This delightfully dark animation from Joan Creative for Science Moms, an organization of concerned mothers and scientists, sets out to put people’s attitudes toward the climate crisis in perspective. There’s a man with a giant lump on his arm, surrounded by doctors who tell him his mole is cancerous. An army of mechanics advise a woman that her car needs new brakes. There’s no question as to how these people will respond to the experts’ advice, so why the hesitation when 99% of climate scientists say that climate change is real? Illustrator Serge Seidlitz and animation studio Bewilder brought the idea to life.
Tinder has found a way to expand its reach with this new campaign redefining the idea of “friends with benefits.” The push for the Thai market from Wunderman Thompson Bangkok repositions the dating app, best known as a hook-up enabler, as a way of making new friends. The idea was based on research showing that Gen Z was the most likely to quit the app within a week because they’d rather not take part in hookup culture. Those who stayed, however were using it for non-dating or non-sexual meetups. The effort leans into that, playfully reconfiguring terms associated with hooking up into ones that apply to platonic interactions.
At No. 3, agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address was behind this simple but emotionally gut-wrenching PSA effort promoting consumer confidence in the coronavirus vaccine. Created for Pfizer, BioNTech and a consortium of medical organizations, the PSAs highlight the intimate moments of life that now seem so unattainable in the age of COVID, like hugging a friend or cuddling a grandchild. The scenes serve as reminders of what we can return to, but they leave the outcome up to the viewer. The endline reads, “Science can make this possible. But you can make it real.”
At No. 2, these days, we’re seeing more and more brands taking bold stands on issues—Patagonia, for example, shared its thoughts about climate change deniers on its clothing tags. The U.K.’s Rebel Kitchen, a sustainable food company that produces organic, plant-based goods, is another company with such cojones. The brand recently debuted what seemed like a Veganuary campaign, with billboards encouraging consumers to use its milk alternative product Mylk. But on social media, Rebel Kitchen revealed the ads’ hidden messages that unabashedly tell President Trump to “F off.”
This past weekend, former Governor of California and Hollywood A-Lister Arnold Schwarzennegger released a video in which he denounces the events at the Capitol on Jan,. 6, President Trump and politicians who supported his attempts to overthrow the election results. He gives a powerful speech likening the insurrection to Kristallnacht, but it's all made even more dramatic when he shares a personal story about his own father as well as not-so-subtle craft and production details worthy of a big screen film. The copywriting and his delivery pair with multiple camera angles and music fitting for the Governator’s films like “Terminator” or “Total Recall.” And then there’s the icing on the cake—two-thirds into the video, he whips out his sword from “Conan the Barbarian” as a symbol of American democracy, strengthened and tempered by the turmoil the country has endured.
That's it for the Top 5. Make sure to check out more of the best in brand creativity at Adage.com/Creativity.
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