http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsHbmi_CngIWho’s it for: Whittaker’s by Assignment Group and Capital City Films
Why we like it: We have no idea what the hell five roll means, but if Nigella says it’s good, it’s good. For a gratuitous product endorsement, it’s tastefully done—and, despite employing the services of a foreign star, talking up the brand’s New Zealand provenance and gunning for the Swiss keeps Whittaker’s in the challenger brand space.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH66RSdwTikWho’s it for: Bay Audiology by Shine and Exposure
Why we like it: Great characters, beautifully captured moments of joy (and, with the gin shot, embarrassment) and a refreshing lack of cliche for this category.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gnfcdOZTscWho’s it for: Mammoth Insulation by Sugar&Partners and Thick as Thieves
Why we like it: The catgeist keeps growing. And Prince Nikolai Stroganov III ticks all the boxes. And while there’s a fine line between inspiration and plagiarism, it has openly referenced the idea for the ad came from “a variety of internet cat memes—and our own pets”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdL_pD2nbDkWho’s it for: NZ Police by M&C Saatchi and Thick as Thieves
Why we like it: Picking up drunks may not seem too heroic, but saving them from an oncoming train as they sleep on the tracks certainly is. And playing on potential recruits’ hero instincts and embracing graffiti culture seems to be working.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owhzb9hKVbUWho’s it for: Volkswagen by DDB Guoan Beijing and The Sweet Shop
Why we like it: Old people acting like young people is always fertile comedic/advertising territory, and Steve Ayson’s latest spot for VW’s Beetle in China hits the mark.