Creative Works: top 10 ads of the week from Burberry to Burger King
At The Drum, we believe great work deserves recognition and that talented creatives should get their share of reverence for the hard work they put in. So each week we highlight our 10 favorite ads from our Creative Works section. Welcome, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite!
Burberry’s surreal campaign takes viewers on a journey through the freedom of imagination
In partnership with Adobe Stock, The Drum’s Creative Works is a handpicked selection of our favorite work from around the globe, covering digital, out-of-home (OOH), print, TV and radio. Each week, The Drum selects the 10 best ads from the section. To submit work, please fill out this online form.
This week, Burberry unveiled a surreal campaign that takes viewers on a journey through the freedom of imagination, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
In other fantastical news, with Halloween on the horizon, Burger King is giving away free food, with one spine-chilling stipulation – you must order it during the witching hour.
But of course, it’s never too early to be thinking ahead to Christmas. Gap has joined forces with global pop superstar Katy Perry to highlight the importance of love, kindness and acceptance with its new campaign ‘All Together Now.’ Perry’s remix of a Beatles classic All You Need is Love sets the optimistic tone for the festive campaign.
eBay: When You Buy a Thing, Sell a Thing by Craft
eBay is inspiring change with ‘When you buy a thing, sell a thing’ to extend the shelf life of serviceable items beyond a single owner.
Tapping into a growing environmental awareness among consumers, the McCann London campaign highlights the material and emotional value unwanted goods can bring in the right hands.
Repositioning eBay as a staple of the circular economy, the campaign differentiates the brand from other e-commerce sites by reminding members that selling can be just as rewarding as buying.
Created in partnership with Craft and production house Riff Raff, the campaign centers on a bespoke musical number, contrasting the waste associated with chucking out an old TV by passing it on to someone else so that ‘like a boomerang, love comes back to you.’
Vote for the work here.
Burberry: Open Spaces by Megaforce
British fashion house Burberry has unveiled a surreal campaign that takes viewers on a journey through the freedom of imagination. Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, ‘Open Spaces’ was created by Megaforce and produced by Riff Raff Films.
Italian fashion designer and chief creative officer of Burberry Riccardo Tisci collaborated on the film direction with Megaforce to bring the vision to life. The video features four bold individuals bounding weightlessly through fields, twisting high above a towering forest and floating beautifully over a cliff edge.
Symbolism plays a huge role in the film and toward the end we see the characters being magnetically pulled together, becoming one entity flying through the sky – a nod to our interconnectedness with nature and one another.
Vote for the work here.
Facebook: Facebook Portal by AMV BBDO
A new campaign from Facebook Portal focuses on the important connection between grandparents and grandchildren across TV, digital, social and OOH, encouraging families to take advantage of the many benefits that come with sharing experiences through video calling.
The ad marks the start of a partnership between Portal and YoungMinds, extending through 2022, to reach and recognize the vital role that trusted adults such as parents and grandparents can play in supporting the mental health of young people.
Developed with AMV BBDO, the work was driven by research that found that nearly 2 million UK grandparents only see their grandchildren once a year. So, while many families have been able to reconnect in person, the reality is most British families remain separated by geography – especially grandparents from their grandchildren.
A multi-channel strategy covers e-commerce, digital and social media ads and OOH across the country. The campaign will also include a hyper-local activation in Bournemouth. Messages of love from grandchildren will pop up in DOOH placements all over the town – home to more grandparents than anywhere else in the UK.
Vote for the work here.
David Webb: Asheville by Yard NYC
The colorful era of flower power inspires the new campaign from David Webb and creative agency Yard NYC.
Inspired by the 1960s, the ad focuses on stylized renditions of a flower, a pre-eminent symbol of the changing times of the decade, and encompasses simplicity, beauty and reverence for nature and renewal.
The jewels in the vintage-style film are a collage of signature David Webb traits: lively enamel, precious gems and hardstones in tantalizing hues and supple chains. These essential ingredients reaffirm the David Webb DNA, even as the brand evolves.
Each piece is made in the brand’s New York City workshop, situated above its Madison Avenue boutique.
Vote for the work here.
Squarespace: Everything to Sell Anything
Squarespace has introduced a new campaign inspired by the trends of the evolving small business landscape and the flourishing creator economy.
Brought to life by its award-winning in-house creative and marketing department, the spot features examples of what can be sold or monetized on Squarespace – from ceramics to podcasts, tarot card readings and voiceover services.
The spot is running across television and digital media, with OOH assets on display in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Toronto.
Vote for the work here.
Stamma: Not Just One Day by VMLY&R
Stamma, the British Stammering Association, and VMLY&R London have teamed up to launch a petition and supporting film that calls for people who stammer to be visibly and authentically portrayed in the media.
’Not Just One Day’ is a humorous spot that follows the inner monologue of someone who doesn’t see any benefits of signing online petitions, with the one exception being the new one from Stamma, which provides a focused and actionable change.
The impactful work was created by brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R London alongside film collective Acid News, and the ad is voiced by Paul Roberts, a long-standing member of Stamma, who has never been contracted for voiceover work before.
Vote for the work here.
Visit Abu Dhabi: The Time is Now by Image Nation
Actor and professional wrestler John Cena has teamed up with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism for an epic ad encouraging people to visit the United Arab Emirates capital city.
‘The Time is Now’ is an action-packed trailer that sees Cena abruptly change his travel plans, while onboard a private jet, after reading about Abu Dhabi in the in-flight magazine. Quite literally diving headfirst into his new venture, Cena dramatically parachutes from the plane, much to the dismay of the captain, taking in all the city has to offer on his descent down and eventually safely landing on The Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Created by Image Nation, an award-winning film and entertainment company, the spot has been released following the announcement that the city is welcoming all international vaccinated travelers and those traveling from Green List countries, without the need to quarantine.
Vote for the work here.
Visit Dubai: A Riveting Mystery by Mother
For the fifth installment of the epic Dubai Presents series, Dubai Tourism is ramping up the excitement with a thrilling tale of an archaeologist and a professor, played by Zac Efron and Jessica Alba, who uncover an ancient secret.
In ‘A Riveting Mystery’ the American duo star in an action-packed race against time to find the answers they need to solve an age-old mystery while having some local rivals hot on their heels.
Similar to the previous chapters, this trailer visits many areas of the city including the vast desert where we see Alba brushing away grains of sand to uncover an aged stone. Anticipation ensues as we realize they are being followed and Efron naively, yet hilariously, starts to reverse drive away – much to Alba’s annoyance.
The spot was created by independent agency Mother, with this ad being directed by Craig Gillespie – who is known for the award-winning I, Tonya movie and Disney’s latest Cruella rendition.
Vote for the work here.
Burger King: 3am Apparitions by David Madrid
Halloween is right around the corner, and to celebrate the spooky season Burger King is giving away free food, with one spine-chilling stipulation – you must order it during the witching hour.
The fast-food chain is well known for loving a bit of hocus pocus at this time of year, and has once again teamed up with creative agency David Madrid to let consumers know about the devilishly good deal.
Every day on the lead-up to October 31, at 3am for one hour only a different free meal will appear on the Burger King app. Fast-food lovers just need to download it and wait for the apparitions to occur.
Vote for the work here.
Gap: All Together Now by Mark Romanek
This holiday season, Gap has joined forces with global pop superstar Katy Perry to highlight the importance of love, kindness and acceptance with its new campaign ‘All Together Now.’ Perry’s remix of a Beatles classic All You Need is Love sets the optimistic tone for the festive campaign.
Devised by Gap global creative director Len Peltier and renowned American filmmaker Mark Romanek, the Christmas spot amplifies the power of music and storytelling to convey a sense of joy that brings people together.
Vote for the work here.