MilkPEP - Wood Milk
Mmmmmm ‘Wood Milk’. What a delicious concept! In a world where so many varieties of milk are floating around, surely drinking varieties made from the likes of maple, cherry, mahogany and hickory - and by that we mean the roots and branches - is a good idea. Well, that is until you realise it possesses none of the nutritional benefits or, frankly, flavour of real milk. Created by MilkPEP and GALE, even the wonderfully bizarre spokesperson, Aubrey Plaza, can’t quite make a case for why we should be drinking anything but bona fide dairy milk.
Virgin Media - It’s Playtime
Life is pretty miserable when all one does is work. After all, where’s the fun in a one-dimensional existence? This is certainly something Virgin Media is aware of, as evidenced by ‘It’s Playtime’, which sees toy figurines breaking free of their packaging and having a banging party in a closed department store. Created by Publicis Dublin, directed by Chris Balmond and animated by Freefolk, watching plastic financial advisors, IT technicians and call centre operators break free from boredom has never been so fun!
Five Star Chicken - The Taste That Brings You Home
Ahead of the Thai national holiday, Songkran, Five Star Chicken and BBDO Bangkok decided to riff on the idea that well-known TikTok users are young, hip and funny, by having the parents and grandparents of three famous Thai TikTokers take over their accounts. Their mission? To slide into their own children’s and grandchildren's DMs and convince them to come home and share a precious meal with them. It’s funny, emotional and heartfelt work, and serves as a firm reminder that no matter how famous you get, it’s important to put aside quality time for those that matter most.
Beck’s Brewery - Beck's 70+
There is often a belief that the older one gets, the less exciting life becomes. After all, when you’ve done it all and seen it all, what is there to truly get hyped about? Well, for a start, how about the opportunity to buy Beck’s Brewery’s new ‘Beck’s 70+’ - beer purchasable only by those who are 70 years or older. Created in partnership with AKQA, this anti-ageism campaign includes a parody of the iconic ‘McLovin’ scene from ‘Superbad’, but this time featuring a 70+ individual - a fun reminder to celebrate ageing and the many experiences that come with it.
Sizeer - Multiverse Tag Challenge
Directed by young filmmaker Jan Dybus, this vibrantly eye-catching film for the popular streetwear retailer, Sizeer, is the latest piece for the 10th edition of Papaya Film’s New Directors Competition. Crafted confidently in live action while incorporating dashes of VFX, the visually stunning spot captures the spirit of the brand while seeking to appeal to a gen z audience by highlighting the limitless nature of the multiverse.
Channel 4 - Come Mine With Me
You’ve heard of ‘Come Dine With Me’, but have you heard of ‘Come Mine With Me’? Well, you have now! Created by ITV Studios’ label MultiStory Media, Metaverse creative agency Metavision and Channel 4, this globally popular show took to the metaverse, with players being given the chance to go head to head to become the ultimate dinner party host… in a newly released ‘Minecraft’ world. Players are able to shop at custom stores, discover new recipes, and build a dinner party beyond their wildest imaginations, with each player receiving a score out of 10 at the end of the evening (and the contestant with the highest score being crowned the winner, of course).
T-Mobile - Fibre at Home
Another example of the importance of having fun in life, TBWA/NEBOKO and HOBBY’s Magnus Renfors decided to showcase the utility of T-Mobile’s fibre internet in a groovy way. Akin to Mary Poppins snapping her fingers and making cleanup a breeze, here, we see a cleaner bust out some spectacular dance moves, watch some TV, and play video games… all while actually getting his job done in time for the house owners’ arrival home. Soundtracked by Dolly Parton’s classic ‘Nine to Five’ (which was personally approved by the legend herself), the final result truly is pitch perfect.
Plant Drop - Smart Plants
Plants are pretty great. In fact, we as humans literally depend on their ability to oxygenate the atmosphere! But, they can do more than just that. What some people might not know is that plants have the ability to scrub the air of harmful toxins. This was directly proven when NASA tested the pollution-absorbing power of houseplants, with the aim of bringing them into the International Space Station so astronauts could breathe cleaner air. Inspired by this, McCann London and McCann Health London worked with Oxford botanist Dr Chris Thorogood and online retailer Plant Drop to release ‘Smart Plants’ - a new e-commerce tool transforming the way people buy plants. After all, why buy a plant solely for looks when you can buy a plant that literally operates as a natural air purifier?