Work of the Week: 19/07/24

With the imminent release of Marvel Studios’ 'Deadpool & Wolverine', there are a lot of things for fans to be excited about. Ridiculous action? Check. Crass, over the top dialogue and fourth wall breaks? Absolutely. But, something that’s really held people’s attention for the past few months is the inclusion of Wolverine’s iconic yellow X-Men suit, which fans never got to enjoy while the character was licensed by 20th Century Fox. However, when paired up alongside Deadpool’s iconic red suit, the two look an awful lot like a certain pair of popular condiments, which Kraft Heinz and creative agency Rethink were quick to recognise. So, working quickly, the teams launched a limited-time collaboration, featuring character-based collectables for ketchup and mustard bottles, as well as a funny promo spot, voiced by Ryan Reynolds, which makes fun of the marketing approach in self-deprecating fashion. 

At 180 years of age, Co-op Group is the UK’s largest consumer co-operative. However, age does not negate the value of good branding, and to this end, the Co-op worked with VCCP and Blinkink director Sam Gainsborough to celebrate the value of its business model, and launch a new brand platform. Created using stop motion with printed till receipts, the work poses the question of how to create the perfect business, and emphasises the fact that when something is owned by the public, it’s better equipped to actually do right by the people. 

Despite the fact that women comprise 54.7% of the creative industry, the reality of the situation is that there is still a major lack of women within leadership positions. In fact, only 17% of ECDs and creative leaders are of this demographic. So, to highlight this issue and the desire to create an open source pool of talent for agency utilisation, AnalogFolk launched a social media campaign that swapped the genders of some of adland’s most iconic men. Turning the likes of John Hegarty, Dave Droga and Charles Saatchi into women, the work kicks the door open for an overdue and necessary conversation to take place, and challenges viewers to consider what they’d like the adland of tomorrow to actually look like. 

In an age when data is becoming easier and easier to access, privacy has never been more valued. In fact, one of Apple’s core values is ‘iPhone Privacy 2024’, which represents the company’s belief that ultimately, privacy is a basic right everyone should be afforded. So, in order to emphasise this a little more loudly, the brand teamed up with TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Los Angeles and SMUGGLER US director Ivan Zacharias to launch a satirical yet dystopian spot. Here, the security cameras have adopted bird-like tendencies (including flying into windows) and chase after people to read what’s on their phone screens… but can ultimately be destroyed by users of Safari, which the brand subsequently declares a safe and actually private browser. 

With the Olympic Games just days away, the industry has been awash with campaigns hyping up the event. However, there’s only a small handful that focus on the stories of what it actually takes to compete, and all the strength, resilience, determination, and adversity one must overcome to make that dream a reality. It’s a tremendous, remarkable accomplishment, and one which Air Canada, the official airline of Canada's Olympic and Paralympic teams, wanted to celebrate. So, working with FCB Toronto and Scouts Honour director Kevin Foley, the brand captured two Canadian journeys across time: one of a young couple trying to get up north, and another of an athlete trying to make it to Paris. Running parallel, it’s soon revealed that this is the story of two generations of family, emphasising the way in which one beautiful dream can make another. 

The is the second piece of work from Apple on the list, and one that’s incidentally also about security and privacy. This offering from the brand, TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Shanghai and ProFilms director Zhang Dapeng centres around two skits featuring popular Chinese actor Yue Yunpeng. In one, he forgets his password during a crosstalk performance, and in another, he finds himself forced to wear disguises in order to avoid pesky snoopers, but in both cases, a helpful brand employee is able to assist him in using the brand’s latest technology to remedy these issues. 

Earlier this week, UKTV launched its new master brand, ‘U’, which saw a whole host of changes and a new design system. So, in order to better publicise this and generate some hype, the brand teamed up with Havas Entertainment, HunkyDory Films director Christian Bevilacqua, and the one and only Cher to create a fun campaign. Centring around the idea of Cher being tasked with breaking the news, the headline spot sees her venture through a host of the channel’s TV offerings while singing her iconic song ‘I Got You Babe’, and features guest cameos from the likes of Orlando Bloom, Chris Kamara, and Jeff Stelling. Talk about a fun way to share some information!