There are hundreds of commercial messages vying for consumer attention everyday across traditional and new media. Only a handful are noticed. Here are a few creative ideas which caught my eye, the week ending 9th June, 2017: Volvo XC60, iPhone 7 ad featuring Carl Sagan’s voice over and more.
1. Volvo: Moments
The Future of Safety – is what the blurb says about the Volvo XC60. A new film for the brand begins like a road safety PSA, with the viewer left feeling that something horrible is about to happen. That anticipation makes the film riveting, not to mention the gorgeous visuals of a little girl’s future. The viewer is literally transported between two worlds – the future and the suspense of what’s going to happen now. The film has a happy ending after all, showcasing the car’s features.
Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
2. Volkswagen Tiguan: laughing horses
This film has been on air over seven months, won a few awards but is in the news thanks to coverage in trade magazines. Apparently, there was some hesitation about the ad’s humorous theme as it comes immediately after the emission scandal. I guess if this ad was released during the peak of negative news about Volkswagen there would have been some backlash. However, it turned out to be one of the best automotive videos ever tested.
Agency: Grabarz & Partner, Hamburg
3. Bufdir: Lunchbox
Here’s a sweet ad from Norway, aimed at recruiting more Norwegian foster homes. As we watch it, we can’t help smile at the way children are compassionate around the world.
Agency: Kitchen Leo Burnett
4. Delta dating wall
Delta Air Lines put up something called the #DeltaDatingWall in Brooklyn, NYC recently, in association with Tinder. The aim? Help singles take selfies for their dating profile—looking like globe trotters. The simple trick was to put up iconic images of landmarks around the world (subliminally cueing the destination Delta flies to). Via.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
5. Shot on iPhone 7: earth
Here’s another version of the ‘Shot on iPhone’ series from Apple. What’s new? A montage of several images of nature through the lens of everyday folk. The voice over, written and narrated by Carl Sagan, from the book, Pale Blue Dot — A Vision of the Human Future in Space, lends heft to the theme.
6. Samsung Technical School
Most long format, web-only ads chase view counts and have very little to do with the brand being advertised. In fact, in most cases, the brand seems like an after thought, has a tenuous link or irrelevant to the story. Here’s a refreshingly different one in that context: a web film for Samsung Technical School which is central to the story – a touching one at that.
Which one was your favourite?
