VIDEO
Who's it for: Meridian by BC&F Dentsu
Why we like it: Meridian probably couldn't do this ad with a woman, because women could easily prioritise this situation in a moment (we don't make the rules!). However, it's great to see a jandal wearing, ice-cream wielding man is so passionate about protecting the environment – a cause we can definitely get behind. A little bit of poetic licence is used here, as it's hard to imagine a plastic bag drifting through the wind (thanks, Katy), waiting for all the obstacles in this man's path. Still, a worthy message.
VIDEO
Who's it for: Lotto NZ by DDB
Why we like it: Bold of Lotto to assume New Zealanders don't enter the game week after week in a misguided attempt at extravagant personal wealth. Bold we say! But, we do get it. Clearly, Lotto NZ has a not-too-shabby upside for society: 100 percent of profits support more than 3000 New Zealand causes. So there is that. To be fair, Lotto has a really nice cross-section of society all in one spot, and it's always lovely to see people helping others, no matter what they're doing it for.
VIDEO
Who's it for: Ford by BBDO New Zealand
Why we like it: Those who keenly follow our top picks for ads will know that here at StopPress we're absolute suckers for when brands use archive footage to track the origin story of their product. We won't tell a lie, that is absolutely our niche. So Ford really hits the nail on the head here. Automakers have the added bonus of their histories generally coinciding with the history of film – ah serendipity! Anyway, this is a great ad – it picks out some of the most iconic moments of the 20th century and makes them relevant to Ford. The only suggestion we would make is maybe a wee gargle for the narrator to sort out that croaky voice, or, at the very least, a lozenge.
