Bestads Six of the Best Reviewed by Brad Reilly, ECD, McCann Enterprise, London

This week's guest judge is Brad Reilly, executive creative director for McCann Enterprise, based in London.

​BEST TV
Winner: L'Oreal 'Lessons of Worth with Viola Davis'. I really like ads, but I like them even more when they're not like ads. And this fits the bill. The message is one we've heard before (because it's important), but the delivery of that message has been trimmed of any ad fat and what's left is something that is lean, powerful and honest. To stick any music on this, or to cut once to a different frame size or angle, would only have broken the spell of honesty. So, I applaud the restraint because I know how tough it can be for ad people not to make ads. I even like the giant logos that bookend it because, well... they feel honest. And Academy Award winner, Viola Davis... well, honestly.

Runner-up: Netflix Italy 'Tudum'. Like I said, I really like ads. And this is a really good one of those. Proper insight into the product experience + leveraging arguably it's most powerful brand asset in a surprising way = the start of a great story and a great ad. I didn't bother reading the client or the name of the spot before I watched it, so I got the real civilian experience of intrigue and reward that came with the ta-da reveal. Clever and enjoyable. Bravo.

​BEST PRINT
Winner: Le Chocolat des Francais 'Candle'. Pretty slim pickings in the print parade, but this got a little smile. Lovely Valentine's twist on the well-liked campaign, filled with lots of little insights. It makes for an uncomfortable portrayal of true romance, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.

Runner-up: Bit of a coin toss here as there wasn't too much that got me. In the end, I'd give it to City Hall of Chicago 'Chicago Tour Not in Chicago'. I didn't 'get it', but at least it was visually interesting.

​BEST OUTDOOR
Winner: McDonald's ']The Golden Number'. What I liked about this piece was that I could easily imagine the team coming up with the campaign. It starts with something kinda silly, but it turns into an idea and then it gets a bit of momentum and before you know it, you're printing numbers in the corners of tray liners. If I was a fly on the wall, I bet I would've heard a lot of "what if we do this and this and this and this," which is often the sound of creatives having fun. And people can smell fun and it smells nice.

Runner-up: The City of Chicago 'The First Chicago Tour in NYC'. Unlike the print submission for this campaign, I understood this and quite enjoyed it, so it was an easier decision to give it the silver. I love Chicago, so it doesn't need too much selling to me, but leveraging these other iconic cities for those with beiger views, is a cool way to big-up Chicago and throw in a bit of edutainment. I didn't know about the cellphone thing though and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

​BEST INTERACTIVE
Winner: Volvo 'Street Configurator'. There were a few big builds in the pool, but this one seemed pretty useful to me. It was a little more focussed on the user and had a real insight driving the tech, which is... well... useful.

Runner-up: VCCP x Roblox. I used to go to raves in the 90's. Last week I went to a rave in the metaverse. Raves in the 90s were way better and I suspect that may also be true for agencies - for the time being, at least. However, I commend VCCP for getting there first and I'm genuinely keen to see how it unfolds. At the very least, it'll be a cool addition to the creds deck.