It's rare in 2021 for advertisers to still be able to take viewers by surprise (if nothing else, life in the pandemic has thrown up so many curveballs that nothing would really surprise us anymore). Occasionally, a campaign comes along that grabs us as unexpected, whether it's an out-of-the-box idea, or a celebrity you'd never expect to see in a commercial. Here's a selection that grabbed our attention this year. 

Bossing the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is so full of celebrities these days that it’s hard to pick anyone surprising to front an ad. But Jeep managed it with the star of its 2021 in-game spot: Bruce Springsteen. In the two-minute ad by Doner called “The Middle,” the rocker, who had never before agreed to appear in a commercial, was pictured standing in the dead center of America and making clear reference to the nation’s political turmoil in the wake of the deadly Capitol riots. While “The Boss” was a big get for Jeep, its coup almost went horribly wrong; just three days after the Big Game, it was reported that Springsteen had been arrested for DWI and Jeep pulled the ad. It later reinstated it after he was cleared of the charges.

See Ad Age’s 2021 Year in Review here.

Getting high with Emirates

Brands will go to all kinds of lengths to promote their products—but this campaign literally took marketing to new heights. Emirates created a viral ad featuring a woman dressed as a flight attendant standing 2,716.54 feet up above ground atop Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Professional skydiving instructor Nicole Smith Ludvik climbed for one hour and 15 minutes to reach the top of the iconic tower, wearing a safety harness under her Emirates uniform. The video, created in-house to mark the end of restrictions for those flying from the United Arab Emirates to the U.K., got more than 6 million Instagram views.

Swim along with Adidas

In July, women were invited to swim inside a billboard at one of Dubai's most popular beaches as part of an outdoor stunt for Adidas to promote its new inclusive swimwear collection for women. What the brand called the "first ever liquid billboard" was actually a mini-swimming pool five meters high, three meters deep, made of reinforced transparent acrylic and holding 11,500 gallons of water. In a campaign by Havas Middle East, influencers took a dip and, at the same time, live footage from inside the billboard was streamed on a digital screen at the Dubai Mall ice rink.

See Ad Age’s 2021 Year in Review here.

Balenciaga's 'Simpsons' collab

Balenciaga pulled off the most unexpected collaboration of the year in October, when its runway show at Paris Fashion Week starred "The Simpsons." Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa and Maggie stormed the stage to show off its collections in a 10-minute themed show that included Bart taking to the runway on a skateboard and Marge in a full length gold gown.

Gay Santa

We’ve seen all kinds of spins on Santa over the years in commercials. Memorable turns include sunburned Santa (Tesco, 2020), "The Office" Santa (Xfinity, 2020), MAGA Santa (Posten, 2020) and a badass Mrs. Claus as the power behind the throne (Marks & Spencer, 2016). But this year, Posten, the Norwegian Postal Service, gave us gay Santa in a powerful love story that celebrates 50 years of the legalization of same-sex relationships in Norway. The beautifully made spot by agency Pol has made headlines around the world, and was so good we think it could have been extended into a movie. If it ends up as one, you heard it here first.