Best Ads of the Week: Heinz’s saucy compensation & Mint Mobile’s explicit deal

This week, Haribo celebrated a decade of its ‘Kids’ Voices’ campaign, Visit California debuted a $32.8m campaign and rebrand and Just Eat used relatable animal characters in its new campaign, ‘The Joy in Everything.’

Heinz: Heinz Ketchup Insurance

Heinz (which is the sixth-most-awarded advertiser in the world) has released a new campaign aimed at ketchup lovers who get a little bit carried away when using its red sauce. The condiment brand says that 48% of its customers face red sauce-related accidents regularly, but most believe it to be worth it.

For people who have a spillage, the brand is encouraging them to go on to the MyBenefits app where 57 different types of claims are covered for those who believe that Heinz is worth the risk. Heinz lovers in the UAE will have the opportunity to redeem compensation through a range of rewards, including home cleaning services, laundry assistance, handyman services and even indulgent spa treatments.

Mint Mobile: Mint Mobile’s Explicitly Premium Wireless by Maximum Effort

Mint Mobile this week unleashed its latest campaign with a side-splitting commercial titled ‘Mint Mobile’s Explicitly Premium Wireless.’ In the ad, the charismatic actor Ryan Reynolds explains Mint’s latest promotion, which offers new users plans for $15 a month. Meanwhile, Verizon customers receive a notice of a not-so-subtle $4 monthly increase in their wireless bills.

However, Reynolds appears to take the marketing team’s direction to explain the deal “explicitly” a bit too literally. “The marketing department asked me to be as explicit as possible when explaining it, so here we go,” he says in the ad. “Because we don’t love [beep]ing our customers over like Big Wireless, we’re bringing back our [beep]ing offer for premium wireless for only $15 per month. [Beep] me to the moon and back – that’s a good deal. Is that explicit enough, marketing folks?”

Haribo: Fishing by Quiet Storm

The Tangfastics maker and its agency of record, Quiet Storm, mark a decade of the ‘Kids’ Voices’ campaign with a new installment. Haribo’s latest iteration takes viewers to the misty lochs of the Scottish Highlands, where two fishermen brighten up their gloomy day by sharing a packet of Starmix, instantly inspiring a moment of childlike happiness.

While on board the boat, the two decide that the Cola-bottle-shaped sweet has great fish-catching potential. “It’s shiny,” he says, “a-a-and … fishes like shiny”. But he is less keen when his friend points out that a pair of green Goldbears looks like the Loch Ness Monster, insisting that Nessie isn’t real. When his friend teasingly asks: “Are you scared of it?” his anxious tone contradicts his response: “Noooooo!”

Visit California: Let’s Play by The Shipyard

Visit California, a nonprofit organization focused on boosting the state’s travel industry, has unveiled a joyful campaign, ‘Let’s Play.’ The commercial is part of ‘The Ultimate Playground,’ which marks Visit California’s first rebrand in over a decade. With a $32.8m media budget, the integrated campaign is set to captivate audiences in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Mexico and China.

Central to the endeavor is a 30-second commercial featuring a star in the form of a colorful beach ball – a Californian invention from 1938. The lively ball bounces between California’s iconic destinations, from the towering sequoias of Northern California to the sun-kissed beaches of SoCal. Its soundtrack is none other than ELO’s ‘Mr Blue Sky,’ which is often considered the happiest song of all time.

Just Eat: The Joy in Everyday by McCann London

Delivery platform Just Eat has launched its new brand campaign, ‘The Joy in Everyday,’ which hopes to promote the delivery app as more than just a weekend treat.

Created by McCann London, the campaign includes a series of nine 20-second films featuring animal characters that personify customer cohorts. The relatable characters include a family of squirrels, student rabbits, a suburban beaver, an otter couple and city-living moles. The spots were directed by the award-winning Tim McNaughton of the Bobbsey Twins.

Eastpak: Built to Resist by Mutant

The lifestyle brand’s latest spot is part of its ‘Built to Resist’ platform and was created by indie agency Mutant. Creativity, individuality and self-expression are words often associated with cosplay and live-action role play (LARP) communities, which is exactly what Eastpak wanted to bring to its latest brand film.

Through the ad’s array of characters, the campaign advocates resistance to the pressure of conformity and celebrates defiance against the dull reality of the mundane.

Coach: Find Yer Courage by Marcel

Coach has unveiled the ad campaign for its Spring collection that draws inspiration from AI, blurring the lines between reality and the virtual world. Starring rapper Lil Nas X alongside digital model Imma, the spot takes viewers on a journey through a lively pastel world with a giant chess board at the heart of it.

This is the first chapter of the new campaign that will also feature brand ambassadors Camila Mendes, Youngji Lee, Kōki, and Wu Jinyan. According to Coach, the project draws inspiration from the younger generation’s definition of what it means to be “real” and navigates complex layers of identity. Directed by Vallée Duhamel, photographed by Charlie Engman and imagined by creative agency Marcel, the ad is inspired by AI and created using CGI.

ConEd: Where Clean Energy Lives by Code and Theory

ConEd - Go For Clean Energy from Code and Theory on Vimeo.

Consolidated Edison (ConEd), the energy powerhouse serving the New York metropolitan area, is on a resolute mission to transform the Big Apple to 100% green energy by 2040. The company’s ambitious plan could facilitate life in the city for the next 200 years.

To help New Yorkers visualize this transformation, ConEd tapped Code and Theory to ideate and develop an awareness campaign, dubbed ‘Where Clean Energy Lives,’ in order to reshape New Yorkers’ perception of their city and encourage active participation in building this cleaner future together. The creative portrays NYC not only as a bustling metropolis, but as a collective home deserving of preservation.

B&Q: You Can Do It by Uncommon

DIY retailer B&Q has released its latest ad campaign created by London ad agency Uncommon that hopes to encourage people to tackle various tasks they might have been putting off due to a lack of confidence.

The spot is at the center of a partnership with ITV brokered by Dentsu Creative Entertainment, which launched during the final series of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away show. According to the brand, 80% of homeowners want to tackle DIY themselves, but sadly, only 36% of them feel like they have the capabilities to do it.

Volkswagen: Let’s Go for a Drive by DDB Sydney

Volkswagen Sydney released a new brand campaign that sees a lighthouse keeper go about his simple life – cleaning, cooking and tending to his lighthouse – all while looking forward to the mail boat visiting the island so that he can get in his car and drive the short distance to his letterbox.

It is Volkswagen’s first new brand campaign in Australia for seven years and introduces its ‘Let’s Go for a Drive’ platform; the ad will run on TV and is supported by out-of-home, digital and social activations.

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