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

It was a good week for variety in creative advertising, as we had a bit of everything among the top campaigns. A spokesperson nabbed from a years-old comedy sketch. A retro-looking sneaker ad with modern cameos. An elaborate April Fools’ Day stunt we actually wished was real. A brand’s provocative anniversary campaign. And a documentary short about the history—and dubious future—of air sickness bags. Check out the full Top 5 below. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here 5. Target: Target Lady Agency: In-house Kristen Wiig originated her Target Lady character with improv group The Groundlings and went on to portray the crazy cashier character for years on “Saturday Night Live,” most recently in 2013. This week, Wiig and her character enjoyed the ultimate modern twist—appearing in an actual campaign for Target, promoting its newly revamped loyalty program. The campaign includes an impressive 12 spots, in which Wiig is as magnetically off-kilter as ever. Yes, it’s borrowed interest, but with the ultimate brand connection. The scripts and the performances are fun, too—a dose of nostalgia that should appeal to older and younger viewers alike. 4. Nike: Feel the Unreal Agency: In-house Air Max Day is a big moment for Nike every year. This year, the sneaker maker pulled a neat trick with a stylish spot that felt both retro and modern—a vintage look with some cheeky cameos. Made in-house and directed by Petra Collins, the ad tells the story of a kid who oversleeps but still makes it to basketball practice on time, thanks to his zippy Nike Air Max Dn sneakers. It’s nicely shot on 16mm film, and the cameos—from Drake, Billie Eilish, Erling Haaland and Sha’Carri Richardson—bring some extra zany charm to the piece. 3. Duolingo: Duolingo on Ice Agency: In-house Branded April Fools’ Day jokes are always a little hit or miss, but Duolingo brought the goods this year, dreaming up “Duolingo on Ice,” a four-hour skating spectacle featuring Duo the Owl and his friends singing catchy songs in over 40 languages as they teach a series of language lessons (“by any means necessary!”). Of course, it wasn’t real, though it did put tickets for the show on SeatGeek. And to be honest, the trailer below is so amusing and well realized that maybe the brand could create “Duolingo on Ice” for real. Stranger things have happened. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs 2. Burger King: The Fire’s Still Burning Agencies: Trans Company and Room 23 Brand anniversaries are usually a little boring and self-serving, but Burger King unveiled a 🔥 campaign for its 70th birthday with the simple theme “70 years later the fire’s still burning.” That’s a reference to flame grilling, of course, but it’s brought to life unexpectedly with a cast of 70-somethings whose own fires are also still burning—as we see them lovingly kissing and groping each other in the print and video ads. Senior citizens never get to be passionate in advertising, or anywhere for that matter. This was a nice rebuke to those old taboos. 1. Dramamine: The Last Barf Bag Agency: FCB Chicago Dramamine is one of the last brands you’d expect to make an interesting and fun documentary, but here we are. What a quirky subject it tackles, too—the history of air sickness bags and their slow disappearance from commercial flights. Everything is done well with this film, from the unexpected (though obvious in retrospect) choice of subject matter to the balance between the barf-bag collectors being profiled and the brand itself. (Dramamine has quite a big presence, but it never feels overly branded or gratuitous.) FCB Chicago has been taking this brand in cool new directions lately, and this is its most creative step yet—with terrific results. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here

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

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