20 best ads of the year (so far)

Tuesday July 18, 2017 , 4 min Read

I have been sharing creative ideas which caught my eye, every week (almost). Here is a ‘best of the best’ selection from those compiled over the first six months of the year. Hope you enjoy them. For more, do check out the archives.

IKEA – win at sleeping

Here’s a campaign which made me envious of the strategy, creative and the execution. In order to promote ‘nighttime retreats’, this ad takes inspiration from the world of athletics. The payoff: Just like an athlete can beat their personal best, you can improve your sleeping performance. Not only will you feel healthier and happier but you’ll also be on the ball.

This Girl Can

A 2015 campaign, ‘This Girl Can‘ – to encourage more women to take up sport and physical exercise, was a huge hit. The 2017 version takes forward the idea featuring a wider range of women, different life stages and more sports.

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UN Women in Egypt

In Egypt, women make up only 23% of the workforce. To highlight this imbalance, these clever set of print ad challenge the reader to find one woman across three major industries – science, high-tech and politics.

See the rest of the as in the original post here.

TV2 – Denmark

Affiliation driven news and agendas seem to shape our view of others around us. As this campaign says, ‘we live in a time where we quickly put people in boxes’ and goes on to show that we all have more in common than we think.

Agency: &Co, Denmark

See more creative ideas of that week.

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Paper Boat – my first train ride

Paper Boat, a brand of beverages, continues to do a fab job in terms of tapping into nostalgia to build affinity. Read more about the work here.

6. Livraria Cultura: TV shows

A smart twist to the recommendation engines which we all are familiar with, thanks to Amazon, Netflix and more.

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MakeMyTrip- Ranveer, Alia

Personally speaking, these set of ads were noticed on TV and not on a social media blog, (hailed as a viral sensation). Each ad focuses on a specific product feature and presents the benefit in an endearing way. Refreshing use of celebrities as characters too.

Burger King – Google Home

Intrusive? Yes. Annoying? Maybe. Clever? Oh, yes. This idea went on to win several awards. Read more here.

Allegro – costume party

A sweet spot for an e-commerce brand in Poland.

Agency: Bardzo

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Samsung – ostrich

This endearing ad avoids the oft-repeated ‘list of product features’ in the category and conveys an approach or attitude.

More on the campaign here.

British Airways – Costa Rica

Clever topical ad from British Airways to announce the launch of a new sector to Costa Rica.

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Tata Sky – acting adda

One of the best use of celebrities, especially Amitabh Bachchan in India.

13. Sweden on Airbnb

A notional gesture like listing the entire country on Airbnb is a great PR stunt. Read more about the campaign and other creative ideas from that week, here.

14. Shazam – Alzheimer’s

In advertising, it is believed that each platform or medium has certain unique strenghts and characteristics. For example, obvious as it may sound, radio is an audio medium with scope for passive involvement. Radio spots which make use of this characteristic stand out. Similarly, outdoor is a fleeting medium. TV has audio-visual impact…and so on. Here is an idea which makes best use of Shazam, the music discovery platform to drive home awareness about Alzheimers.

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15. Movistar – Love Story

A riveting story with a unique twist in the end. Read more here.

16. Nike Breaking2

Easily one of the best ‘big ideas’ for the brand, breaking2 – a challenge to run a marathon in under two hours was great use of new media tools. Read more about it here.

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17. Smirnoff – outdoor

Imagine a single outdoor unit somewhere in New York, creating a buzz on social media globally. The ingredient: relevance, topicality and a strong link to the brand.

18. Volvo – moments

The viewer is literally transported between two worlds – the future and the suspense of what’s going to happen now in this riveting film which strengthens Volvo’s safety platform.