Work of the Week: 03/02/23

With 2023 marking the 150th anniversary of Levi’s ‘501’ jeans, the clothing company partnered with Droga5 to produce ‘The Greatest Story Ever Worn’ - an expansive, year-long celebration of the unbelievable exploits of 501 fans from the last 150 years. Featuring three short films by revered directors, Melina Matsoukas and Martin De Thurah, the worldwide launch introduces a collection of true stories that position the 501 as an ever-expanding story - constantly being written and rewritten by everyone who fastens up the fifth button. 

Coinciding with the release of Sam Smith’s new album, ‘GLORIA’, a music video for 'I’m Not Here To Make Friends’ made a big splash this week. Directed by UnderWonder director Tanu Muino (Lil Nas X, Harry Styles, Elton John, Britney Spears, Normani), the flamboyant four-minute affair sees the singer don fabulous outfits to attend a costume ball held at historic English estate. 

Kicking off 2023 with a new supply of PS5 consoles, PlayStation expressed its delight at being able to invite more players to join the fun by releasing ‘Live from PS5'. However, showcasing the thrilling adventures awaiting players was no easy task. Enter adam&eveDDB NY, MJZ, 50-plus visual effects artists, 23 actors, 58 extras, three webbed up villains, and, very briefly, ‘The Black Fleet’ - reminding gamers of the amazing worlds PlayStation has in store. 

Aside from making delicious chips, another reason to love Doritos is its advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the brand continued its partnership with Slap Global and the the ‘#OrgulloTodoElAño’ (Pride all year) platform to release 'Bold love', a celebration of intimacy beyond social, ideological or cultural barriers. 

Seeking to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first five years of a child’s life, ‘Shaping Us’ is a new, long-term campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales and Wonderhood Studios, the 90-second claymation film (set to Lokki’s ‘Breathe a Breath of Me’) artistically showcases how a little girl named Layla develops from pregnancy to age five, and how she is shaped by her interactions with the people and environment around her. 

Building on the success of the brand’s 2021 reformulation, Coca-Cola is refreshing its ‘Best Coke Ever?’ platform for 2023 with a new call to action: ‘Take A Taste’. Created in partnership with WPP OpenX (led by AKQA & Ogilvy), with the distinctive visual identity and design elements developed by British illustrator Jack Teagle, this digitally-led initiative seeks to fuel the global desire for the iconic cold, sweet, sparkly beverage - particularly among those who refuse to compromise taste for zero sugar.

Ahead of World Cancer Day, Publicis Groupe has released ‘Monday’, the latest film from its paradigm-shifting ‘Working with Cancer’ movement. Directed by Martin de Thurah and Elena Petitti Di Roreto, the two-minute feature will be broadcast during the Super Bowl, reminding viewers of the hardships of cancer, and the strength of will required to overcome and return to work. 

There’s something magical about reading a classic. Feeling the story, knowing the history of the text and appreciating the quality of the writing - it’s an incomparable experience. Equally incomparable is watching a beloved story get butchered by a terrible movie adaptation, and it’s for this reason that the community and Project Gutenberg created ‘Classic Monsters’, a campaign showing how great literature can turn into something a little bit terrifying when handled incorrectly. 

On January 1st, Sweden amended the constitution that criminalises whistle blowers - an action which directly threatens the country’s free speech. To shine a light on this alarming development, Reporters Without Borders Sweden collaborated with Sweden’s largest daily newspaper and agency Åkestam Holst NoA to launch a self-censoring campaign. Consisting of a full-page ad printed with specially designed CO2-sensitive ink, two days after release the work had begun to censor itself - paralleling the fashion in which the country’s objective journalism is fading away. 

Accenture Song Hamburg, eco sneaker brand ekn and rising female Bangladeshi designer Rokaiya Ahmed Purna are working together to launch a new vegan sneaker - the first ever to be designed in Bangladesh and manufactured in Portugal. Made from jackfruit, the unique design, named ekn কাঁঠাল Kamthala, makes a bold statement, calling upon the industry to stop unethical manufacturing practices in the Global South, and instead explore the region’s creativity of designers.