These gorgeous travel postcards that recall the tchotchkes you’d find at a souvenir stand aren’t exactly what they seem. While they feature lively, colorful designs and names of famous destination cities, they actually deliver a chilling message. They represent locations of mass shootings in the U.S. which are described in detail on the backs of the cards. It’s the latest eye-opening effort from MullenLowe and Change the Ref, the gun safety nonprofit founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son, Joaquin, died during the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The campaign, titled Shamecards, features a website where the postcards can be downloaded so you can print them out and send them to your elected state officials.
Valentine’s Day is coming up and brands seem to have gone all out with their romantic ideas. Take this effort from, of all things, an online mortgage firm. The U.K.-based Habito conducted research and found that home mortgage anxiety turns out to be a major libido killer for couples, made even worse by all the stresses of the pandemic. So, naturally, they wanted to put the sexy back into home buying and partnered with Rocky Flintstone, the builder who wrote an erotic novel and inspired his son to create the popular podcast "My Dad Wrote A Porno," to write a new sexy time tome, “Road to Completion,” which puts the “hot” back into home-buying.
Whether you’re the kind of person who carefully examines nutritional labels, or the kind who doesn’t pay them any mind, these are a set you won’t be able to ignore. Dole, along with its agency, David, projected these massive nutrition labels on the sides of buildings in L.A., New York and Baltimore. They were meant to showcase not the nutritional value of its own products, but to spark conversation and action to address gaps in nutrition access, affordability and acceptability.
In time for the Lunar New Year, Panda Express along with its AOR agency, The Many, conceived this sweet tale of cross-cultural bonding. Directed by Erica Eng of Strike Anywhere, it tells the story of a boy named Jordan, who is welcomed into the home of his neighbors, the Lee family, to partake in their Lunar New Year festivities. Jordan is indelibly moved by the sights, smells and sounds of their festivities, and by the spot’s end we discover just how indelible an impression the moment made on him.
Various advertisers, especially in the U.K., have attempted to tackle the issue of loneliness among the older generation in recent years. As the problem persists, exacerbated by the pandemic, Microsoft Xbox and agency McCann London are doing their part to help with an unexpected tool—an Xbox console. A pair of films shows how old and young relatives form deeper connections by playing games including “Minecraft” and “Forza.” Perhaps the most interesting aspect is the campaign’s “ReBoxing” initiative, which encourages young people to send their old consoles to an elderly family member.
That's it for the Top 5. Make sure to check out more of the best in brand creativity at Adage.com/Creativity.
