Creative Works: 10 of the best ads of the week from Mastercard to Moonpig

With 150 species going extinct every day, the human-caused ongoing sixth mass extinction could see as much as 10% loss every decade. To get its customers engaged with the fact 1 million animal and plant species are presently at risk of extinction, Mastercard has partnered with Conservation International to create ‘The Wildlife Impact Card’ program.

Meanwhile, to help cement McDelivery in the hearts and minds of McDonald’s customers, the creative running across TV and VOD reminds them that their favorite food is available to order straight to their door via the My McDonald’s App, as well as Uber Eats and Just Eat. Set to the iconic 1980s track Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen, the brand’s creative brings to life the anticipation, excitement, jealousy, and pleasure that go hand in hand with a McDelivery.

And that’s just for starters. Scroll down to see the best work from our Creative Works section. And don’t forget to vote!

Nike: Toxic Football by Wieden+Kennedy

Nike 'Toxic Football' from Black Kite Studios on Vimeo.

“Oi you, sit down. Shut up... and listen ’ere! You need to get a few things in your head if you’re going to make it in this game... alright?” barks a mangy old football from the sideline of Nike’s latest ad for its ‘Play New’ campaign, designed to combat toxic masculinity in football.

With a kick, the toxic football is booted out of frame before he can voice any more of his old-school, venomous spiel. Heralding in a new era of sport, the nasty football has been punted out by Marcus Rashford MBE, who has made a name as a formidable voice for social justice.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy, the ad is part of Nike’s ‘Play New’ campaign that invites people to discover sport in new ways. It launched early last month with a film that featured elite athletes like Sabrina Ionescu, Dina Asher-Smith and Blake Leeper, as well as award-winning artist Rosalía.

Vote for the work here.

Subway: #TimeForASub by Above + Beyond

Subway is celebrating football fan get-togethers for this month’s Euros with its new #TimeForASub campaign to launch its Subway bundles across multiple territories including Europe, Middle East and India.

After being postponed for a year, the Euros is returning and the #TimeForASub campaign channels the excitement of finally being able to get the gang together to watch it.

The campaign, created by Above+Beyond, centers on a 30-second TV spot inspired by the hand signals used on the pitch to substitute players. It aims to inspire fans to choose Subway’s brand-new bundle meals while watching the big game. The brand will also be launching two new snacking items in the bundles – Potato Crispers and Nacho Chicken Bites – which are perfect for bigger group occasions.

Vote for the work here.

Ovo Energy: Great British Weather by 20Something

OVO_Great_British_Weather_Idents.mp4 from 20something on Vimeo.

OVO Energy, the UK’s largest independent energy supplier, has launched a new ATL campaign that embraces the power of the weather and its potential to help in cleaning up our home energy use. The Great British weather may be unpredictable and unreliable, but it’s one of the most obvious answers we have to meeting the climate crisis head on.

OVO’s latest integrated campaign invites us to reconsider our relationship with it.

The average Brit spends four months of their lives talking about it. It’s a national obsession. It’s wet when we want it to be dry. Cold when we want it to be warm. And when it’s hot, it’s too hot. It’s imperfect weather, but it’s our weather. And it can fuel many more areas of our lives than just small talk.

Conceived by creative company 20something, and directed by Pete Banks at Kode Media, the integrated campaign cements the intrinsic link that OVO makes between the weather and green home energy by harnessing our natural elements. While the work presents a serious point about the future of our energy supply, it does so with optimism, a knowing wit and all the charm and relatability of everyday British lives.

Vote for the work here.

MasterCard: The Wildlife Impact Card Program by McCann

With 150 species going extinct every day, the human-caused ongoing sixth mass extinction could see as much as 10% loss every decade.

To get its customers engaged with the fact 1 million animal and plant species are presently at risk of extinction, Mastercard has partnered with Conservation International to create ‘The Wildlife Impact Card’ program.

Created by McCann, the awareness campaign utilizes the Mastercard expiry date as a tool to show users the species that could be potentially extinct by the time the card expires, such as the black-and-white ruffed lemur, the African forest elephant or the Sunda pangolin.

Spotify: Only You

Spotify is placing you center stage of a tailored brand campaign to show that it’s not just what you listen to, but how you listen that matters.

Masterminded by Alex Bodman, Spotify’s global executive creative director, the campaign dovetails with an in-app experience that furnishes users with a welter of personalized listening data, from your unique ’audio pairings’ of unrelated artists, to your song year defined by how far back in time you listen, to the time of day you are most likely to reach for your earbuds.

By providing a custom breakdown of individual listening habits, Spotify aims not to speak to the masses but address the individual by focusing on what sets each of us apart.

Vote for the work here.

Hey Girls: Period Poverty Print by adamandeveDDB

The next phase of adam&eveDDB’s Hey Girls #SeeingRed campaign in print and podcast audio is designed to make you angry about period poverty.

A psychological study is at the heart of a new campaign by Hey Girls, the social enterprise founded by Celia Hodson to tackle period poverty. The idea, created by Adam&EveDDB, revolves around a film called ‘Seeing Red’, which has been carefully crafted to evoke anger that motivates positive action.

Conceived by Adam&EveDDB, the idea came from the insight that despite its negative connotations, anger is one of the most motivating human emotions. The aim was to harness anger to encourage positive action – in this case, to remove the injustice of period poverty.

Vote for the work here.

Mayor of London: This is London by 20ten Creative

The Mayor of London’s office has revealed a film to promote the city’s role as host of the Uefa Euro 2020 football finals, delayed from last year due to Covid.

‘This is London’ launches shortly before the tournament kicks off on June 11, and is part of a wider Uefa Euro 2020 campaign by the Mayor of London’s office to help reconnect Londoners with the city that they love and make them feel positive about the future of London by celebrating the city’s core values such as openness, diversity and resilience.

The film will be screened on outdoor digital billboards across the capital, in fan zones, on social media and on various football websites.

Vote for the work here.

McDonald’s: There’s Nothing Quite Like a McDelivery by Leo Burnett

Hot off the heels of the now-iconic ‘Lights On’, McDonald’s has launched ‘There’s nothing quite like a McDelivery’. The campaign includes two films – first ‘Hungry Eyes’ and then ‘My House, My Rules’ – developed by the team at advertising agency Leo Burnett, with media planned by OMD.

‘Hungry Eyes’ spotlights the unique ‘craveability’ of McDonald’s food by focusing on the expressive nature of people’s eyes as they experience their McDelivery moment. Set to the iconic 1980s track Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen, the creative brings to life the anticipation, excitement, jealousy and pleasure that go hand in hand with a McDelivery.

The second film, ‘My House, My Rules’, uncovers the personal, intimate rituals unique to a McDelivery that people would only partake in when they’re in their own home – whether that be the joy of dipping your Chicken McNugget in three different sauces for the perfect taste combination, or the different ways people may like to eat a Big Mac within their own four walls. The film is reinforced by the track I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany.

Vote for the work here.

Sports Direct: Just a Game?! by Copa90

Sports Direct has launched ‘Just A Game?!’, a multi-million-pound TV, OOH, in-store, content, media and influencer program that takes fans on a light-hearted journey through the meaning of football. Football legend Eric Cantona shows a non-believer the power of the sport; how it connects so many, why it bonds communities and why it’s never ‘just a game’.

The ad also stars a host of pro footballers including Jack Grealish, Jamie Vardy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Melanie Leupolz.

The creative was conceived and developed by Copa90’s in-house team and is the first TV spot to come out of the football media company.

Vote for the work here.

Moonpig: Father’s Day by Creature

Moonpig.com Father's Day from Creature on Vimeo.

Moonpig has launched its second advert featuring the Moonpigs in all their cute, costumed glory, created by its ad agency Creature.

From a golfing pro Moonpig to an astronaut Moonpig with its nod to the original logo design, the spot aims to inspire everyone to connect with the people they love, no matter the moment.

The return of the Moonpig in the form of a new, animated little character has already been a resounding success in bringing the card retailer’s brand purpose – creating moments that matter between people every day – to life. So much so that customers have been demanding that the card retailer create cuddly toys of the snuffly mascots.

Vote for the work here.

That’s it for this week’s round-up of the 10 best ads from The Drum’s Creative Works. Remember to email nominations to imogen.watson@thedrum.com and to vote for your favorite ad.