AUNZ Work of the Month: November

Clemenger BBDO and Myer have created a Christmas campaign that puts a spin on a classic grinch-y storyline and leaves the Scrooges among us with a smile. 

The campaign follows ‘Humbug’ as he sets out to destroy his neighbours' Christmas cheer. But when a little girl gifts him a pair of black boots to wear while stomping baubles, he finds friendship and they ‘Share The Joy.’  

The combination of real life and animation creates a sense of magic, and proves that sharing the joy, especially after a trying year, can often be found in the simple things. 

The campaign is Adrián Flores' first major work as chief creative officer at Clemenger BBDO. "We opted to push against the schmaltz with a misdirect on a misdirect that’s designed to give everyone a wry seasonal smile without ruining the fun for the kids," he told LBB of the work. 

The mischief extends to in-store and on OOH. Overall, the campaign reminds audiences that it’s okay to feel like a bit of ‘humbug’ this year, while still finding connection. 

BMF really pushed the (gravy) boat out for ALDI this Christmas.

In the 60 second spot, the audience follows a couple after they’ve been asked to “bring a turkey, and maybe a gravy boat” to Christmas lunch. The couple builds a boat-sized gravy boat and sail it to their Christmas gathering. The gravy boat doesn’t survive, but they make sure the turkey does. 

The casting is perfect - nuanced glances, subtle comedy, believable determination.

As BMF’s co-ECD, David Fraser said, “Christmas plans tend to escalate pretty quickly.”

The 15 second cut downs also drive home the proposition that you can ‘Go A Little Extra’ at ALDI without breaking the bank. There’s also the ‘Festive Extra-nator,’ a recipe generator allowing customers to explore festive recipes on a scale from “a little extra” to "inconceivably extra” - a fun touch that extends the idea, cleverly engaging with consumers experiencing a cost of living crisis, while still feeling festive.

Heckler produced a star-studded tourism campaign to spruik the highlights of Abu Dhabi. The action-packed spot stars Chris Hemsworth and his real life partner, Elsa Pataky, as they finish a stunt for an action movie, starting with a chase scene. The couple hang in peril as they dream up an exciting yet relaxing holiday. 

The VFX is by Heckler’s Cody Amos and direction by Justin McMillan. Cody said, “It needed to feel like something that belonged in a blockbuster, so we looked at movies like Fantastic Beasts, and I dug up some techniques I used on Spiderman. In the end, I think we have created something pretty epic, that feels alive but ambiguous.”

The campaign has a blockbuster feel to it and steers away from the category’s traditional shots of cocktails at the bar and reclining on a beach. The shots of the holiday spliced into the scene are reminiscent of a movie montage. 

Special and Kitchen Warehouse have demonstrated a very clever use of OOH to showcase the brand’s products ahead of Black Friday.

Each execution is skillfully crafted, from metal bent by heavy cast iron pots and pans, to a shredded poster that emulates freshly-made pasta. Blended words, knife-cut paper, and fast-paced motion caught in a still moment creates dynamism and silliness, while the message remains clear. 

Original, witty, immensely enjoyable, and an ingenious use of OOH that shouts through the clutter of Black Friday. 

It also continues a trend of OOH being used to its full potential this year across Australia and New Zealand: Telstra’s highly-crafted artworks created at scale to launch its brand platform, 'Wherever We Go’ and its understated yet striking Four Bars work, the cheeky PR stunt by KFC during McDonald’s Monopoly season, ‘KFCurrency’, and Specsavers scaring commuters into thinking that they’ve gone to the wrong city. 

Globally, there’s also been lauded OOH work like British Airways’ cropped OOH executions, and Tesco’s reimagining of its iconic logo. OOH has also been an ad spend bright spot in a soft market - OOH made up a record 15% of ad bookings in the 23/24 financial year, according to Guideline SMI data. Let’s hope the channel keeps attracting craft and innovation in 2025.