Contrary to popular perception, people don’t hate advertising. They only hate advertising that’s annoying. Worse still, they ignore most of the advertising and commercial messages that interrupt whatever they are trying to accomplish. My compilation of creative ads every week is a small acknowledgment of the effort put in by brand teams to produce advertising that breaks the clutter to entertain or engage the audience. In this week’s collection, a hilarious spot featuring Patrick Stewart for Yorkshire Tea, some clever topical ads on Boris Johnson’s resignation and more.
Yorkshire Tea: Tina’s leaving do
Charming is the word which comes to mind when you look back at some of the ads from Yorkshire Tea – be it thematic ones or tactical ones like the ‘Social Distancing Tea Pot‘. Laced with humour and never taking themselves too seriously the brand delivers on the promise of ‘Where everything is done proper’ consistently. A new spot has actor Patrick Stewart delivery a speech in his inimitable style for a en employee’s farewell party.
Agency: Lucky Generals
Clever little touches as naming the employee ‘Tina’ and this description over at YouTube bring a smile to our faces: Hi everyone, Hope you can all join us at Tina’s desk as we say goodbye, P told me he prepared a few words. Date: 4th July – 3pm Thanks, YT Admin.
Lovely stuff.
Clean & Clear: made for teenagers
Thailand does it again. A hallmark of their advertising is to poke fun at the business of advertising itself. A new ad for Clean & Clear takes a dig at all the cliches of ads aimed at teenagers. In many categories there is a lot of assumption on the lifestyle of a ‘typical’ consumer and what is likely to appeal to them. We can see a glimpse of that in stereotypes in Indian advertising – how South Indians are portrayed for example. Marketers and ad agencies also perhaps get carried away by what they see in popular culture and portray consumers from a particular region based on their perceptions. It reminded me of my ad agency days when working on confectionary brands meant to appeal to children – us adults tend to recall how we used to behave when we were kids and not always have a pulse on today’s consumer – their likes & dislikes, their ‘lingo’, what they watch and such like.
Agency: BBDO
Nike: The Lionness projections
‘You’ve seen England. But you’ve never seen England like this.’ is the premise behind these projections on UK’s landmarks from Nike to salute the England women’s football team.
Each image mirrors the personality of the player on the building, for example Lucy Bronze, whose middle name is Tough, represents power on Battersea Power Station, and Georgia Stanway, known as an “incredible performer,” is celebrated on the Royal Opera House.
Source
Agency: Widen+Kennedy, Amsterdam
I am not really a big fan of ‘commercial take over’ of natural landmarks but got to admire the sheer audacity of the idea and faultless execution.
Marmite: topical ad
What was once the ‘topical ad’ is now ‘moment marketing’. The difference however is that the former used to be an occasional indulgence for brands. Nowadays, instead of being occasional, every occasion is seen as an excuse to create a social media post. Advertisers exert pressure on agencies to come up with creatives even if the event has no relevance or link to the brand. A laminate brand may seek to establish a connect with ‘Doctor’s Day’ or who knows, even ‘Chartered Accountants Day’ – all adding to the noise that’s already out there.
Such creatives make an impact only when there is a relevance to the advertised brand or some link to a recognised brand property. That’s why Marmite’s topical post on Boris Johnson’s recent resignation makes sense for two reasons: it smartly links back to a business challenge of occasional usage that the brand fact and to its popular ‘love it or hate it’ idea which is based on its polarising taste.
Agency: adam&eveDDB
TESCO: roaming fees in EU
It’s great to see two brands approach the same business opportunity in two different ways. Recently we saw O2 convey its ‘free roaming in the EU region‘ dramatising ‘keep loved ones updated with the latest travel content‘ (a common practice nowadays) as an idea. A new outdoor campaign from Tesco Mobile presents the same proposition of free roaming in the EU with a humorous touch – having a laugh at the ‘unadventurous’ nature of Britishers when it comes to travel – even seeking the same familiar food even when abroad.
Agency: BBH
ManyPets: topical ad
The good thing about topical ads done well is that it can make relatively unknown brands famous too. Also it can help brands transcend borders and gain global recognition. ManyPets an insurance brand created this smart ad (and put it on van in London) linked to Boris Johnson’s resignation and was talked about in ad portals and social media.
Agency: Uncommon
Nike: anthem ad for UEFA Euro 2022
Anthem ads are common for big sporting events and mostly follow a montage format set to upbeat music. The intent is to get the adrenaline pumping and that’s the attempt with Nike’s new ad for the Women’s Euros.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, London
Burger King: flame grill lines
Creating a distinct asset is such a tough task for a brand. It can be the tag line, colour, a brand property and so much more which helps consumers recall the brand easily. In the case of Burger King I wasn’t aware that the fame grill process leaves behind ‘lines’ on the patty. At first glance these appear to be doing more for the competition but clever placement of the billboard near relevant outlets drive home the difference with some clever, er…lines.
Agency: BBH
Apple Watch: Hard Knocks
As with every Apple ad, the product is the hero in this ad too. ‘Durability’ is the single minded proposition and demonstrated through some hard knocks. I think it does a great job of appealing to both potential upgraders and new entrants to the Apple Watch.
Which one was your favourite?
