High Five: Carlos Fonseca

Over the last year or so, AI has been the talk of the town. So, in keeping with that trend, I have decided to compile my five favourite spots from the last six months, which were chosen with the letters ‘A’ and ‘I’ in mind. However, it’s not all as it first seems. For me, the most important ‘AI’ is not Artificial Intelligence...it’s Authentic Insight. So, this selection is not a compilation of artificially-generated art from databases and algorithms that are taking over the industry - quite the contrary. This High Five involves five pieces of work that were made with strong insights in order to impact people and to create a high level of sharing on social platforms and make brands memorable...

McDonald’s - 'Raise Your Arches'

Agency: Leo Burnett UK

The insight has been in everybody’s face, and without featuring a McDonald’s restaurant or its food, this work created a moment that couldn’t be more McDonald’s. An insight so powerful that it can be communicated without saying a single word. Just raise your eyebrows and say my name. It’s more than an invitation - it’s pure entertainment, perfectly crafted and directed.

Surreal - 'The Official Cereal of…'

The ad was banned so you can only find the content from people who shared it on social media and blogs etc. A new cereal brand dropped a campaign with lots of asterisks. This may even be an insight people have already thought of before but for me, Surreal makes it happen better. More social content style, not the same advertising style. You may like it or you may dislike it, but at the end of the day, it’s a piece of work that doesn’t feel unnoticed. A small brand that needs attention with a tiny budget - what could they have done? A manifesto? No, they decided to give something worth sharing to people, and to give some work to lawyers.

Apple - 'Quiet the Noise'

Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles
Production: Iconoclast
Director: Megaforce

A beautiful piece of content from Apple showcasing a product demo with poetry. Taking us to the heights through visual beauty, special effects and an excellent soundtrack. We live in a world that is noisy, and it’s affecting our health. The need to restore the quiet is more than an authentic insight for our times, it’s a relief. And the noise cancelling power of the new Air Pods delivers it as we follow the rhythm of a memorable song - The Pixies’ ‘Where is My Mind’.

Dove - 'Toxic Influence'

Agency: Ogilvy
Production: SMUGGLER

It's not as recent as the other ones, but I've picked it because it captures more than my attention. It captures my heart every time I play this video, and I've already watched it till the end several times. I have a 17-year-old daughter and every time this video has hit my heart, I feel how relevant and strong the insights from Dove's 'Self-Esteem Project' are. It’s a project that brings real help and sparks very necessary discussions. It contextualises every subject and raises awareness, keeping Dove running at the speed of culture and keeping the brand memorable and relevant.

British Airways - 'A British Original'

Agency: Uncommon Creative Studio

A campaign composed of more than 32 short films and 500 unique digital and OOH executions, exploring the multitude of reasons British people travel. I’ve picked this work because it highlights how strong OOH and DOOH can be to differentiate a brand narrative and its campaign insight in a world of omni-channel deliveries. In this case, it celebrates the originality of British customers.