Creative Works: 10 of the best ads of the week from Unilever to Grenfell Athletic FC

As we reach the end of Pride month, Unilever’s latest campaign, ‘United We Stand’, aims to shine a light on the range of lived experiences of the LGBT+ community across the UK in a film that celebrates untold stories of Pride.

Meanwhile, June also marked four difficult years since the Grenfell Tower disaster that left 72 dead and many occupants displaced. A campaign by Brothers & Sisters highlights Grenfell Athletic FC – the football club set up by members of the Grenfell community in the wake of the disaster in 2017.

Finally, ITV and Just Eat have marked the return of Love Island with new idents and characters, voiced by British rapper, singer and songwriter Lady Leshurr and stand-ups Inel Tomlinson, Tez Ilyas and Jamali Maddix.

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

O2: The O2 in Fortnite Creative by VCCP

Working alongside Island Records and Epic Games, O2 has built its iconic arena in a new location – inside the popular video game Fortnite.

Positioned within Fornite Creative, for one week players can explore the O2 arena virtually as a way for the telecom brand to connect with the game’s global audience.

Once inside the virtual venue, players can engage with a number of gameplay experiences and explore the space, which is packed with hidden rooms, backstage areas and The O2 Blueroom, where they can complete challenges to unlock exclusive in-game rewards.

Vote for the work here.

Bumble: #JustGoForIt by Attachment London & 10 Days London

The world of dating can be overwhelming at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic that has left people feeling quite weird about physical contact. With this in mind, Bafta Award-winning actress Aimee Lou Wood has some words of advice for daters who are trying to get back in the groove in Bumble’s latest ad.

From making the first move and that giddy feeling when your phone first buzzes, to what is the best Bumble opener (Hello? Hi? Howdy? Sloth gif?), Wood humorously makes the viewer feel at ease and confident enough to get back into the swing of things. And she makes a fair point – “If you’ve got through the last 12 months, how bad can one date be?”

Vote for the work here.

Nissan: Infiniti QX60 by Publicis

Infiniti, the luxury arm of Japanese automaker Nissan, has revealed its new QX60 in a cinematic 10-minute launch film and a multichannel campaign.

‘Infiniti presents: Conquer life in style with all-new QX60’ sees Golden Globe Award-winning actress Kate Hudson behind the wheel of the brand’s new three-row SUV.

In the launch video, viewers are ushered through a day in Hudson’s busy yet effortlessly harmonized life, where the actress moves seamlessly between professional and personal appointments.

Vote for the work here.

Inspired by Iceland: Looks Like You Need An Adventure by M&C Saatchi

Visit Iceland has thrown a bucket of frozen fjord water over us all and shocked us into a long, lost wanderlust with its latest ad campaign.

In partnership with Peel Iceland, the campaign is turning your lockdown sweatpants into boots – or more accurately, the first 100 visitors who book a spot at the pop-up shop in Reykjavik will have their old, tired sweatpants transformed by hand by Icelandic designer Ýr Jóhannsdóttir into a pair of bespoke hiking boots, with any remaining fabric becoming the bag in which to carry them home.

A 90-second music video showcases the boots in their sweaty glory, with Icelandic artist Cell7 showcasing the island’s beauty spots.

Vote for the work here.

Just Eat: Get Stuck In by McCann London

As Love Island returns to screens, headline sponsor Just Eat has revealed the idents that will grace screens for the coming months.

The ‘Get Stuck In’ campaign, created by McCann London, is spearheaded by four new arrivals – lovebirds Izzy and Lloyd, and geckos Gaz and Oz.

The characters, voiced by British rapper, singer and songwriter Lady Leshurr and stand-ups Inel Tomlinson, Tez Ilyas and Jamali Maddix respectively, will commentate on the comings and going on the island and the drama between contestants.

Vote for the work here.

Grenfell Athletic FC: Fabric of the Community by Brothers & Sisters

Creative agency Brothers & Sisters has recruited companies across Soho, who have donated resources to create an uplifting fundraising film that launches this week.

The film highlights Grenfell Athletic FC – the football club set up by members of the Grenfell community in the wake of the disaster in 2017.

The film launches the club’s new kit in collaboration with Kitlocker, with all proceeds from kit purchases going back to the Grenfell community.

Vote for the work here.

Volkswagen: Hello Confidence by DDB Sydney

While gearheads may dream of a relaxed cruise on the open road, the reality for most drivers is more stressful.

According to DDB Sydney, 79% of Australians experience some kind of anxiety around driving. And 59% of drivers fear parallel parking, worrying that they will hold up traffic or ding another vehicle in the process.

That insight has led to the agency’s latest campaign for Volkswagen, which reimagines carriageway conundrums such as merging on to the highway, navigating vast roundabouts or emergency braking for pedestrians as slasher film posters.

The campaign sells drivers on the Volkswagen Tiguan’s driver assistance features, which promise to turn tarmac nightmares into driving doddles.

Vote for the work here.

BBC: Let’s Go There by BBC Creative

In anticipation of the BBC’s coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics across TV, radio and online, BBC Creative, the broadcaster’s in-house creative agency, teamed up with Nexus Studios and Factory Fifteen to create a dynamic trail that magically reimagines the vibrant host city.

In the trail, Tokyo has been taken over by the Olympics with street signs, shops, an arcade, a Gashapon parlour, a sport fanatic’s bedroom and a J-pop music video – all jam-packed with references to Olympic sports, athletes and even BBC presenters.

Vote for the work here.

Unilever: United We Stand by RanaVerse

Unilever’s latest campaign, ‘United We Stand’, aims to shine a light on the range of lived experiences of the LGBT+ community across the UK, in a film that celebrates untold stories of Pride as part of Unilever’s ongoing commitment to help support a more inclusive society.

The short-film series, directed by film-maker Jess Kohl, shares the voices and experiences of queer British life that often goes unnoticed by mainstream media.

Stories include Aamir and Amir, who were the first gay South Asian couple to be married in Bradford; AJ and Kai, who are two young trans men in their early twenties growing up in Liverpool; Martina, who transitioned later in life and now lives in rural Yorkshire; and Millie, who lives in London.

Vote for the work here.

Reebok: Reebok Collective

Reebok is celebrating Pride month and the creative exploration of personal identity with the launch of their Reebok Collective program.

To set this initiative in motion, the collective will also be releasing a short film featuring Richie Shazam, Maxwell Pearce, Mizzko, Broderick Hunter, Amrit and Lazarus Lynch.

Reebok gave activist and artist Lazarus Lynch free reign on creating the film in collaboration with his production team and the crew. Reebok’s goal with the collective is to authentically give these creators a voice and platform to speak on issues that they are most passionate about. The group has been given creative liberty and the partnership is truly a two-way street, challenging the status quo of traditional influencer-brand relationships.

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.