Life, especially now, comes with many distractions, so giving into any can have dire consequences, as we see in this hilarious campaign from Droga5 London, for Setapp, an app subscription service designed to help people focus and complete their tasks. Biscuit’s Jeff Low directed the trio of ridiculous scenarios involving a guy who gets hypnotized into thinking he’s a snake, a magic trick gone wrong and a lifelong game of hide and seek.
4. BMW: Calm Wash
Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
As the pandemic continues to take its toll, it seems marketers have started to pay mind to consumers’ need for time to relax and take a break. So in this surprising move, BMW teamed up with Goodby Silverstein & Partners to create “Calm Wash,” a video and ASMR experience that immerses you in the soothing suds and sounds of a drive-thru car wash.
The stresses of the world are also making 2020 feel like it’s lasted far too long, so brands seem to be trying to speed up time and bring 2021 on sooner. Burger King, for example, celebrated Christmas early and Popeyes just started the Times Square New Year’s countdown 135 days early, to celebrate the first birthday of its own chicken sandwich.
2. Drake: Laugh Now, Cry Later
At number two, Drake’s new “Laugh Now, Cry Later” music video serves as testament to the prominent place Nike has in pop culture. For five minutes, the musician and rapper takes viewers on a romp through the brand’s massive Beaverton, Oregon campus, shooting hoops and training with pro athletes, and frolicking through the aisles of its company store. On one hand, it feels like an extreme example of product placement, but on another, it’s a fun ride that feels right at home in the pop culture universe.
At number one, it was hard to imagine how The New York Times and Droga5 could top their highly decorated “Truth Is Worth It” ads, which represent both the best in brand messaging and craft. But they very may well have done it with “Life Needs Truth,” a new film that brings together jazz, typography, image, sound and, of course, NYT headlines, to illustrate the role the paper has in helping readers to make sense of the chaos in their lives.
That's it for the Top 5. Make sure to check out more of the best in brand creativity at Adage.com/Creativity.
