My boyfriend and I faithfully check out the World’s Best Commercials from The London International Awards every year, and so this year we headed to the theatre hoping for some good laughs delivered by the boundless-budget beer companies and ground-breaking concepts put forth by agencies from around the world.
I suppose whilst mentioning good laughs, I should give credit to BBDO in São Paulo for their hilarious, albeit slightly disturbing, Dog Fish commercial – it features a likable surfer dude and his special pet (you guessed it, a hybrid dog and fish) as they gallivant through their bizarre yet cozy life. However, even the tagline ‘Anything you imagine’ doesn’t quite clear up what the message in this advertising is, nor would I have ever recalled it was for Volkswagen.
But the campaign that really stood out this year for us was a fairly simple yet shocking take on Alzheimer’s Disease by Colenso BBDO in Auckland, New Zealand. You know the almost unbearable Candid Camera joke show by Just for Laughs they play on? This awareness ad is basically a spoof on that, where people end up in laughable situations for the viewers to enjoy. Then all of a sudden the goofy pranksters and laugh tracks fade and you realize the person is in that situation because their mind is playing tricks on them – one of the very sad effects that Alzheimer’s has. I highly recommend you check out all three of them: Car, Restaurant and Changing Room.
Strong message + strong connection to what your company does = wicked ad
The reason I want to make special note of this campaign is because it’s one of the occasions where advertising not only carries a heavy impact (your heart might hurt as you watch), but it also connects the viewer so strongly to the unique experiences of Alzheimer’s and sends a clear, unforgettable message about the disease. I’m doubtful you could ever describe the ad to someone and not be able to recall what it was for, whereas in the Dog Fish commercial I mentioned the brand could’ve easily been a different car maker or even a company in a whole different industry.
Do you agree?
Kudos to the Alzheimer’s association and BBDO in New Zealand for challenging people to briefly live through what the disease might be like and to think hard about it. I believe it’s an effective (World’s Best) ad, and even more importantly, an effective message.
Let us know what you think about these ads or share your own favourite commercials here.
Melissa works in Account Services at AdFarm and is always looking to share, learn, and spurn ideas with others. Contact her directly at Melissa.Gottlieb@adfarmonline.com