High Five: The Moving Target of Choosing Your Favourite Ads
Being asked to pick my five favourite ads is a little like being asked to choose my favourite movies or songs, or preferred nicknames for my dog. It’s an impossible moving target that changes depending on my mood and, more importantly, my ability to recall memories from a rapidly aging brain. But at this precise moment, this is what I can come up with - surely forgetting dozens of spots that I have previously professed to be the greatest ad ever made...
Crest - 'Bulldozer'
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi NY
Production: Station Film
Director: Harold Einstein
FedEx - 'Band'
Agency: BBDO New York
Production: O Positive
Director: Jim Jenkins
CareerBuilder - 'Tips'
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland
Production: MJZ USA
Director: Tom Kuntz
Post: Method Studios
When I was still at an agency, this spot caused everyone in the creative department to greet each other with “Hey, dummy”. I’m sure it wasn’t the first spot to use repetition and cadence in the way that it does, but for me it’s the most memorable and a lot of subsequent work owes a lot to 'Tips'. The fact that it tells such a relatable human truth is just the cherry on top (of the gold milkshake).
ESPN - 'Spy'
Agency: BBDO New York
Production: Hungry Man
Director: David Shane
The entire 'This Is Sportscenter' campaign is so enduring and there are a million incredible spots to choose from. However, like a true Canadian cliché, I have chosen a hockey example. As someone who has experienced the challenges of directing athletes, I’m always impressed by the read that David Shane was able to draw out of Ovi - there are like three or four different comedic beats that he needs to hit and he gets them all. Great performances, perfect timing, and an incredible ending.
FedEx - 'Briefcase'
Agency: BBDO NY
Production: Biscuit
Director: Aaron Stoller
I’m a huge fan of Aaron Stoller in general, but I think this is probably my favourite fifteen-second commercial of all time. It’s just so efficient, so tidy, so perfect. The casting is incredible, the production design is spot on and there isn’t a wasted frame. In an era where most :15s are these clown-car storytelling cut-downs that border on being unintelligible, it’s nice to see what it looks like when done right.
