Work of the Week: 06/06/25
Bravehearts - Grooming Hides Behind Harmless
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
A haunting film by Australian charity Bravehearts, presents innocent scenes of children playing together, before the disturbing reality is revealed. The little boy in the film is actually a grown man that the little girl and her family know. And tragically, she has fallen prey to a sexual abuser.Following shocking statistics that reveal that more than one in four Australians have experienced child sexual abuse, and in 79% of cases, the perpetrator was someone the child knew, the campaign – which includes TV, outdoor, digital, press, and radio – launched to educate parents and caregivers about what grooming can look like and how it hides in plain sight. The prints show an array of little girls with a little boy's arm around her – everything looks normal until you notice the hand is that of a grown man's (perhaps a few prints where the little boy is the victim would further demonstrate how any child can fall victim). It makes you look twice and wonder what is actually going on in a seemingly normal scene. What stays with me most, though, is the film. Extremely jarring, eye-opening and emotionally effective.
Ice Tea Insurance – Lipton
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, UK editor
Sometimes an ad, much like a cigar, is just an ad. Take ice tea, pair it with the original Ice-T, and it makes sense. Sure, there’s more to this idea from TBWA\NEBOKO and TBWA\Belgium – A survey! An insight! – but it works perfectly well without it too. Fun.
Protergia - Silver Love
Chosen by Zara Naseer, EMEA reporter
More than one of LBB’s EMEA reporters have teared up at this ad.
Greek creative agency, The Newtons Laboratory, crafted this heartwarming rom-com for energy provider Protergia. It celebrates the ‘Silver Love’ experienced by people 65 and over, who, despite frequent misrepresentation, are actually thriving.
Designed to resonate with Greek audiences, the film stars acclaimed actress Themis Bazaka, and it’s set to a beloved song by Haroula Alexiou, one of the nation’s most iconic vocalists, which has since seen a resurgence in radio play and online streaming. But you don’t have to be Greek to appreciate this love story: you’ll find yourself smiling at the silver-haired protagonists, who perfectly capture that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling associated with young romance – while proving it’s not limited to the young. And if you won’t watch it for them, watch it for the sweetheart miniature dachshund.
Currys - Sigh of Relief
Chosen by Aysun Bora, Germany Reporter
By spotlighting the difficulties people with disabilities can have while shopping, Currys and AMV BBDO didn’t only win over Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising Award. It also got praise from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the organisation Open Inclusion. The campaign highlights the positive change technology can have in helping people with disabilities, perfectly fitting with Currys’ brand. With a big ‘sigh of relief’, the spot also has something that stays in your head and is recognisable later on.
You can watch the subtitled version here.
Heineken - The Unlucky Charm
Chosen by Paul Monan, head of creative excellence
The UEFA Champions League came to its conclusion last week, with PSG annihilating Inter Milan in Munich's showpiece final. Not only did it bring an end to this year's elite European football competition, but it gave Heineken another opportunity to continue its multi-activation 'Cheers to the Superstitious Fans' platform. Devised by LePub, 'Unlucky Charm' saw an Inter Milan superfan – who believes that his personal attendance at matches brings his team bad luck – swerve a trip to Bavaria (and the chance to see the final in the stadium) and instead head to a purpose-built bar in a remote part of Germany.Of course, his side was thrashed by the French title winners so maybe he would've been better at the Allianz Arena after all. But the activation is another example of Heineken's commitment to this overarching European campaign, which also saw the construction of a pop-up Lucky Pub in Lisbon for Arsenal fans ahead of the Women's Champions League Final on May 24th. Across the Atlantic, Heineken also this week launched Dream Team Workshop – a multi-country activation that turned corporate workshops into Champions League viewing parties, continuing a prolific streak of campaigns around the tournament.
Beats - Cole Palmer
Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor, EMEA
At LBB HQ we’ve been talking a lot about how much we love ads that don’t overthink it. And this is a prime example. Chelsea and England football star Cole Palmer embodies his nickname ‘Cold Palmer’ in style, gliding across an ice rink in an understated fashion. He’s wearing a pair of Beats headphones. And he looks like he’s having a lovely time. It’s a vibe.
Anchor - The Art Of Real Milk
Chosen by Olivia Atkins,EMEA Editor
What I love about this campaign is how it transforms a traditional sponsorship into something truly meaningful and creatively original. Rather than just a logo on a shirt, Anchor and TBWA\NZ have used ‘The Art of Real Milk’ to celebrate the real, functional role milk plays in sports performance – all wrapped in a beautifully artistic execution. The collaboration with Noma Bar brings a bold and elegant visual language that stands out in a crowded FMCG space. The minimalist artworks cleverly blend Anchor’s identity with football motifs, creating something that feels both iconic and intimate. It’s not just an ad campaign; it’s a tribute – to a stellar season, to everyday strength, and to the community around Auckland FC. The limited-edition prints give it lasting value, offering fans and players a tangible memory of the club’s first season. It’s striking, thoughtful, and refreshingly different in how it honours real impact.
YES Charity - The Good Fight
Chosen by Zoe Antonov, EMEA reporter
YES Charity (Youth Experience in Sport) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a new campaign – an out-of-home project named ‘The Good Fight’, led by Iris and shot by photographer Nadav Kander.The images are striking – they depict children that have been badly bruised – but the copy, even more so. It reads, “More boys/girls should get into fights.” An immediate and unmissable hook, which leads onlookers to the YES Charity website. The campaign doesn’t only look good and catch attention (both top requirements for a good OOH), it raises awareness of how sports and youth clubs can change the lives and trajectories of young people across London. Taking a serious local issue that can be applied globally, YES Charity boldly asks for more funding for sports, so that young people can fight the good fight from the start.
Robinsons - Real Love in Every Drop
Chosen by Addison Capper, managing editor, Americas
In the UK, it’s common to drink ‘squash’ – a concentrated, E-number-heavy, fruity liquid that’s diluted with water to make a delicious drink. Since moving to another country, I’ve realised that, unlike punk music, fish and chips, or sarcasm, squash is not a phenomenon we’ve exported to the world.That’s a roundabout way of saying that a pang of nostalgia might be influencing my support for this Robinsons spot for Work of the Week. But even without that, Lucky Generals and Lief’s Harry Wootliff have crafted it with a kind of subtlety I wish we saw more often in advertising – the kind that trusts the viewer to feel something without being told exactly what.
ŌURA - Give Us the Finger
Chosen by Tará McKerr, Americas reporter
Honestly, I’m kind of delighted to see something filmed through the lens of age positivity. Showing that people (particularly women) don’t just start disappearing after 40. Brought to us from the creative minds at nice&frank, the campaign is for ŌURA smartrings – which in honesty, I hadn’t really heard much about before. The cinematics are flawless, the camerawork impressive, and the copy smart and sharp. It feels like a call to grab life by the balls, and I’m absolutely here for it.
Leo Australia - Feel New
Chosen by Tess Connery-Britten, news and features editor, AUNZ
People associate Sydney with icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. But once they’ve seen them, according to research conducted by The Lab, there’s a sense that Sydney doesn’t really offer anything that different from other Australian cities. Which poses quite the challenge for a tourism campaign attracting other Australians to Sydney. And necessitates resisting tropes like grand drone shots of the harbour.
Leo Australia’s latest instalment of the ‘Feel New’ platform for Destination NSW puts a new spin on Australia’s most recognisable city, and swaps kangaroos and shrimp on the barbie for some of Sydney’s lesser known icons.
