High Five: Adland's Top Disruptors
There’s nothing particularly disruptive about a CCO of a company called Trouble Maker talking about disruptive work...or is there? Have I broken the first rule of troublemaking? I don’t think so, because troublemaking comes in many forms. You don’t need to be Dennis the Menace or Gru and his minions to create trouble; Greta Thunberg, Steve Jobs and Charles Darwin have done a pretty good job of it too. From anarchists to disruptors, agitators to imagineers, protagonists to enablers, here are five pieces of work you’ve probably seen. But if you haven’t, you certainly should...
AeroMexico - 'DNA Discounts'
Production: Direktor Films x Toy and Butterfly Films x DHO Studios for Ogilvy
Director: Rafa Martinez
Now, coming from Norfolk, I’m pretty certain where my genes come from! So having been the brunt of jokes for years, I thought this first example particularly poignant when turning the table on stereotyping. With tensions rising between Mexico and its northern neighbours in 2019, AeroMexico challenged such stereotypes, and offered a discount based on a person’s DNA.
Patagonia - 'Don’t Buy This Jacket'
Don’t read any further! OK, so you’ve already failed. And that’s the genius of this Patagonia campaign. The ad messes with your head and plays with your cognitive dissonance. It makes consumers more aware of the environmental impact of their buying habits, whilst elevating the quality credentials of the brand - demand more so you can buy less.
Starbucks - 'Every Name's a Story: #WhatsYourName'
Agency: Iris
Production: The Sweetshop
Director: Nicolas Jack Davies
Post: Time Based Arts
Editorial: tenthree
Sound: Factory
Starbucks created disruption back in 2012 when it made its service all that more personal by asking for your name when you made your order. A powerful statement that cost nothing more than a splattering of ink. In 2019, Starbucks made this signature statement even more meaningful in its '#WhatsYourName' campaign. It raised awareness of the significance it could have for some transgender and gender diverse people, enabling them to confidently use their preferred name in public.
Burger King - 'Whopper Detour'
Agency: FCB New York
Production: O Positive
Director: Jonathan Klein
Post: Mack Cut x Zombie Studio
Sound: Honeymix x Human
The 'Whopper Detour' campaign perfectly depicts the Dennis the Menace-style of troublemaking by being both mischievous and playful. Not only did Burger King offer its customers their famous Whopper for just one cent, they rubbed their competitor’s noses in their very own Big Mac sauce, by only making the offer available when ordered from their rival’s restaurants.
adidas - Liquid Billboard
Agency: Havas Middle East
Sound: Vox Haus
So Burger King did a great job of solving a marketing issue on the doorstep of the problem, and adidas set about doing the same, but around a much deeper cultural issue. Based on the insight that 32% of women globally don’t feel comfortable swimming in public - trebling specifically in the Middle East - adidas made it their mission to make sport more equitable. To achieve this and launch their 'Beyond the Surface' swimwear collection, adidas used a liquid billboard on one of Dubai’s busiest beaches to celebrate body positivity, whatever size or shape, whatever race or creed.
