Since 2015 I have attempted to publish a weekly compilation of of clutter-breaking creative ads. It is a small tribute to brand & advertising teams everywhere for their efforts to break away from the clutter – which is a tough first task of any advert. In today’s media clutter and ‘noise’ it is even harder to be noticed. Here are some clutter-breaking ads from the past week or so, which caught my eye:

TAB: Australia’s National Sport Is…

A racing and sports betting website from Australia has created spot (tad longish perhaps) anchored on a favourite topic of Aussies – sport. A ‘national debate’ on which Australia’s national sport is ultimately settled with an answer seemingly acceptable to all. The ad is not anchored on the functional benefit of the brand but aims to associate itself with all things sport.

Agency: The Monkeys, Sydney

Channel 4: The Great British Bake Off

The Great British Bake Off is among the few cooking-as-entertainment reality shows which have a fan following around the world. Their annual trailer unveiling a new season is also an anticipated affair in advertising circles. This year, the trailer focuses on the ingredients which go into a typical baked recipe on the show claiming that they literally crave to be part of the show. Would have been a bit bizarre if it were living things but thankfully animated objects such as eggs & berries make for fun watching as they become part of recipes on the show.

Agency: 4Creative

TK Maxx: There’s No Deal like a TK Deal

Low price as a benefit can be a double-edged sword for a retail brand. But TK Maxx continues to convey great value and style as they did in their Christmas 2022 campaign. The ad is all about execution and manages to hold viewer attention on a simple premise.

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy

Greenpeace: a dirty game

Numbers by themselves don’t mean much. But when made relatable and brought alive visually the message drives home. The global fossil fuel industry can fill a stadium with oil in about 3.5 hours which is almost 7 stadiums every single day is the claim from Greepeace. In a new spot they bring attention to what they perceive as ‘greenwashing’ by such industries as they sponsor global sporting events.

Nykaa: Kya Khoob Lagte Ho

When I first came across the campaign line of ‘Kya khoob lagte ho‘ I thought it’d be a jingle based ad borrowing from a famous Hindi film song from the yesteryears. But the ads are different for the category and anchored on simple, relatable moments of everyday life where one’s beauty shines through.

Amazon India: #DeliverTheLove

‘Deliver the love’ has been the plank for Amazon India’s Raksha Bandhan and other festival related efforts for years now. In my view, such feel-good ads have a better chance of building affinity than ones which take a sermonising or preachy tone – attempting to ‘re-define tradition’ or telling people what they are doing wrong in life. In this effort, the product is easily woven into the plot even though one can anticipate it’s role towards the end as a plot twist.

iPhone: The Invincibles

It is said that featuring cute pet dogs in a script is a sure-fire way to garner attention. As it is our social media timelines are full of cat videos and people welcome such as a break from negative news cycles and toxicity on the web. A new spot for iPhone Pro doesn’t just place a dog as a prop but makes it all about what the phone can do.

Pooky: print ad

Conveying a double-barrelled benefit is always tricky. A decorative lighting brand in the UK, conveys their value by creating a lovely analogy in print.

McDonald’s: Essential Pit Stop

The power of distinct brand assets is again brought alive by McDonald’s in a series of clever billboards in Canada. What’s wonderful to see is that the famous ‘arch’ is not even used fully – yet the messaging is distinctly McDonald’s.

Florence: shifts

At first glance, it might seem like a basic ‘first creative idea’ to convey the benefit of an app which which offers flexible shifts for nurses and care givers in UK. But the directness and the reference to a commonly used word used in multiple contexts works well for the brand.

Agency: Snap, London

bibigo: bibiGoGoGo

‘When you have nothing to say, sing it’ is a quote attributed to the legend, David Ogilvy. Jingles have been used both lazily and as an aid for brand recall in the industry. In this ad, it’s all style to convey ‘Life tastes better’ with bibigo food.

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo

Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.