High Five: Recent Faves from TBWA\Media Arts Lab's Lauren Ferreira

Mschf, the art collective (not to be confused with the ad agency by the same name) are known for projects like transcribing the entirety of 'The Office' onto Slack and dm-ing AI-generated feet pics. This summer, they drove ice cream trucks around LA to serve up popsicle-ified versions of billionaires to let people 'Eat the Rich'. They could have tried to start a conversation about wealth inequality through a heartfelt PSA, but instead, they turned Jeff Bezos and Jack Ma’s eyes into candied ice cream. It's hard to un-see...definitely memorable. 

Whatever you may think about Kim Kardashian and most fashion advertising, the craft and charm of this swimwear campaign is not what you’d expect. Probably because it’s shot by Nadia Lee Cohen - an incredible artist in her own right, currently exhibiting the 'HELLO, MY NAME IS' at the Deitch gallery. I think what I love about her work for SKIMS - beyond the stylistic choices to lean into the glamor of New Hollywood - is the bravery to commit to going all the way. More than exaggerated costuming, hairspray, iridescent eyeshadow, even a pack of giant poodles - the film’s grain, quality and editing feels pure ‘70s poolside erotica. It doesn’t smell like an ad. It smells like sunscreen.

This recent work by Mirimar LA is a simple execution that taps a moment in culture. It’s also more than a film. It’s an invitation for anyone named Karen to get a free bottle of champagne on them - and I can’t help but agree that the world might be a less angry place if more of us got handed free bottles of bubbly.

Doritos took a simple concept (the shape of its tortilla chips) and turned it into a complex scavenger hunt across Snapchat, TikTok, Fortnite and the real world - apparently the VMAs and Migos are involved...why not!? Sure, it’s not the first scavenger hunt idea, but I love how the brand knew that its best branding was no branding at all.

Rounding off the list with a shout out for Media Arts Lab. I’m a big fan of the 'Privacy by iPhone' campaign in general - the image of an iPhone hiding the identity of the user. Simple. Smart. In this piece, I love the unusual characters and storied faces in wardrobe and casting. But more than anything, the tone of this one is unexpected. The topic of privacy and how our data is handled can often be treated very scary and serious. I love that our team took this heavy subject matter and turned it into a playful, cinematic joyride through somewhere in former Yugoslavia.