Almost every week I attempt to publish a curated list of creative ads. In this week’s compilation ads from Veeba, Australian Lamb and more.
Veeba: mehnat ka phal (the fruit of hard work)
We often see ads featuring a clichéd montage of protagonists perform great physical tasks, to cue athleticism or achievement. In contrast we’ve got a set of ads from Veeba sauces promising great reward even for not-so-great when we are at our clumsy best. The one set in the school really brings out the smiles thanks to the situations and the casting. Another winner from the brand after their ad for Wok Tok.
Agency: Enormous
Apple TV: Severance promotions
I am a die-hard fan of Apple and was excited to see what they have to offer with Apple TV+ shows. There have been a handful of shows which I have liked on the platform but most have flattered to deceive – they seem to lose steam after a few episodes or in the second season. I have not watched S1 of Severance though the plot and setting seems intriguing. S2 of the series seems to have garnered media attention thanks to some on-ground activation.
Staged in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, several employees with Lumon desks and computers can be seen working inside a glass cube branded with Severance’s January 17 return date and the Apple TV+ logo.
The theme was taken forward in the brand website.
Australian Lamb: comments section
For the last couple of years, Australian Lamb has released thematic ad campaigns which created a buzz. This year, they have created a 3-minute film anchored on a tongue-in-cheek take on toxic comments on social media platforms.
The comments section is getting toxic. Can Lamb get Aussies out of the comments, and into the cutlets? Watch the 2025 Summer Lamb ad here.
The writing is hilarious and brings out the laughs.
Agency: Droga5 ANZ
Hay Day: inner peace
Many brands see celebrity endorsements as a short cut to grabbing attention and creating awareness. That’s easier said than done. In most cases, consumers end up remembering the celebrity and not the brand. Or, with a surfeit of endorsements from one celebrity it can become hard to figure out which brand is being advertised. Also whether it is casting the celebrity as a character or themselves, the script is dull as ditchwater. Of course, there are exceptions. Such as this ad featuring chef Gordon Ramsay as himself promoting Hay Day – a mobile game from Supercell. Gordon is known for his temper tantrums and that aspect is cleverly woven into the main plank of the game.
Agency: Uncommon
NewYork Festivals: no BS
As an observer of award entries and as an occasional jury member one can’t help notice the prevalence of vanity metrics as proof of campaign success. Most digital marketing award entries cite millions of impressions, notional PR value and positive sentiment in comments section as proof of campaign success. A new ‘call for entries’ video from NewYork Festivals calls out such practices, literally equating them with BS.
Craft Sportswear: ten days of running
Lovely use of print medium: Craft Sportswear got a student to run once a week for 10 consecutive weeks, tracking her progress with a Garmin watch worn 24/7 to monitor her running and health data. After each run, photos were taken, data recorded, and a print ad was published in one of Sweden’s largest newspapers, resulting in 10 ads over the 10-week period.
Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
Uber: Gatwick
Uber is promoting its role in multi-modal travel (they offer rides and train travel in Europe), an aspect of airport journeys. So we have clever depictions of journeys from point A to B, where the destination cues what the traveller really want to get to.
Agency: Mother
ASICS: move your body
Last year, we saw Brian Cox urge all of us to ‘move‘. The powerful line ‘move your body, move your mind’ gets another expression in a new film with some nice wordplay (‘you don’t need to go far, to leave it all behind’) in the voice over.
Agency: AGIT8
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.