Every week, I attempt to share clutter top creative ads including a two-part ‘Best Ads of 2025‘. This week: ads from Heineken, Lahori Zeera Snickers and more.
Heineken: in real life
A proactive idea pitched to The Heineken Company by Sohyeon Bang, Senior Art Director at Machine_ was implemented by the client. I loved the idea (”Heineken has always been about: connection, laughter, and good times since 1873‘) and the simple, charming execution. In the context of people realising that in-person human connections are more meaningful than cold, remote virtual ones the idea lands well.
Snickers: outdoor usage
What’s the benefit of a powerful brand idea? It can be used beyond a single campaign or even a year, even running into decades. Of course, the idea has to be brought alive across multiple mediums (and now platforms like Instagram & TikTok) using the characteristics of that medium. In Australia, a signal at a freight train (which typically move slowly) crossing was used cleverly to dramatise the ‘You are not you when you’re hungry‘ platform of Snickers.
Renault: the best selling car in Europe
How do you convey that the Renault’s Dacia Sandero is popular across Europe? ‘You are bound to cross paths with a Dacia Sandero at some point’ is a lovely idea: people from all walks of life (conveniently lending itself to a montage format set to a popular song) eventually come across the brand which helps them to continue their journey.
Agency: Publicis Conseil
Naturals: tree to treat
Released over a month ago, on World Tree Day, I discovered this beautifully crafted film only this past week. Naturals is a popular ice cream brand in Mumbai and few other parts of India, known for its unique flavours and taste. It’s founder Raghunandan Kamath’s believed that great ice cream begins with great trees. The film is designed (in every sense of the word) to be a wonderful tribute to the founder and is a visual treat. The film highlighted the almost forgotten art of craft in advertising – be it in print or TVC.
Agency: Drink Water Design Studio; Production House: Studio Zuno.
RockAxis: music is everywhere
When we are obsessed with something, we ‘see’ it everywhere. A print campaign for a rock music station highlights that cleverly through visual references to music albums and iconic images of the genre.
Agency: Super
Apple: 8x Zoom
The product or the feature is always the hero in an ad from Apple. The ads don’t just stop at mentioning the feature – they dramatise the benefit. The 8X Zoom feature is brought alive in a light hearted spoof of the detective genre seen commonly in web series & movies.
McDonald’s: New Year
Love it when brands seem to fit naturally into real-life contexts. The morning after the New Year’s eve revelry and the role of McDonald’s in that moment is captured so well in static images from UK.
Apple Watch: don’t give in
Many brands have tried to take advantage of the human mindset immediately after the New Year, to make resolutions – of getting healthuer, being more mindful of screen addiction and so on. Usually, such ‘resolve’ lasts for a short period of time. Apple Watch was brought into the context very well in digital ads which urge consumers to not take the easy way out (lounging about or sleeping in) with such objects literally chasing them into ‘activity’.
Pukka: self care made simple
Finding an enemy is a great way to reference the benefit of your brand. Pukka tea pitches itself against ‘self-care remedies as seen on social media’ and positions them as tedious as compared to the easy routine of the brand.
Lahori Zeera: sequel that works
In the movie world, a mega hit often sees a sequel attempting to replicate the success of the original. Very often the sequel doesn’t live up to the expectations as its natural for people to compare one with another. Of course there are exceptions. In advertising too one has seen follow ups to a hugely popular campaign. In 2024, Lahori Zeera created a sensational campaign. The ad claimed that the drink is so popular that ‘everyone’ is drinking it. While the proposition itself is not path-breaking the execution was. In a follow up to the same idea, the creative team seem to have outdone themselves. The creative use of the ‘so what?’ question leads to an interesting idea: consumers ‘prepare’ for act of drinking Lahori Zeera, gulping the drink without any ‘obstruction’. Bizarrely funny and silly humour done so well.
Agency: Enormous
NY Lottery: multiply your Benjamins
In the US, Benjamins is a casual reference to the $100 bill. A new ad from NY Lottery uses the term cleverly to dramatise ‘better chances’ to win the lottery – literally bringing many Benjamin Franklins alive.
Agency: McCann
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.