Work of the Week: 20/12/24
Things usually start to boil down by this time of the year. So - full disclosure - we didn't expect it would be a week in which we would need to choose our best work. But the gears of the creative industry grind on, so our editorial team has decided to come together and share the burden of celebrating the most exciting campaigns this week.
Make My Money Matter - Benedict Lumberjack
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, UK editor
When Nelly sang “It's gettin' hot in here (so hot) / So take off all your clothes (ayy)”, I don’t think he had climate anxiety on his mind. Hot and clothes-less sits Benedict Cumberbatch in a sauna and, with a sinister direct-to-camera glare, gloats about the deforestation and climate crises UK pensions are helping to fund, in a spot created by Lucky Generals and directed by Sophia Ray with production from Academy.
Benedict is perfectly cast as the villainous CEO ‘Benedict Lumberjack’ (though ‘Benedick’ was right there for the taking, just saying… ) as he, bathed in hellish red light, enjoys his time in a sauna and clearly takes pleasure in the damage that’s being collectively caused to the world through ignorance, or lack of care, or both. The final shot has him surveying the ‘glory’ of those actions – a forest ablaze, very much not a fiction in today’s rapidly heating world.
Last year, Make My Money Matter gave us ‘Oblivia Coalmine’, starring Olivia Colman, as the latex-clad oil-hungry fossil fuel CEO. And while this ad doesn’t quite reach the same satirical heights, it still delivers an important message about the impact of individual and corporate investment, encouraging us all to think about where money is going and to take action too.
Johnnie Walker - Strong Are the Women
Chosen by Adam Bennett, features editor, Americas
‘The Man Who Walked Around the World’ is a classic ad which has come to encapsulate the Johnnie Walker brand in a way that’s still relevant today – a fact underlined by this fresh effort from AlmapBBDO. This time around, the brand is “celebrating women's resilience and strength”, taking the message of the original and reinventing it to confront everyday messages of sexism.
Borrowed iconography from the classic ad is littered across the screen, but the central message is renewed with a modern swagger. And for more on just why Johnnie Walker’s brand has proven quite so enduring over the years, this piece from my colleague Zhenya Tsenzharyk makes for required reading.
Specsavers - Blurred Billboards
Chosen by Zara Naseer, members reporter, EMEA
‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ has become an icon of British advertising in the 22 years since its debut. A joke the entire nation is in on, it’s trustily provided the punchline to a number of my favourite campaign stunts this year, from March’s viral upended van, to August’s upside-down cinema projections and, now, blurry billboards.
The OOH creative leans into these decades of brand-building, featuring only the classic tagline on a white background – but it’s been given a gentle makeover to soften its edges. Just out of focus, it’s exactly how I see the world without the help of my glasses.
Simple, effective, and funny, the billboards offer a relatable reminder to the optically-challenged that we’re probably overdue a check-up.
I feel seen (blurrily).
Hinge - It’s Funny We Met on Hinge
Chosen by Addison Capper, managing editor, Americas
Dating apps, like much of modern day technology, can be a curse and a blessing. There's the endless swiping in search of a match, the matching of... questionable people, issues around catfishing and safety. But they can also lead to serendipitous relationships that otherwise might not be possible in the 'real' world. Spoiler alert: I met my fiancée on Tinder.
This simple insight is the fuel behind an intimate and sweet new campaign for Hinge. It shares the stories of seven real-life couples who unknowingly crossed paths in person – such as overlapping childhood neighbourhoods, mutual connections with family members, and brief interactions at work – but ultimately connected after matching on the app. It was created by Birthday, the new agency from Corinna Falusi, and directed by Serial Pictures' India Sleem.
MISF x PlayerLayer - No Home Jersey
Chosen by Ben Conway, Americas reporter
The Marshall Islands in the Pacific is the only UN member state without an officially recognised national football team. The process to change this has been slow and the country fears that it may lose its opportunity to play an official match before rising sea levels erase the nation entirely. To bring attention to this, BETC Paris worked with The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation (MISF) and sports brand PlayerLayer to design a home kit for the team – a shirt that gradually deteriorated throughout the marketing campaign, raising awareness of the islands' disappearing land.
Designed by Matías Otero, the shirt (available here) features indigenous symbols and the number 1.5, highlighting the threat of rising temperatures, as well as a powerful slogan from poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner: 'We deserve to thrive'.
Kellogg’s - See You in the Morning
Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor, EMEA
In its ambitious new masterbrand strategy, Kellogg’s is reminding us all of its ‘OG of breakfast’ status. That’s what the press release said. And it’s hard to dispute when you look at the 117 years of its brands having milk sloshed over them. From Coco Pops to Crunchy Nut, the breakfast table has been Kellogg’s territory since 1906 with a surprising lack of challengers to its well-loved cereals. And it’s a point which this campaign really backs up in an emotional way, as the famous cockerel mascot Cornelius struts his way through the morning cityscape to the beat of Jurassic 5’s boom-bap classic, ‘Jayou’, passing a broad range of people starting their days in their own unique ways. More than anything, it’s vibes-based advertising here from Leo Burnett UK, but having played such a consistent role in people’s lives for so long, Cornelius has earned the right to be cocky.
Spotify - Đông Tây Barbershop
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, Asia reporter
In Vietnam, a trip to the salon has long been more than just a beauty routine – it's a way for people to keep up with the latest trends. Salons are adorned with images of popular celebrities sporting the trendiest looks. To celebrate Wrapped 2024, Spotify has tapped into this cultural practice and reimagined the tradition by replacing celebrity images with modern posters of local music artists, creating unique experiences for fans.
Partnering with creative agency, Happiness Saigon to launch this unique initiative, the walls of hair salons in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi were graced with portraits of some of Vietnam’s most celebrated artists including Vũ Cát Tường, Wren Evans, and MONO. For those customers with one of these artists listed as a ‘Top Artist’ on their Spotify Wrapped 2024 list, a complementary hair styling session to replicate their idol’s look was offered. Mobile haircutting trucks were also rolled out across Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with Đông Tây Barbershop, bringing the excitement of Wrapped 2024 to the heart of urban life. A fun and highly engaging campaign, blending music with style and popular culture.
Australian Government - Don’t Let a Car Change Who You Are
Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, members reporter, Americas
The Australian government and agency BMF have taken a striking statistic that showed 1,295 people died on Australian roads in the 12 months to 31 October 2024, and turned it into a memorable yet humorous road safety campaign.
Bringing a lighthearted touch to a significant issue, the campaign implores road users to think carefully about their behaviour behind the wheel, suggesting that they act with the same consideration and respect towards other cars, as they do on the pavement.
From using your phone and becoming distracted, growing frustrated with a baby tentatively taking their first steps, to tailgating a fellow pedestrian, the spot mirrors the ridiculousness of unsafe driving behaviours. It’s aptly titled ‘Don’t Let a Car Change Who You Are’, reminding us of the importance of consideration and to employ a bit of common sense whilst on the road.
