Hails & Fails – August 21st 2026
This week’s Hails & Fails brings together four-legged football fans, a beauty brand in a bit of a pickle and the unwritten rules of air travel. adidas has got pets matchday ready, e.l.f. is relishing the return of a viral favourite, and Lufthansa has turned flying etiquette into fashion., Meanwhile, Liquid Death has turned concerns around AI’s water consumption into an outrageous stunt, but does the joke risk distracting from the serious issue it’s trying to highlight?
HAILS
Adidas unleashed football fashion for four-legged fans
Adidas has taken football fandom beyond the terraces with its first dedicated pet collection for some of the world’s biggest clubs. The range includes miniature jerseys, collars and carriers inspired by teams including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid.
It’s a simple extension of something fans already love, but one that feels playful enough to get attention beyond the usual kit launch. With pets increasingly treated as part of the family, adidas has found a fun way to turn club loyalty into something owners can share with their four-legged supporters too.
e.l.f. makes a big dill out of viral success
e.l.f. Cosmetics has brought back its pickle-flavoured lip balm after the original sold out in just eight minutes, this time expanding the idea with two new flavours and a pickle-inspired makeup sponge. It’s a smart example of turning a novelty product into something bigger by listening to the reaction rather than letting the viral moment disappear. Pickles and beauty shouldn’t necessarily work together, but that unexpected combination is exactly what makes the range memorable and gives people something to talk about.
Lufthansa puts passenger pet peeves on display
Lufthansa has taken the unwritten rules of air travel and put them front and centre with its new Travel Etiquette Collection. The limited-edition range turns familiar flying debates, from who gets the middle-seat armrests to reclining your seat and jumping up the second the plane lands, into slogans across T-shirts, hoodies, caps and accessories.
It’s a clever way of tapping into the small behaviours almost every traveller has an opinion on, giving Lufthansa plenty of relatable material without taking itself too seriously. Rather than lecturing passengers on their manners, the airline has turned shared travel frustrations into something people can wear, share and debate.
FAIL
Liquid Death risks taking the piss with AI stunt
Liquid Death has teamed up with Garage Beer and former NFL star Jason Kelce for a bizarre campaign asking people to donate their urine to help cool AI data centres. It’s quirky, provocative and exactly the kind of stunt you’d expect from the brand, but making a punchline out of AI’s growing resource demands risks distracting from the issue it is supposedly highlighting. With data centre demand continuing to grow, there’s a genuine conversation to be had around the resources needed to power and cool our increasing use of AI. A campaign designed to get people laughing could leave the serious message getting lost in the joke.
