Year in Review

2025 in Review: Chicago’s Best Ad Campaigns

By Colin Costello
December 31, 2025

If 2025 taught the advertising world anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed. Not legacy. Not scale. Not even survival. The loss of DDB and FCB as Chicago powerhouses hit hard, not just because of what those names meant globally, but because of what they represented locally: proof that this city could shape culture, not just service it. In a year defined by consolidation, layoffs, and an ever louder commercial din, breaking through on a national stage felt harder than ever.

And yet, like the Cubs and White Sox, Chicago agencies, brands, post houses, and production companies kept swinging.

While the industry recalibrated and the clutter grew more suffocating by the day, the Chicago advertising industry continued to do what they’ve always done best: outthink, outwork, and outcreate expectations. These weren’t safe campaigns. They were smart ones. Funny ones. Timely ones. Work that understood that attention is earned, not bought, and that authenticity still cuts through when everything else starts to blur.

At Highdive, that philosophy showed up loud and clear. State Farm’s Batman vs. Bateman campaign turned insurance advertising into must-watch entertainment, pairing self-awareness with star power in a way that felt effortless and instantly iconic. Schafer Condon Carter leaned into cultural memory with precision, reviving How Many Licks for Tootsie Roll in a way that honored the original without feeling trapped by it.

The agency also proved how sharp outdoor can still be with Old National Bank billboards that felt ripped from the cultural conversation. From the selection of a new pope to the internet melting down over Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement, SCC showed how real-time relevance can still feel thoughtful rather than reactive.

Over at FCB Chicago, even amid seismic change, the work endured. Their Cottonelle campaigns continued to do the impossible: make bathroom humor feel bright, modern, and brand-building. It was a reminder that great creativity doesn’t disappear just because the industry shifts around it.

Quality Meats delivered one of the year’s most hilarious local love letters with Mr. Submarine’s 50 spots for 50 years. Simple. Sincere. Unpretentious. Precisely the kind of work that understands its audience and respects them enough not to overcomplicate the message.

Meanwhile, Optimus brought national muscle with Midwestern warmth, teaming up with the Kelce brothers and J.J. Watt for General Mills. The result was work that felt big without feeling bloated, using familiar faces to reinforce trust, family, and everyday optimism.

Chicago advertising didn’t just survive 2025. It adapted. It pushed back. It reminded the industry that while names may disappear from doors, the creative spirit of this city is stubborn, resilient, and very much alive.