Work of the Week: 06/01/23
It was hard to avoid the gloom of 2022, but if the first week of great work from 2023 is anything to go by, this year will be much better. We're going to be changing our lives for the better, fixing the world's ills and having a laugh while doing it, it seems!
Check out the first crop of top work from a year brimming with possibility.
Loto - Grandma
This cheeky little number succeeds in taking a playful idea and applying great talent to it. Created by BETC Paris and directed by Hafid Benamar, it tells the story of a grandma trying her best to keep her lottery win secret, while still enjoying the luxuries it brings. A simple comic narrative, told well.
Hyundai - New Dawn
Let’s face it, unless you speak Korean or work for the company, you’ve probably never been certain about how Hyundai is pronounced. That’s the thought that this comic campaign from INNOCEAN UK plays on. The spot, directed by Jeroen Mol at FAMILIA, has a bit of fun imagining the situations mispronunciation could lead to. And it ends on a clever line that will help us all remember to get it right: ‘It’s the dawn of a new Hyun-day.”
Gymbox - Anything Goes
London fitness chain Gymbox is positioning itself as the 'antidote to boring gyms' in a new campaign from AMV BBDO mocking the motivational nonsense the category usually pumps out at this time of year. The campaign follows a survey of over 2,500 Londoners which revealed that almost half of respondents find motivational fitness quotes as their biggest turn off. It's a spot-on snipe at some clichés we'd love to see the back of, so hopefully it will do its job for the brand.
British Airways - Take Your Holiday Seriously
In another campaign based off a survey, British Airways Holidays' new campaign from Uncommon is on a crusade against people working while on holiday - a plague which 48% of Brits have been victims of. Behind a humorous tone is an important message - that holidays are more than a frivolous luxury, and we should all prioritise time away for our wellbeing.
webuyanycar - Just Sold My Car
Crowbarring a brand into a popular piece of online culture can result in absolute horror. But somehow, UK online car buying service, webuyanycar, has partnered with TikTok sensation Mufasa to debut catchy new song that remixes the popular Nightcrawlers 1992 hit 'Push The Feeling On', switching the lyrics from ‘It’s Friday then’ to ‘Just Sold My Car’. It's silly. And it's just the vibe we need at this time of year.
Progressive Insurance - Becoming Your Parents
Two new spots from Progressive Insurance and Arnold Worldwide bring fictional 'Parenta-Life Coach' Dr. Rick back in a well-observed brace of situations. Whether it’s meeting a new young homeowner for the first time or riding in an elevator with them, Dr. Rick has a job on his hands in these 30-second spots directed by Moxie's Martin Granger.
Tito's Handmade Vodka - DIY January
There aren't too many obvious ways to spin a positive out of the growing popularity of dry January if you're a vodka brand. But Arts & Letters Creative Co. have found an (albeit ludicrous) one for Tito's Handmade Vodka. As the legendary Martha Stewart suggests in the new ad, vodka can be used for all sorts of tasks around the home that don't involve drinking it. The whimsical montage follows Martha as she uses the vodka to say goodbye to musty boot smells, give pasta sauce a little extra kick (and then some), and in a variety of other ridiculous ways. Ultimately, the video ends on a martini glass and an expletive. Reassuring that she knows what vodka is best used for.
EBM - Schoolgirl Newsreaders
On the occasion of World Human Rights Day, young schoolgirls who couldn’t read just three years ago, took over leading Pakistani news channels to broadcast the news to 220 million people. In a country where a large number of parents opt to not send their daughters to school, the newscaster schoolgirls emphasised how education is transformative to a nation, while convincing parents to educate girls in their families. This interesting stunt was put together on behalf of FMCG brand EBM by IMPACT BBDO Dubai in collaboration with BBDO Pakistan, Syntax Communications, and Msix & Partners.
