It's been a good year for global creativity. From wiener hot dogs and a fashion film to a brutal blood scene.
1. Burberry - The tale of Thomas Burberry
Burberry launched a festive ad this year which was more than a campaign. It’s a three minute movie trailer that tells the story of the label’s founder Thomas Burberry, with an all-star cast including Domhnall Gleeson as Burberry, Dominic West as explorer Ernest Shackleton and Sienna Miller as the love interest. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, it has impeccable production values, immense tension and a killer plot. It’s a branding masterpiece and fashionistas and film fans alike are already calling for it to be made into a full length feature film.
2. Under Armour - Phelps Dark by Droga5 New York
2016 saw brands far and wide trying to get some Olympic glory, but one brand put itself on the podium by backing Michael Phelps for his last hurrah in the pool. The spot champions the athlete by showing all the hard work that he puts in behind the scenes, championing Under Armour’s slogan ‘It’s what you do in the dark, that puts you in the light’. This spot is motivational advertising at its best.
3. AT&T - Closer to home by BBDO New York
The teclo’s ad is a brutal reminder that using phones while driving is a bad idea. With a message more likely to come from a PSA, AT&T’s ad is even more shocking. The telco knows its product can kill if behaviour doesn’t change and it’s tackling it head on. Brutal honesty from a big corporation.
4. Heinz Ketchup - Wiener Stampede by David Miami
If there’s one thing cuter than sausage dogs, it’s sausage dogs in hot dog costumes. Heinz' “Wiener Stampede” which ran for this year’s Super Bowl definitely won the cutest ad of the day stakes, with the creative centring on sausage dogs in costumes running towards their people who were dressed up as Heinz sauces. On paper it sounds insane – but on screen it’s adorable.
5. Body Form - Blood by AMV BBDO London
Bodyform’s Blood is the next evolution of the femvertising trend. Instead of being about emotion, natural beauty and well-being, it takes a brutal approach celebrating blood in all its violent glory. Confronting scenes of bleeding ballet dancers’ feet, soccer players, runners and boxers with bloody noses and bleeding knees. There’s no room for squeamishness here, just strong, fearless women with the tag line ‘No blood should hold us back. Live fearless.’
6. Coca-Cola - Anthem/Brotherly Love by Various
Coke’s global relaunch at the beginning of the year was more than a campaign. It was a complete strategy overhaul. The work itself – 10 global ads and more than 100 images – is bang on Coke brand; beautifully shot, well crafted and translated globally to give the brand a cohesive and consistent branding around the world. Whether it’s on TV, cinema or Instagram.
7. Old Spice - Rocket Car by Wieden + Kennedy Portland
Old Spice is good at ads. Ever since Isaiah Mustafa rode in on a white steed as the man your man could smell like, Old Spice has nailed advertising to men, and women. The right blend of sophistication and absurdity mean the humour lands every time. Rocket Car is no different.
8. Channel Four - We’re the Super Humans by 4creative
British TV network Channel 4 remade its Super Humans campaign for the Rio 2016 Paralympics under the 'Yes I can’ slogan channelling Barrack Obama’s campaign slogan in this bombastic musical tribute to the greatest Paralympians in the world. It heroes a ‘can do’ attitude to overcoming barriers and succeeding against the odds. Super.
9. Taco Bell - Quesalupa Bigger Than by Deutsch – L.A.
Sometimes an ad is great because it transcends a moment and a product. It becomes a movement. Its message lasts beyond the media buy. Other times, an ad is great for its sheer fleeting irrelevance. Taco Bell’s Super Bowl spot made the list for the brilliance of cramming so many zeitgeist pop culture references into one 90-second ad for a limited edition product; Tinder, hover boards, James Harden’s beard, Neymar Jr and above all George Takei laughing like a maniac for at least 20 seconds.
10. Heineken - The Cliche by Publicis Brazil
Beer and boys go hand in hand, but there are few clichés more offensive than ‘women don’t like sport’, and guys have to ditch their girlfriends so they can watch more football. Heineken did a clever reversal of this with a stunt that saw three guys duped into thinking they were getting tickets to the UEFA final while their girlfriends were distracted with spa treatments. Instead, it gave tickets to the girlfriends who like football as much as the boys. The guys look understandably embarrassed by the realisation they’ve been outed as sexists. Good for Heineken for challenging the cliche.
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