From Apple to Aviation Gin: June's 5 most effective US ads
From a plethora of standout Pride campaigns to the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity and NFT.NYC, June turned out to be a never-ending cavalcade of creativity. Before it comes to a close, Jon Evans, CMO of ad ranking database System1, counts down June's five best American adverts.
Target: "Best Friends for All Kids" / Target
5. Jeep: "Jeep x Jurassic"
Rating: 3.1 stars
A fun tie-in with the latest "Jurassic World" movie sees a Jeep owner raise a pet baby dinosaur, with varying levels of success. The strongest elements in the ad are the comic ones, where viewer happiness peaks, though there’s a surprising amount of fear for audience members too, despite the ad’s generally upbeat tone.
The rollercoaster emotional journey makes the ad dynamic and gives it a strong short-term spike score, while its overall rating of 3.1 stars might have been higher if it wasn’t for the deflating “just a dream” ending. It’s great to see a car ad trying something unusual, and there are plenty of chances to show off the Jeep’s various features along the way.
4. Simply Juice: “Delicious Beverages"
Rating: 3.1 stars
Eugene Cordero steps up as Simply Juice’s first on-screen spokesperson in 20 years and does a fine job, with a monologue about how choosing the simple option makes you happier. There’s a poke at the modern world with a man struggling to open his smart door and plenty of emphasis on the Simply Juices’ brand’s natural origins and approach.
Overall, it’s a friendly, good-natured ad, and while Cordero doesn’t win over every viewer on his first outing, he’s laid the groundwork for a strong brand-celebrity relationship here.
3. Apple: “Shake It”
Rating: 3.2 stars
Apple returns to a classic ad in this spot for AirPods, drawing heavily on their iconic “Silhouettes” campaign from the early days of the iPod. Now as then, the ad features dancing silhouette figures whose bright white headphones stand out against a colorful backdrop.
The AirPods’ small size means they don’t make quite the same impression, but the message of understated chic is the same. Harry Styles lends the ad some star power and helps it to a solid 3.2 star performance.
2. Aviation Gin: “Vasectomy”
Rating: 4 stars
Ryan Reynolds’ gin brand offers a follow-up to a similarly themed ad from last year. This time it’s Nick Cannon making the vasectomy cocktail, as he ruminates on the joys (and otherwise) of fatherhood. It’s rare for an ad this edgy to perform this well, and testament to the skill with which Cannon and Reynolds keep the jokes on the right side of sympathetic.
There’s plenty of negative emotion, but a lot more surprise and happiness among viewers, and the ad lands at a strong 4 stars: a great result for the liquor category. Spike, measuring short-term impact, is sky-high too. Overall, a brilliant example of an ad that’s not afraid to take risks with its humor and reaps the benefits.
1. Target: “Best Friends For All Kids”
Rating: 4.7 stars
How do you make an ad that’s all about inclusivity without feeling preachy? Target gets it exactly right with a joyful, adorable ad spotlighting how much kids love it when their dolls look like them, from their hair and skin-tone to even their glasses. There’s a lot of happiness in the delight the kids take in their dolls, and the ad feels inclusive and diverse in an easy, natural way.
While it’s framed as a montage, which can dampen the emotion of a single focus, there’s so much humanity in the kids that this still ends up topping our charts with a soaring 4.7 stars.
Jon Evans is the chief growth officer of System1, a marketing decision-making platform that helps predict and improve the commercial impact of ads and innovation.
For more, sign up for The Drum's daily US newsetter.