Ads of the Week: Duck boats, Chalamet quirks, milk musicals and ketchup devotion

 

The Drum | July 18, 2025

 

 

By Margo Waldrop

 

When hot dogs steal the show, duck boats double as training films, and Timothée Chalamet shops for cattle feed, you know advertising is having a week. These campaigns prove that wit, weirdness, and well-placed heart can turn everyday products into cultural side characters worth rooting for.

 

Chesapeake Bank sails into quirky branding with duck boat onboarding film

Why it works:

It tosses out the usual banking tropes in favor of local charm, employee cameos, and a duck boat to prove community banking doesn’t have to be boring.

To celebrate 125 years in business, Chesapeake Bank teamed up with agency Familiar Creatures for a campaign that is part ad, part onboarding film, and fully committed to authenticity. Titled 125 Years of The Chesapeake Way, the centerpiece is a 1:45 minute hero spot filmed aboard a duck boat cruising through small-town Virginia, starring actual employees and local characters.

Rather than lean on stock footage or corporate buzzwords, the campaign embraces oddball humor and lo-fi storytelling. With nods to Wes Anderson, the spot doubles as a real onboarding video for new hires, highlighting the bank’s values through crochet references, desk décor, and real-life crab cake stunts.

The duck boat driver is the actual owner. The crab cake is a 400-pound beast served to baseball fans in Richmond. From social clips like Is That a Duck Boat? to bite-sized 30- and 15-second cutdowns, the campaign taps into regional pride with a knowing wink.

It’s a rare example of a financial brand leading with personality over polish, proving that relatability and local flavor can still break through in a category built on sameness.

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