The past 12 months have formed a landmark year in the advertising industry, the first since 2019 to be truly un-shackled from the long tentacles of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the British society becoming ever-more diverse and inclusive, the advertising industry has grown to reflect this change, with a study carried out by Lloyds indicating that BAME representation had more than doubled over the past decade – with this trend only set to increase into the 2020s.
Despite creative and topical boundaries being stretched to their limits this year, it is the increased visibility of previously marginalised groups that has really marked creatives – with a conscious, concerted effort to include genuine representations of disabled people alongside a clear statement of support for the growing LGBTQ+ community in the UK.
All this begs the questions, does 2022 truly signify the cultural beginnings of the 2020s? This week, Marketing Beat spoke to a range of creative experts to better understand which ads have left a strong imprint on the industry’s imagination this year and why.
Barclaycard Business (Hammers) – Droga5
Ivan Stanojevic, creative at The&Partnership: “Everyone knows doing great ads for banks can seem like an impossible task. Somehow Droga5 managed to do one that’s funny, surprising and functional.
“I love that it manages to get the obligatory bits out of the way in the first few seconds in a very straight way and then just descends into the most insane, philosophical, existential crisis ever put to film. It’s like an Saturday Night Live (SNL) skit – back when it was very funny. It manages to make a very mundane product feel interesting and keeps you engaged throughout.”
Nike (Footballverse) – Wieden + Kennedy
Al Mills, joint executive creative director at Impero: “The test of a good TV ad is how many times you choose to watch it for non-professional reasons, e.g. because it’s frickin’ entertaining.
“I’ve watched this about 500 times. My six year old boy, despite having been scouted for Southampton FC, thinks Adidas is a football team. It’s my fault. I’ve never sat down with him in front of a game, smoked some cigarettes and shared a few cans – and yet this ad makes me want to live and breath football. It’s funny, witty, weird and ever so slightly marvellous.”
Women’s Aid (He’s Coming Home) – House 337
Grace Francis, global chief creative and design officer at WONGDOODY: “Women’s Aid team up with rising artist, Corbin Shaw to create a chilling reminder of domestic abuse during the Football World Cup. HE’S COMING HOME uses the imagery of football and English culture so prevalent in Shaw’s work to grab attention for an important issue.”
CALM (The Last Photo) – adam&eveDDB
Al Mills: “This ad is utterly captivating as it communicates one thing perfectly. The idea is given all the space it needs to breathe. It’s respectful, and yet shockingly intimate. I can imagine how hard it was to choose the right sound track and whether to even have one. The duty of care and empathy that would have been needed to gather the clips for the film, each tragic story, only hinted at, and yet it’s exactly enough.”
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National Lottery (A Christmas Love Story) – adam&eveDDB
Ivan Stanojevic: “Easily the best Christmas ad of the year. It delivers a beautiful love story while still keeping the product at its core. It pairs the “anything can happen” essence of the lottery with a simple yet relatable love story. Some beautiful craft is on display here, not only the writing and directing but also the performance the two leads deliver. It’s great to see that ads can still feel like films and can stir your emotions without being cheesy. Any ad that uses Crazy Frog as a major plot point is immediately god tier. This is the Love Actually sequel we all deserve! ”
Apple (The Greatest)
Al Mills: “I have two things to say about this ad. First, it brings back a bit of the magic you experienced when you held your first iPhone and fiddled with the touch screen. Magic. Then pretty quickly you took it for granted.
“This vicariously affords you that same feeling again, and what a great way to sell features. The second thing is – craft – the way it’s woven together musically, the sound design, shot frames, locations, casting, the authenticity in the performances, the edit choices – nothing has been rushed.”
Stella Artois (Beer, au naturel) – Mother
Ivan Stanojevic: “We often forget the power of taking a simple thought and bringing it to life in a witty way. It holds the truth of the product at its core but has so much fun with how it’s executed. There’s a Wes Anderson vibe to it with the picturesque old town location and the way it’s shot. It’s a great example of how you can make beautiful work without a word of dialogue.”
This year saw creatives pushed the boundaries of traditional social and cultural norms more than ever before, and with the rise and rise of social media and influencer marketing – one wonders whether the lines between TV advertising and social media will become increasingly blurred over the next 12 months.
