Work of the Week: 27/10/23
Two of the campaigns this week are US efforts to help people with mental health struggles. The timing is apt, as so often the world can tend to get on top of us as we head into the darker months in the northern hemisphere. Both incredible films, directed by Daniel Wolfe for the harris project and Calmatic for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, will hit you hard without resorting to cliches of how we depict mental health struggles. It’s refreshing and we hope it will work. On the flipside, we’ve got some absolute silliness from Visit Sweden, Kahlúa and more.
Check out the whole lot below.
Uber One - Best Friends
I never really considered whether I wanted to be best friends with Robert de Niro. But now I've seen this film for Uber One, I know how cool it would be. Sex Education star, Asa Butterfield has achieved a dream I never knew I had and I've lived it vicariously through him. Created by Mother London and directed by O Positive's David Shane, the three-minute buddy movie is a perfectly contained slice of heart-warming comedy. Tonic for the soul.
Nike - Imperfect You
There's a captivating quality to this spot for Nike Japan that just sucks you into its world. That's credit to Widen+Kennedy Tokyo and director Georgia Hudson for telling a story about the liberating power of sport in such an other-worldly way. Gone are any traces of sports ad stereotypes, as we follow Aika, a young girl from Tokyo, leaving behind the societal pressures that surround her and setting off on a magical journey, coming face-to-face with the conformity imposed on women in an array of historical settings, challenging her to unlock her authentic self.
the harris project - You Don’t Know the Half of It
There’s not a lot of discussion in the public sphere about co-occurring disorders (COD), but as soon as you watch this film for US organisation, the harris project, you’ll understand the familiar complexities of self-medicating for mental health conditions. The film, written by Havas New York, was shot by renowned director Daniel Wolfe, known for his bold, subversive work in commercials, films, and music videos. Daniel, along with the entire production crew and the lead actress in the film, have themselves struggled with mental health and substance misuse in real life. There’s so much truth to it and it hits hard.
Huntsman Mental Health Institute and Ad Council - Love, Your Mind
The ‘Love, Your Mind’ campaign is a remarkable initiative by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council to address the mental health crisis in the US. It aims to reach the 70 million adults who may face mental health challenges but are hesitant to seek help due to stigma or other factors. The campaign focuses on specific audiences, such as Black and Hispanic men, who are more vulnerable to mental health issues due to systemic racism and other stressors. The campaign encourages people to love their minds and take care of their mental health as they would for their loved ones. As well as a gut-punch of a PSA, directed by Calmatic, the campaign will appear on TV, radio, out-of-home (OOH) and digital formats. To complement mass media reach through the national PSAs, the campaign has also partnered with agencies who have deep expertise in engaging the Black community (House of JOY), Hispanic community (Latinovations) and the faith community (Values Partnerships). Upcoming activations developed in partnership with community-based organisations and leaders. It’s ambitious and has the potential to make a real impact.
Kahlúa - Stir Up
A gear change from the serious to the irreverent here, as Wieden+Kennedy London and Birth director Rodrigo Valdes put the iconic Salma Hayek to good use for Kahlúa. In a series of novela-inspired ads, she encourages people the world over to stir things up by giving the coffee liqueur a try. They’ve got an infectious energy and will leave a smile on your face, and possibly a milky beverage in your glass.
Visit Sweden - Sweden (Not Switzerland)
I’ll be honest. I have said Switzerland when I’ve meant Sweden. It doesn’t make a lot of sense though, because apart from sharing their first two letters, they are drastically different countries. That’s the quirky little insight that the latest tourism campaign for the Nordic nation plays with, thanks to smart creative types at Forsman & Bodenfors. The film really drives home the differences in a way that, unsurprisingly, leaves Sweden looking like an attractive option for a getaway.
Xbox - Wake Up and Dream
'Wake Up and Dream' is exactly the kind of ‘anthem film’ that we love to see from gaming giants like Xbox. A story by 215 McCann brought to life in vivid detail by director Nick Ball, it depicts one woman getting swept up in the possibilities for adventure and escapism that her console promises. As Twitch-Con invaded Vegas on October 19th, Xbox also powered on and powered up the Sphere, kicking off the integrated global campaign with the first-ever 3D, anamorphic campaign on Las Vegas' newest stage, making the campaign even more impressive.
Marvis - Marvel Your Routine
We wouldn’t have predicted an Italian toothpaste brand to be delivering such a different piece of content as this. 'Marvel Your Routine' for Marvis, created by LePub, challenges the notion that brushing your teeth is boring. Thanks to illustrators from all over the world,; Japanese Sawako Kabuki, Italian Sebastiano Fossali and French Simon Landrein, the oddball stories showcase the different flavours and celebrate the unique and eye-catching stories of the brand’s exuberant attitude in various colourful ways.
STAMMA - Don’t Be a Knob, Don’t Jump In
We love the unusual flavour of humour in the latest campaign for STAMMA, the British Stammering Association. Of all the ways to demonstrate the frustration people with stammers feel when people jump in to try and finish their sentences, VMLY&R London decided to depict a scenario in which a woman is on the phone to customer services attempting to return a coffin that is in less-than-pristine condition. Why? Because you won’t forget it in a hurry. And the next time you speak to someone with a stammer, hopefully you’ll remember how annoying it is just to watch someone getting their words stepped on like in the film. The OOH part of the campaign is just as memorable. Expertly executed.
