleasantness. But fans will see a whole new side of him in a new ad for the coffee brand he founded, Laughing Man, which donates 100% of Jackman’s profits to support fair trade farmers. Continuing his latest series of ad stunts over the past two weeks, Ryan Reynolds narrates as a grumpy Jackman wakes up to an angry, grumbling morning before it’s revealed that the coffee is also the secret to his positive attitude.

Watch: The ad is the latest collaboration between Reynolds and Jackman and their ongoing faux feud.

Adweek’s biggest event of the year, Brandweek, is already bigger than ever. Although the event couldn’t travel to Miami as planned, it was reimagined as a virtual event with main stage presentations, curated masterclasses, wellness sessions and Taste of Brandweek, which gives attendees the chance to try out products including cereal, tequila and pet products while learning about the brands’ strategies.

Catch highlights from the event: Yesterday, attendees were also treated to an exclusive performance by musical artist Victory Boyd.

More Brandweek excellence:

If you missed the first days of Brandweek but you want to get in on the action, it's not too late! Take 50% off the full ticket price with code 3DAYSBW to join three more days of inspiration, advice and experiences.

Season 2 of The Mandalorian is on the horizon, and the hype has begun, especially among fans of The Child, a.k.a. Baby Yoda. In the latest trailer, released yesterday, the character is front and center, and it’s revealed that the season will follow the title character’s task to return The Child to “its own kind.” The release of season 2 in October is strategically timed to the renewal of Disney+ subscriptions for its earliest adopters.
This is the way: Can buzz around the show keep people coming back to Disney+ for more?

Apple announced its new Apple Watch Series 6 yesterday with a sweepingly epic video challenging viewers to dream of the possibilities of devices of the future—only to have the narrator (Helena Bonham Carter) be increasingly disappointed to learn that the future is already here. The ad, which touts the device’s health monitoring devices, pays homage to and pokes a bit of fun at AT&T’s prophetic “You Will” ads.

An ambitious ad: The video was helmed by veteran commercial and film director Craig Gillespie.

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights

"As leaders, we build optimism by supporting and inspiring our workforces … We set a powerful, positive example from the top." Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer and president Raja Rajamannar (who also spoke at Brandweek yesterday) discusses how marketing is an exercise in optimism and why we need it most when it seems out of reach.

Register now with code 3DAYSBW for 50% off and tune in for Main Stage sessions with Dwyane Wade, TikTok's Managing Director and Global Head of Business Marketing Katie Puris, Chewy's Chief Executive Officer Sumit Singh, Dan Robbins, Roku's Vice President of Marketing, Denise Karkos, SiriusXM and Pandora's Chief Marketing Officer, and Janey Whiteside, 2020 Brand Genius honoree and Walmart's EVP and Chief Customer Officer.

Plus, Masterclasses led by industry leaders, such as Peloton Interactive's Dara Treseder, Citi's Carla Hassan, Chipotle's Tressie Lieberman, Activision Blizzard's David Messinger, and others and a virtual workout led by Super Bowl 50 champion and 9-time NFL Pro Bowler, DeMarcus Ware.

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The restaurant chain and PepsiCo say it's the first of several menu collaborations.

Among the many changes, specialty vehicles will be wrangling the famous balloons instead of volunteers.

"United by Inspiration" builds on last year's meet-the-maker effort.

The site design company wants to help turn your long-simmering idea into a moonshot.

The airline is uniquely positioned, and is investing heavily in new customer acquisition.