Every week, I attempt to share a curated list of clutter-breaking new creative ads. It’s a small tribute to ad agency teams everywhere who manage to get their ads noticed and talked about. This week: outdoor ads from Disney+ ‘Hu Dis’ in Canada, a TVC for Oura Ring and more.
Disney+ Canada: Hu Dis
‘New phone, who dis?‘ was meme material a few years ago – slang for meaning “who is this?” used in the context of not recognising someone. It is used creatively and effectively in an outdoor campaign for Disney+ in Canada to announce that content from Hulu is available in the same app. The two contrasting genres of content on the same platform and hence ‘unrecognisable’ is a brilliant idea. Loved it.
Agency: Courage, Canada
Oura Ring: Wear Your Best Life
Just few frames into this ad and I was smiling and appreciating the idea. A simple visual metaphor to capture how the Oura Ring, tracks sleep, activity, stress, heart health, and more. The execution is top notch. No story board can capture the finesse with which the idea is presented.
Agency: Nice & Frank
Wet Ones: Just For Hands
Research showed that over half of Americans use hand wipes on intimate areas – a ‘misuse’ of the product which is formulated specifically for hands. Loved the creative idea which forces a double take on any medium – print, outdoor or a digital screen – the optical illusions using close-up photography of fingers, palms, and knuckles are made to resemble bare bottoms and driving home the message.
Apparently, the New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority declined to run these ads for its seemingly risqué creative.
Agency: BBH, USA
Flipkart: Diva Junction
Looks like Flipkart is making a billions ads for Big Billion Days. Some of them are duds while few others are good fun & entertaining. I would put the below ad in the second category for its quirky association with Diva Junction railway station in Maharashtra and a fashion line on the app. The redemption is valid only near the actual railway station. I am sure such campaigns are not created with an intent to boost sales numbers but to generate some ‘buzz’ and entertainment value. Such ads are also widely shared on LinkedIn by the marketing & advertising community.
Agency: Kinnect
Mathrubhumi: The Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters
The Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL) is an annual literary event held at the Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram. The visual identity for the latest edition is anchored around a ‘reimagined’ ‘ka’, derived from the Malayalam letter and designed as an open form that can adapt across formats, ideas and expressions.
ASICS: Human Nature
I love the deep insight behind the line ‘Move your body, move your mind’. In the past, the brand has created powerful campaigns around the idea of being tied to the work desk. There latest is not an ad, but a satirical ‘nature documentary’ narrated by Sigourney Weaver released for World Mental Health Day. The deadpan delivery about the perils of being stationary at work or at home is brought alive in this teaser for the main film.
Boo Energi: birds on a wire
‘Birds on a wire’ is a common theme for songs, stock images, paintings and even cartoons. It’s a powerful imagery and used cleverly in an unexpected way by Boo Energi to depict the move to lay power lines under ground in Sweden.
Agency: Kid Collective, Stockholm
Visit Sweden: for introverts
To promote Sweden as a destination for travellers seeking a quiet holiday without the rush and jostling for space at popular tourist destinations, Visit Sweden has launched The Introvert Travel Agency. The promise:
With plenty of personal space, structured socialising and the freedom to roam, Sweden has all the ingredients for a holiday that leaves introverts recharged rather than exhausted.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ: shower test
Loved the creative idea of showing a bare-chested man in a shower to demonstrate what women need to do to check for breast cancer. Directed by Taika Waititi, it encourages women to incorporate breast self-checks into their shower routine.
Agency: Special
Pepsodent: Bite into glory
Indonesian para-archer Kholidin uses his teeth to draw and release his bowstring during intense training sessions of 300–500 arrows daily. His unique mouth-draw technique, was developed after losing the use of one arm in a 2017 accident. Beyond a traditional celebrity endorsement, Pepsodent has provided a tailored professional periodontal care to protect the strength of his teeth and gums, which are critical to his competitive performance. Loved the brand association.
Agency: Frank
Godawan: the Great Indian Bustard
I didn’t know Godawan is an Indian whiskey brand. Their surrogate is ‘Estuary Premium Water’. Alcohol advertising in India is such a fraud, anyway. The brand has sponsored a well-crafted film on Godawan, the Great Indian Bustard, one of India’s most endangered birds. Kudos for the painstaking effort, craft and story telling.
Agency: 22Feet. Production House: Studio Eeksaurus
Tata Tea Gold: Durga Pujo
Ugadi, Janmashtami and Deepavali are three festivals that are dear to me perhaps shaped by childhood experiences and the positive emotions they evoke. Tata Tea Gold has released a sweet film for Durga Pujo which tugs at the heartstrings around emotions associated with our traditional festivals. Even though I am not a Bengali it teared me up. Loved it.
Agency: Monks
Twinings: but first, tea
I have seen ‘But first, coffee’ mugs and social media images. Twinings borrows that sentiment for a new campaign which positions the drink as a good way to tackle daily chores and tasks, however ‘tough’ they may be. Appaently, almost half of Gen Z reach for tea instead of alcohol when they need “Dutch courage.” It adds to the wellness perception – as a tool for preparation and reset.
Agency: Leo
McDonald’s: we speak late night
A meal at McDonald’s might be standard fare after late night revelry. An outdoor campaign captures the ‘orders’ that might be spoken in an inebriated state. Check out what AI tools generate with a similar brief in this interesting post from Vikki Ross.
Agency: DDB Group Aotearoa NZ
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.
