It’s been quite an interesting year for marketing and creativity. Some of the best ads we’ve seen have combined creative thinking and simplicity to build awareness, help solve problems sustainably, respond to cultural moments in real time, and communicate action around DEI.
Here’s a few that the team have picked out. What would yours be?
Ocean Spray — Power Your Holidays by Orchard Creative
This off-beat and quirky ad by Orchard Creative follows the introduction of Ocean Spray’s cranberry jelly to a seemingly boring dinner party. The jiggling cranberry jelly quickly becomes the life of the party, with the dinner guests mimicking the movements of the cranberry jelly until the party gets out of hand. Both hilarious and fun, the ad manages to attract attention to the traditional side dish.
John Lewis & Partners —The Beginner, by adam&eveDDB
John Lewis’s Christmas ads are always one of the most highly anticipated of the year and, for us this year, the UK retailer delivered. The ad follows a middle-aged man as he learns how to skate, showing his determination with every fall. The end reveal being that the couple have adopted a new foster child who skates — shining a light on the UK care system and how they’re supporting young people in it.
Samsung — the Spider and the Window, by Leo Burnett, Frankfurt
This emotional ad charts the love affair between a spider and the new Galaxy S22 Ultra. Seeing an ad for the Galaxy out the window, the adorable spider falls in love with it, mistaking the camera lens for another spider. But, as is the way with most love stories, heartache awaits the spider. It’s devastated when it wakes up one day to see that the ad has been replaced. Luckily, the owner has bought the phone.
Magnum — Melting Magnums, by LOLA MullenLowe Madrid
When temperatures hit a high of 40 degrees in the UK, Magnum quickly reacted with placing posters of melting Magnums in bus shelters around the city. This campaign had creativity and elegance, and cemented the image of melting Magnums in our minds.
Coinbase QR Code Super Bowl ad, by Accenture Interactive
Don’t let the cryptocrash fool you — there was a time this year when crypto companies were spending millions on ads and Coinbase’s Super Bowl ad was perhaps the most memorable one. Cashing in the nostalgia trend, the 60-minute ad referenced the bouncing DVD logo and led to a crash of Coinbase’s app shortly after it aired. The ad itself was as divisive as cryptocurrency — some hated the gimmick, while others appreciated the simplicity. (For a little surprise, Google ‘bouncing DVD logo’).
Apple — Data Auction, by Apple
This ad by Apple’s in-house agency follows an auction of a young woman’s personal data. Ellie is shocked when she discovers that her personal information is being sold to the highest bidder, and devious looking ones at that. From her emails to details of her purchases and contacts, nothing is off limits. Ellie uses Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) features to put an end to the auction.
Virgin Atlantic’s integrated campaign for updated gender identity policy
Virgin Atlantic launched an integrated campaign to announce its gender identity policy changes. Dropping the terms ‘male’ and ‘female’ for its uniform policy, the airline teamed up with Vivienne Westwood to offer its staff a pick between two new uniforms — one red and one burgundy. The company now also offers pronoun badges for both staff and customers, and gender neutral options on its ticketing and booking systems.
Imagine, by CBP London
On International Women’s Day, CBP London launched a campaign that challenges stereotypical gender roles. The simply designed and powerful posters aimed to tackle our unconscious biases and help create a world where gender makes no difference.
Tesco — Together this Ramadan, by BBH
In its first major Ramadan campaign, Tesco used digital billboards to show a dinner table with empty plates that filled up with vibrant, delicious food as the sun went down, to highlight Iftar, the meal Muslims have after a day of fasting when the sun sets during Ramadan.
Coors Light — Chillboards, by DDB Chicago
Coors Light made an excellent use of unorthodox outdoor spaces in this campaign, placing ads on black rooftops using reflective white paint, which helped decrease temperatures in the painted houses during hot days. Creative thinking helped the brand come up with a sustainable and affordable solution for a problem that affects many communities.
Entourage — Will, by TBWA\Paris
Non-profit organisation Entourage worked with TBWA\Paris to create Will, the first homeless person in the metaverse. Launched during the metaverse hype, this campaign emphasised the irony of investing massive sums in the virtual world and drew attention to the isolation experienced by the homeless.
Google — Real Tone, by Google Devices and Services Creative Team
Building on the insight that telephone cameras historically have not reflected darker skin tones accurately, Google partnered with a diverse group of image experts and redesigned the Pixel 6 camera and Google Photo editor to represent all skin tones more accurately.