Work of the Week: 24/11/2023

While the holidays are supposed to be a joyous affair - and for many people, that’s true - sadly, it can also be a time of immense strife and hardship. Not everyone has a great relationship with their family, financial security, or, in some cases, people to celebrate with at all. And sometimes, such as in Apple's holiday spot, created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles and directed by Hungry Man’s Lucia Aniello, nothing goes right at all. Centred around a felt man facing a series of unfortunate events within his stop motion world, which turns out to be a representation of a disgruntled office worker’s boss, this emotional spot serves as a reminder that ultimately, there’s always room for understanding and empathy during the holiday season, and that you, dear viewer, make the holidays. 

Just a few days ago, social media users around the world were in a state of utter disbelief when a certain savant of the herb, Snoop Dogg, announced that after many years, he was going smokeless. After all, how could this be the legacy of the man whose very lyrics said, ‘Smoke weed everyday’? As it turned out however, ‘smokeless’ meant something very different… as the artist was referring to, in collaboration with The Martin Agency, a smokeless fire pit. Needless to say, this promotion, and announcement of Snoop as the official ‘smokesman’ of the brand made waves, and we couldn’t afford to miss this on our list!

Who doesn’t love the classic introduction spiel for new office employees. You get a bit of spiel about them, a few casual hellos, and then, often, the classic emphasis that they’ll bring a ‘new energy’ to the workplace. It’s tried and true, hilariously overused, and of course, as observed by Swedish truck manufacturer Scania and agency Åkestam Holst NoA, makes it sound like the boss is talking about a vehicle that runs on alternative energy. So, to emphasise the brand’s new electric trucks, the two did the only natural thing possible, creating a series of spots that put a truck in the office as a new employee. After all, what could bring a newer energy than the vehicles built to run on new energy?

For as much as we talk about the need to work against climate change for the sake of all our futures, unfortunately, for some of society's elite, there are other, seemingly more pressing priorities… like money of course. So, as part of its mission to ask if those in power are doing enough to combat the climate crisis, Channel 4 and its in-house agency 4creative launched an over-the-top spot depicting the wealthy as you’ve never seen them before - dancing, twerking and throwing dollar bills in the air while wearing carbon skid marked underpants. From an office room to a political debate chamber, this work by Academy Films’ GRANDMAS serves as an effective observation that in a world where every day, the average person is putting in the effort to make a difference, those who actually could play a bigger role might be shirking their responsibility to do so. 

The second piece of environment-related work on the list, this spot by VCCP London and Rattling Stick’s Andy McLeod plays on the insight that cigarette butts account for 66% of all litter in England. Specifically, viewers watch the journey of an everyday office worker who opts to not dispose of his cigarette butt correctly, and subsequently, is haunted by a judgemental duck who follows him home, before dropping off the litter on the doorstep. Talk about a fun way to make quacks who litter think a little more critically!

To hail the arrival of the Christmas season, Tesco wanted to once again emphasise its ability to bring the holiday to life with its annual festive ad. Created by BBH London and directed by Iconoclast duo Alaska, the work centres around a community that’s quick to embrace the spirit of the holidays, as they transform into various Christmas-related items. A dad becomes a tree, a mom becomes a snowperson, and their son… Well, unfortunately, he’s a bit of a curmudgeon. While everyone else is celebrating, he struggles to find the happiness key to unlocking his transformation, until one day, his father gives him the handcrafted Christmas tree topper that he made when he was a little boy. All in all, it’s a fun reminder that whether you kick off seasonal hype on the 1st of November or Christmas Eve itself, one way or another, with the right people and celebrations, the spirit of the season is infectious. 

Last but not least on our list, we’ve got this fun spot from Greek energy brand Protergia that tells the story of a man who immediately ostracises himself at a holiday party by admitting - gasp - that he actually likes the season of winter. Created by The Newtons Laboratory and Filmiki Productions’ Vassilis Bourantas, this film serves as a reminder that even though Greek people don’t debate the matter of which season is better - because they all know it’s summer - with Protergia powering the home, it is understandable, and at least OK to favour the colder period.