Contrary to popular belief, people don’t hate advertising. They hate annoying ads. But most of the time, people ignore ads. That’s a fate worse than being disliked. Creative ads are fun to watch, enjoyed and even shared on social media or messaging platforms. Every week, I attempt to share a compilation of clutter-breaking creatives to acknowledge the effort that goes into such advertising.
Lays: Chip Cam with David Beckham & Thierry Henry
Advertising works best when it doesn’t feel like it’s an ad. Shouting ‘Hey, watch me, I am an ad’ is a sure-fire way to get consumers to avoid it. Even when it is obviously an ad, there should be some sort of ‘reward’ to the consumer for what they give a brand – attention. A new ‘ad’ for Lays is a clever partnership and a PR stunt which makes for a great share-worthy viral video and news item. During a UEFA Champions League match, David Beckham ‘discovers’ that Thierry Henry has emptied the Lays pack. The crew is then requested to use the Chip Cam to search for someone with Lay’s in the crowd – for them to be invited over to the commentary box.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home: the bond
It is jokingly (often a bit derisively so) said that consumer attention is guaranteed if an ad casts babies or cute pets. A new spot for UK’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home beautifully brings out the bond between a care giver and a pet. The candid shots of a dog’s initial fears and how it slowly overcomes such to trust a human being can move us to tears.
When we say we are here for every dog and cat, we really mean it. Watch our film to see the lengths we go to for them, and find out about how we’re doing more than ever before to help animals at our centres and beyond.
Agency: New Commercial Arts
Swiss Telecom: life is full of surprises
It’s a common sight to see someone staring into a mobile screen at a public place, unmindful of what’s happening around them. We all seem to have lost the art of simply observing life around us or interacting with others. A new spot features Roger Federer and alpine ski racer Marco Odermatt get into an elevator – only to be ignored by the lone co-passenger who is busy scrolling through her phone. When they reach the destination, the co-passenger realises she was in the life with someone famous. The line ‘”Life is full of surprises. You just need to see them’ seems to fit in well with a telecom brand keen to educate consumers on mobile etiquette.
Agency: Thjnk Zürich
Magnum: find your summer
In the west, the sun is hardly out this time of the year. So it is interesting to see a campaign for Magnum ice cream with a totally different (considering the category codes) yet relevant idea. The film and the print ads are a visual treat suggesting that the moment to have a Magnum is when you catch that sliver of sunshine.
Agency: LOLA Mullen Lowe
Hyundai: trained in Vegas
At first glance, I did not ‘get’ it. These set of print ads for Hyundai’s driverless robot axis convey the point that they have been rigorously tested. The creative idea? Such vehicles have been tested in Las Vegas – where it is common to find ‘quirky’ characters. Hence the extrapolation that the system is intelligent enough to detect objects or people correctly.
McDonald’s: I am stuck
Sometimes, a ‘literal’ interpretation of a common phrase leads to interesting creative possibilities. We often say that we are unable to do something because ‘we are stuck’ elsewhere – meaning one is busy. A new spot for McDonald’s delivery service brings out this idea visually showing people literally ‘stuck’ at work and other places – to dramatise the benefit.
Air India: safety video
I think it was Air New Zealand which was among the earliest brands to infuse ad-like creativity to the usually boring in-aircraft safety videos. A new video from Air India brings very unique Indic flavour to such videos by anchoring it on classical Indian dance forms. It is genuine, relevant creativity and deserves all the kudos it is getting.
Agency: McCann
Amazon Prime: Poacher
I am not a big fan of newspapers peddling their front page or distorting the mast head for brand promotions. I am a bit old school like that. But sometimes, such a ‘stunt’ feels relevant as it did with this one – promoting the launch of ‘Poacher’ on Amazon Prime.
Esselunga: the carrot
‘Your groceries are never groceries‘ has been a powerful theme across several ‘stories’ of Esselunga – a super market chain. Here’s one – perhaps not as ’emotional’ as the others in the series but drives home the point nevertheless.
Discover Tasmania: TasmanAi
All the hype around AI-generated something or the other has made many of us cynical. ‘Not AI generated’ then becomes a powerful reason-why to consider something. A new ad from Discover Tasmania is anchored on this premise and brings a smile. Or should I say ‘smAile’?
Silk: planty good
Actor Jeremy Renner and his daughter star in this ad to promote Silk, a plant based milk brand. The idea: use the actor’s image as an action hero to depict a fun morning routine where his ‘moves’ come in handy.
Zippo: Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is usually the season for mushy brand promotions. A few brands go against the tide (such as Cadbury’s 5 Star). Joining that list in a clever, relevant way is Zippo – linking the brand’s ‘lasting flame’ to humorously highlight the state of relationships after a few years.
Agency: Ogilvy
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.