Creative Corner: 'Death Wishes' from Columbia, Mother Vérité celebrates motherhood and Aldi's potato jacket

Happy Friday, readers.

This week’s Creative Corner brings you a tale of two jackets and a monument to motherhood. Read on for Columbia’s ‘Death Wishes’, Frida’s tribute to postpartum and Aldi’s Jacket Potato Jacket.

Columbia Sportswear enlists the Grim Reaper for “Death Wishes”

We’re fast approaching Halloween season and brands are getting one last dose of creativity just before their Christmas ads probably hit literally the week after. In a campaign that features the Grim Reaper himself, Columbia Sportswear has created Death Wishes: a campaign that proves there’s life (and death) in creative bravery.

Born from real customer stories, these tales of jackets passed down through generations mean the campaign plays on the notion that Columbia’s jackets are so tough, they might just outlast their owners.

So obviously, who better to front the campaign than the man who’s been around since… well, forever? Reimagined as an influencer for 2025 complete with TikTok handle and all.

“Columbia makes its gear so tough it could outlive you.” That’s the line dropped by the Reaper himself in the launch film, which sees him casually chatting to fans about his favourite outerwear while showing off a limited-edition Powderkeg II Remastered Interchange Jacket. Inside each one? A legally binding Will & Testament stitched into the lining.

The @Reaper_1938 handle will be active across TikTok and Instagram, complete with teaser clips of the Reaper hanging around accident-prone spots. Halloween catnip for social audiences.

And for the lucky few, fans can win one of these limited-edition jackets by sharing their “nearest outdoor near-death experience.” Influencers will also receive their own ‘killer merch’ in custom coffin boxes, hand-signed by Death himself.

Beneath the wit, the message hits: quality gear lasts. Sometimes longer than you do.

Mother Vérité: the postpartum statue London needed

I meant to write about this campaign last week as it’s a subject that deserves to be aired. London has a new mother figure, and she’s not polished, posed, or perfect. Standing seven feet tall in Marylebone’s Portman Square, Mother Vérité is being hailed as London’s first postpartum statue. 

Conceived by Frida founder Chelsea Hirschhorn and brought to life by sculptor Rayvenn Shaleigha D’Clark, the bronze figure shows a woman cradling her newborn, her body unapologetically real. Every scar, curve, and crease of the postpartum journey is there.

It’s a monument to motherhood without the myth.

The statue was first unveiled on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital, the same spot where the world’s media once gathered to capture glossy post-birth portraits of royal mothers, all blow-dried hair and designer heels. A clever earned media move by the PR agency no doubt.

In contrast, Mother Vérité brings that conversation back to reality. This mother’s body tells a different story, one of exhaustion, resilience, tenderness, and transformation.

While the statue will remain in Portman Square until the end of October, its journey is far from over. Next stop is Art Basel Miami, before returning to London to go on long-term loan to a major institution dedicated to women’s health and cultural advancement.

In an era obsessed with perfection, Mother Vérité gives cultural shape to what’s usually unseen. It’s the body after the miracle, the reality most mothers live, but rarely see reflected.

Mother Vérité is on display at Portman Square, Marylebone, until 31 October 2025, before travelling to Art Basel Miami.

Aldi’s Jacket Potato Jacket: when comfort food becomes outerwear

Admittedly, I’ve been around the block a bit and seen an idea or two. I can also be accused of wittering on about how there’s no idea that’s a new idea, as I rehash an old classic. But therein lies the skill- take it, bake it and make it your own. And that’s exactly what Aldi have done to great aplomb with its Jacket Potato Jacket. 

Picture this: it’s mid-October, the evenings are drawing in, you’re craving cosy, you’re craving carbs - and suddenly your favourite supermarket drops a jacket styled after your favourite comfort food. Yes, I’ve seen a branded massive jacket before, but Aldi has pulled off what may be the most delicious crossover of the season: a Jacket Potato Jacket, made in collaboration with London fashion house Agro Studio.

In its own words, Aldi has launched this limited-edition puffer under the banner of “comfort-food chic”, timed to the moment when Brits begin to dread the chill. 

Research also found that 40% of the nation declares October the official start of “jacket potato season.” Design-wise, the jacket does exactly what it says on the tin: a potato-skin-inspired shell, a plush fleece lining, oversized silhouette.

The jacket potato isn’t just a food item but rather, it’s warmth and it’s comfort. By giving those emotional qualities a built-in layer (literally), Aldi is offering more than outerwear. And to the cynics out there, that’s why it works.

That wraps up another edition of Creative Corner.

As always, if you're working on something that deserves the spotlight, or you've seen a campaign worth sharing, drop us a line: paul.lucas@fanclubpr.com