The top 5 creative campaigns you need to know about right now

It’s still only mid-November, but the avalanche of holiday advertising is fully upon us—and we got two campaigns over the past week that rank among the better seasonal efforts we’ve seen. This week’s Top 5 also includes an amusing B2B campaign, a bold outdoor/audio effort from the U.K., and a gun-violence prevention initiative from Change the Ref that takes the group’s work well beyond creative advertising. See our favorite campaigns from the week below. Ad Age A-List & Creativity Awards Final deadline approaching for annual program Enter here 5. LinkedIn: No One Knows What You Do Agency: Maximum Effort LinkedIn is the latest brand to take a shine to Maximum Effort’s amusingly offbeat style of advertising. For this B2B campaign, the agency created two spots that have fun with the old trope that parents don’t understand what their kids do for a living. This is particularly true if the kids work in B2B jobs that involve a lot of jargon—which gives the campaign its creative hook. The work is simple, clever and fun—not words you always associate with the B2B space. 4. Luna Daily: Vulva Therapy Agency: Joan London Joan London’s first campaign is, in keeping with the agency’s DNA, bold and attention getting—with an interesting use of media, too. Created for body-care startup Luna Daily, it aims to destigmatize the word “vulva,” which famously makes people uncomfortable. Billboards and wild postings feature the word in giant block letters and direct people to call a hotline, where they can try so-called “exposure therapy”—which involves confronting that which you fear. It’s a cool mix of media and a worthy statement—not just from the brand but the agency about what we can expect from its work going forward. 3. John Lewis: Snapper, the Perfect Tree Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London Generally, the less that holiday ads rely on CGI, the better. Yet there’s something undeniably fun about the 2023 spot from John Lewis. Its first holiday effort from new agency Saatchi & Saatchi does away with some John Lewis hallmarks—the excess sentimentality, the indie cover of a classic song—in favor of something quirkier, sillier and more unexpected. The whole “Little Shop of Horrors” narrative might be borrowed equity, but it’s brought to life in entertaining fashion and nicely undercuts the season’s typical treacly platitudes—which, in the end, can feel more manufactured than this computer-generated plant does. We’ll still take “The Long Wait” over stuff like this, but kudos to Saatchi for not rehashing the tired old formulas. More news: Retailers lean into value in holiday campaigns 2. Change the Ref: Joaquin Oliver v. USA Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo Manuel and Patricia Oliver’s work at Change the Ref to curb gun violence through creative campaigns has been an inspiration—at least in shining a light on the issue. The Olivers, who lost their son at Parkland almost six years ago, are now looking at new creative strategies to move the needle on gun control. Working with Zulu Alpha Kilo, Change the Ref’s latest effort is a fundamental escalation of tactics—they’re now suing the U.S. government. Joaquin Oliver v. USA, filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, seeks a court ruling that U.S. gun policy violates the basic human right to life. While all of Change the Ref’s work has been compelling, this is on a different level—and it will be interesting to see how this suit fares in the system over in the coming months. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here 1. Amazon: Joy Ride Agency: In-house Along with last week’s Etsy campaign, this Amazon spot is among the best holiday advertising we’ve seen so far this year. The story couldn’t be simpler—three older women sitting together in a snowy park, watching kids sled down a hill. But it’s not pure nostalgia. Thanks to some useful Amazon purchases, the ladies make some new memories rather than dwelling on old ones—offering a jolt of joy rather than the pure sentimentality that so many holiday spots trade in. It’s also great to see senior citizens as the focus of a major advertiser’s holiday campaign. One of our favorite efforts this season, it’s already a contender for best holiday spot of the year. Ad Age A-List & Creativity Awards Final deadline approaching for annual program Enter here

The top 5 creative campaigns you need to know about right now

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