I love it when agencies and brands respond quickly to things going on in popular culture.
Specsavers have always been fantastic at this, sometimes even being in the newspapers on the same day as the story they are referring to. (E.g.: The South/North Korea flag issue last year)
I saw this image from a creative team I used to work with and thought I should post it. It references something that is big right now, but in a way that is actually related to the brand and the product.
I haven't seen it published anywhere yet, but I hope it is. It deserves to be.
Lo and Behold, its time for my favourite ads of the year in the wittily titled:
Best Ads of 2008 Award!
I'm happy to say that there have been plenty of outstanding ads this year, and as normal I tend to focus on TV ad because of the convenience of You Tube. But don't let that make you think I haven't enjoyed the good press work by Harvey Nichols, The FT etc etc
Runner Up - John West - Row
Maybe its a little biased to put an ad from the agency where I work, but I don't care. This was possibly the first bit of tv creative I saw on joining; and it absolutely made me feel like I had made the right decision.
It's a quiet, understated but beautifully shot ad that shows what can be achieved by good creatives (waves to the guys across the desk from me) on a small budget.
Runner Up - Natural Confectionery Company - Trumpets
THIS is how you do irreverence in ads. Funny and lovable ads with the tone spot on. Its practically a benefits list with a gag or two but it works perfectly.
Runner Up - Drench - Brains
Nailed a retro moment right in the bullseye. Perfect song choice and produced brilliantly. ...and just as you think its being irreverent it smack you in the head with a magnificently simple thought that pulls it all together.
Runner Up - VW - Fight
A nice ad, and a late contender for ad of the year. It isn't, but its certainly worthy of a mention here.
Winner - TIE! Hovis - Go On Lad Toshiba - Time Sculpture
I just couldn't decide. Two ads that have taken outdated brands and brought them bang smack up to date. One is heartfelt and sweet, the other technically brilliant; one is harking back to brand image past, and one to the future, but both are outstanding reinventions of brands we had probably all stopped caring about.
Grey deserve absolute credit for being the first agency (to my knowledge) to put Crystal Castles in an ad. Its a perfect music choice for Toshiba, retro yet futuristic; the sound of everything puzzling and technological harnessed into something melodic and visionary. A perfect encapsulation of everything the ad is trying to say about the brand.
No doubt you've seen them both already, but do yourselves a favour and look again. Two outstanding pieces of work that personally have changed how I see both the respective brands.
Our new John West ad launches today in Northern Ireland, and although I wasn't personally involved I think it's something that I can point to as a damn good example of why I want to be at this agency.
I love the lack of voiceover, the charm of the idea, and the fact that (unlike many agencies) when we found an existing video that was similar to our idea, we gave the director a break with her first ever ad shoot instead of just copying it.
