Everyday we come across hundreds of commercial messages. But only a handful are noticed and remembered. Here are a few creative ads which caught my during the week ending 2nd November, 2018.
1. SAS – The Arrivals
In advertising, sometimes a generic message applicable to all the brands in a category can still make for compelling viewing and also make the brand name memorable. A lot depends on the execution of course. A new spot from SAS – Scandinavian Airlines, based on the reactions of people at an airport arrival hall is sure to make viewers teary eyed. It is similar to the famous airport scene from the movie Love Actually and drives home the point that travel changes us for the better. While watching the ad this famous quote from Maya Angelou came to mind: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
Credits: Jeppe Ronde, filmmaker
2. timeTo: code of conduct
timeTo launched in June 2018 by AA, WACL and NABS with the express aim of ending sexual harassment in the advertising and marketing industry. A new campaign asks the viewer ‘where do you draw the line?’ and portrays typical situations faced by many in the advertising business.
The print ads are also thought provoking and highlight the various potential situations which could lead to harassment and abuse of power.
Agency: Lucky Generals
3. This Girl Can: #FitGotReal
This Girl Can is an initiative started in 2015 by Sport England. Since the launch, it has produced consistently great campaigns. The latest one, #FitGotReal, “believes that there’s no right way to get active – if it gets your heart rate up it counts”. The film showcases regular folk doing whatever they can to stay fit.
The website highlights various profiles, ways to get active and tools for social media promotion.
Agency: FCB Inferno
4. KFC: fries
In the UK, KFC began promoting tweets (which first appeared in 2014) which slammed their fries. Turns out it was a pre-launch buzz creation for their ‘new fries. Smart. Read more about it here and here.
Agency: Mother, London
5. HP India: lamp of hope
Diwali season is upon us and is with such occasions, brands in India have released ‘topical’ web films. In my view, FOMO or ‘fear of missing out‘ is what drives marketers to invest in such campaigns. Many of the films are made for the web, which essentially means they don’t have duration constraints of broadcast television. The central plot may not even be anchored on the product or at best the product will have a tenuous role to play. In this context comes a film made by HP India where the product is central to the story.
6. The AA – drowsy driver
Apparently, nearly a quarter of fatal crashes are due to tired drivers falling asleep at the wheel. In order to create awareness about the dangers of driver fatigue, the AA Charitable Trust and FIA Foundation have created a new ad showing how allowing tiredness to creep up, can be fatal.
Agency: adam&eveDDB
7. Volkswagen: Men’s Health
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have partnered with Balls To Cancer, to create awareness about testicular cancer. A TVC neatly links the brand to the message by urging men to take their own health as seriously as they take their vans.
Agency: adam&eveDDB
8. Aldi: fresh
It is always heartening to see innovation in print. To drive home the idea that their produce is fresh, Aldi creates an ad which has news item from the opposite page. Brilliant.
Agency: McCann, Spain
9. Mount Sinai print campaign
Healthcare is a high involvement category. The choice of doctor and the hospital is an important decision for a patient. In that context, a campaign for Mount Sinai presents various facets of its brand to drive home the message, ‘which hospital you choose can make all the difference in the world.’ Loved the writing.
Agency: Devito/Verdi, NYC
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.
