Coke deftly handled its multi-brand remake of a memorable episode of ‘The Bear.’
The early advertising of 2024 has brought some unlikely trips through space and time. One campaign targeted a star system 40 light-years from Earth. Others traveled back to the ninth century—and forward to the late 21st. We also saw the first work of the year from two big spenders known for their creativity.
Check out the Top 5 campaigns of the week below.
It’s great to see the familiar face of Dr. Rick picking up where he left off last year for Progressive—with more amusing vignettes of first-time homeowners turning into their parents. This time, Rick is seen gently encouraging middle-aged-before-their-time homeowners to shed useless possessions they can’t stop hoarding. The campaign, driven by universal truths, hasn’t lost a step over the years. Here’s hoping for plenty more executions in 2024.
We’ve been getting a fair amount of mini-musicals in advertising lately, and they can be hit or miss. But NerdWallet’s entry from Deutsch LA and director Jim Jenkins hits all the right notes. It’s dystopian without being depressing, and its message from “future you” in 2074 should hit home with millennials and Gen Z who might not be thinking much about financial planning at all.
VisitLEX, the tourism board for Lexington, Kentucky, has gotten pretty out-there with its marketing over the years—everything from sneakers for horses to a “Queen’s Gambit” themed hotel room makeover. But this might be its craziest idea yet—targeting aliens by beaming a tourism ad to the Trappist-1 star system. As with last year’s MoonPie campaign, we’re not sure reaching out to aliens is the best thing for humanity, but it’s certainly a playful way to get some buzz for the city.
This isn’t technically an ad, but it certainly functioned as a promotional piece. Director Martin de Thurah’s artful short film for the National Museum of Denmark played for two years at a Vikings exhibition—and was just made public online. The commercial director’s trademark dreamlike visuals are put to good use in the 17-minute film, which earned high praise during its museum run—and helped drive foot traffic to the exhibition. A great example of the art of advertising extending to unexpected content at the core of the business.
Fans of “The Bear” came away from last season’s “Fishes” episode understandably a little traumatized. So, hats off to Coca-Cola for seeing the upside of the storytelling in that memorable hour of TV—and using it as inspiration for this multi-brand spot by Majority and WPP’s Open X. Recruting “Bear” showrunner Christopher Storer and his team for the ad brings an energy that’s sometimes lacking from Coke spots. And if some of the product shots, for me, are a little too on the nose—making some moments feel staged—the family energy is still believable and infectious. Featuring multiple brands adds to the verisimilitude as well, giving better dimension to the characters. In all, one of the better Coke spots we’ve seen in some time.
