Work of the Week: 22/12/23
It's our final Work of the Week for 2023! As you'd expect, it's full of some Christmas gifts and some top creative from a global range of brands. From a touching tale of Santa recovering from cancer to notorious hardman Vinnie Jones storming the North Pole with a tank, it's got something to make you laugh, cry, smile and everything in between as we wrap up the year.
Included in this final festive flurry is an exhilarating launch film for the upcoming Formula E season, as well as a Spanish PSA that warns against speeding when you're behind the wheel yourself and driving home for Christmas this year. Other seasonal spots making an appearance are IKEA Spain's ad that shows an event planner helping organise the hectic Christmas schedule, and a hilarious PERIOD. campaign involving a 'menstruation demon' who has ending period poverty on their Christmas list this year.
Meanwhile, McDonald's has taken the unconventional route of giving the Big Mac its own iconic autograph, compiled from fan submissions using AI, and Aussie seafood retailer Ocean Blue bares all in a chilling, cheeky OOH campaign. Check them all out below!
IKEA Spain - Move to a Better Christmas
We all know how stressful Christmas can be - your organisational skills need to be on point! Whether it's seeing your children's nativity plays, hosting family, figuring out when to put what in the oven, finding time to wrap presents or navigating last-minute changes, the whole season can be absolute pandemonium. IKEA Spain jumped on this insight and, with McCann Spain, showed how an event planner could be the key to all of these problems. It's witty, fast-paced and captures that little bit of Christmas chaos that can go unappreciated in holiday ads' often-perfect portrayals of family life at this time of year.
Ocean Blue - From the Coldest Waters of Norway
While not Christmassy, this cheeky OOH campaign from Ocean Blue and Melbourne-based independent agency SickDogWolfMan certainly provides those wintry chills. Showing that the cold waters of Norway are more suited to salmon than humans, the comedic photography from Hart & Co's Cory White is accompanied by some equally irreverent and amusing copy on a series of billboard and poster designs for outside and digital.
Frank Energy - Same Energy, Probably Cheaper
Doubling down on its value position in market with a duo of comedic spots, Frank Energy's new 'Same Energy, Probably Cheaper' platform highlights that ‘premium vs budget’ really doesn’t make a difference when it comes to power. More expensive energy doesn't make your toast taste any better, or toast any faster - so why pay more? It's a simple idea that gets a delightfully off-kilter treatment from Motion Sickness director Ryan Heron, who has shot a lab test-inspired campaign with a sense of the surreal.
Gustave Roussy - A True Story
Santa Claus once had cancer... and recovered. It's a 'True Story' from cancer charity Gustave Roussy and Publicis Conseil - a heartfelt five-minute film directed by Vladimir de Fontenay out of Iconoclast Paris. The film takes us through Santa’s journey the year he was diagnosed with cancer, from the discovery of his illness, through treatment and up until he went into remission. Even in his own time of need, the emotional tale shows Santa's generosity and kindness towards children persist, and conveys a message of hope and gratitude fitting for the giving season.
Formula E - It's On
Set in a Tokyo antique store, this film from Uncommon builds excitement for the upcoming season 10 of Formula E. The ground shakes as spectacular highlights from season nine play on the TV, and there are Easter eggs-a-plenty for eagle-eyed viewers that nod towards Formula E’s drivers, racing teams, manufacturers and commercial partners. The spot builds on the high-speed momentum that Formula E has generated, as the championship anticipates its 2024 open with the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix on January 13th.
DGT - Missing Santa
Stepping on the brakes, this next campaign takes the speed back down to a safe level. Of course, away from the racetrack, it's vital that speed restrictions are adhered to when people are driving home for Christmas. Highlighting that it's better to arrive late than to not arrive at all, the Spanish government's traffic department and Accenture Song Spain show a reality where Santa Claus misses his Christmas Day deliveries - sparking despair from children nationwide. However, he's just a day behind schedule and, responsibly, is refusing to rush and endanger his fellow sleigh-riders. Christmas - though delayed - is saved! And the drivers of the North Pole and Spain alike are safe on their holiday trips.
McDonald's - The Big Mac Signature
The Big Mac inarguably has a celebrity status - one is ordered every three seconds in Sweden, and it has a museum dedicated to it. But one thing that every celebrity has - and the Big Mac did not - was an autograph... until now. Using AI algorithms and 256,000 contributions from dedicated Swedish fans, McDonald's and Nord DDB collaborated to create the Big Mac's very own signature.
PERIOD. - Deck the Stalls
This hilarious PERIOD. campaign from social-impact agency Public Inc. and Great Guns director Eva Midgley sees Crampus ("a.k.a. Mother Bitchmas, Coochie Claus or Santy Panty") devour tampon cookies and make it rain maxi pads, while sassily delivering hard truths about period poverty to raise awareness for those without access to proper sanitary care. The fabulous, bedazzled demon, played by Rachel Sellan, goes full fire and brimstone, taking down the serious topic with a wild, biting script and physical comedy that really puts the boot... or, hoof, to a society that under-supports its menstruating members. To "help the cash flow match the blood flow" this Christmas, visit DeckTheStalls.org.
