Work of the Week: 10/05/24

Sometimes, there’s nothing more warranted than a cold, refreshing drink after a hard day on the job. And in particular, fans of Mike’s Hard Lemonade will be delighted to know that the brand fully endorses such behaviour, as demonstrated in this 25th anniversary campaign by VCCP US. Brought to life by MJZ's The Perlorian Brothers, three spots take the idea of earning a drink to the extreme, as two liquor store employees gatekeep the beverage and mock prospective customers. The key takeaway? If you’re a football mascot who gets tackled, a firefighter who gets a cat in the face and falls backwards on a supremely long ladder, or a post delivery person who gets attacked by an angry dog, you probably ‘deserve’ that drink. 

While it’s the expectation that one’s payments, banking and lending work properly and smoothly, the reality of the matter is that it just doesn’t always happen, which can lead to some awkward and uncomfortable situations… unless you use Australian brand Tyro. Demonstrated in two headlining spots by Howatson+Company - directed by Scoundrel’s Carl Sundemo - it’s made clear that fans of the company might as well have a secret agency watching them to ensure stuff goes smoothly. Case and point, hilarious, stealthy (or at least, trying to be) employees deliver payment functionality updates in locations like restaurants and barbershops - popping up everywhere from piles of cut hair on the floor to light fixtures in the dining area. 

There’s something about rocking a Speedo that just screams confidence. Even with all the varieties of swimsuits meant for every body type under the sun, to rock a Speedo is, as the brand believes, ‘A mindset that requires total commitment in and out of the water’. Of course, this is something worth celebrating, as evidenced by this latest campaign from Mirimar. Directed by Collider’s Scottie Cameron, the hero spot sees ‘Stranger Things’ star and Aussie icon Dacre Montgomery, Californian skateboarding legend Peggy Oki, the stars of the TV show ‘Bondi Rescue’, and many, many more people abandon conventional city life - whipping off their clothes to reveal beach-ready Speedos underneath. Oh, and of course, it’s all set to an epic original song by The Beefs, which really emphasises that it’s always the right time to ‘Go Full Speedo’. 

In a society full of things to watch and endings to consume, it’s remarkable that somehow, we’ve gotten to the point where if you know that a show is popular but you haven’t seen it, it actually feels uncomfortable to admit you haven’t. But here we are, witnessing such a sentiment accurately reflected in this latest campaign for BINGE by Thinkerbell. Serving as a second instalment in the brand’s platform, ‘I Saw it on BINGE’, the hero spot captures just how awkward it is to try and talk about a show one hasn’t seen… Although to be fair, it’s probably also not helping that the titular character, Mike, decided to do so at a funeral of all places!

Last but certainly not least on this list, we have a heartfelt new brand platform by Volkswagen UK and adam&eveDDB, which celebrates the love and relationships owners have with their cars. Directed by Dark Energy Films’ Finn McGough, the hero spot - scored to Andrew Gold’s ‘70s hit, ‘Thank You for Being a Friend’ - is a heartfelt montage of all the ways Volkswagen can be there in the big moments, and why it earns every nickname under the sun, from ‘MumsWagen’ and ‘SnoozeWagen’ to ‘WeddingWagen’ and ‘HolidayWagen’. Featuring family archive snapshots, home movies and specially shot footage of real Volkswagen drivers, truly, this creative demonstrates exactly why the brand lives up to its name: ‘the people’s car’.