The top 5 creative campaigns to know about right now

Every birthday is a gift. This week, a beautifully crafted film reminded us of that fact, highlighting the finiteness of life as a reminder that some are constantly fighting to celebrate their next birthday. Elsewhere, two other jarring campaigns told similar hard truths—about the dangers faced by journalists in modern society and the dire need to show compassion to the neurodiverse. Amid emotional themes, a few humorous campaigns also stood out, including a sultry and sexy lingerie campaign for a home appliance and a hilarious ice bath challenge. See the full top 5 below. Also: Ad Age 2025 Creativity Awards finalists revealed 5. Coors Light: Coors Activated Announcers Agency: Alma Kicking off the countdown at No. 5 is a fun Coors Light campaign that takes “chill” to an even colder level with radio spots recorded by voiceover actors sitting in ice baths. A hilarious video captures the frigid recording sessions, in which voice actors shiver in pain while trying to deliver the ads. The campaign from Alma is a refreshing (no pun intended) approach to audio, injecting fun and humor into a long-standing platform for the beer brand. I only hope the production crew was waiting with blankets and warmers nearby. 4. Red’s All Natural: All Naturelle Agency: Joan Studios The burrito maker, founded in 2007, got hot and steamy in a sultry, tongue-in-cheek campaign in which it touted its undying love for air fryers. Red’s partnered with lingerie brand Thistle and Spire to create a line of lingerie for its appliance lover called “All Naturale.” While the undergarments are not for sale, the stunt from Joan Studios is certainly the kind of campaign to get people talking about what goes down when burritos and air fryers get down. 3. Article 19: The Shooting Agency: Grey Mexico City A shocking film from Article 19, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and information, put into perspective the dangers journalists in Mexico face with a sobering and graphic juxtaposition of shooting tools—a camera and a gun. Created by Grey México, “The Shooting” depicts how journalists south of the border are often shot at by members of organized crime as they capture or “shoot” photos revealing the truth. The juxtaposition is chilling and comes at a time when journalists’ rights and lives are being threatened around the world. It’s a reminder of the extreme lengths reporters will go to deliver the truth. Recent news: Marketing winners and losers of the week 2. National Autistic Society: It’s How You Show Up Agency: Don’t Panic A heartwarming film from the U.K.-based National Autistic Society launched for World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) tells the story of a real autistic father, Chris, and his autistic 9-year-old daughter. In the film, Chris muses on his own experiences growing up autistic compared to those of his daughter’s, glad to find that the world is more accepting and understanding but acknowledging there is still a long way to go. The work is a reminder of the progress society has made in understanding neurodivergence and an encouragement to the world to do better by neurodiverse people. 1. SickKids: The Count Agency: FCB Canada In the top spot is a beautifully crafted film from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) that depicts the difficult and complex fight patients, families and hospital staff endure for every child’s birthday. “The Count,” launched to celebrate SickKids’ 150th anniversary, was rooted in the tradition of counting up to a person’s age. Surrealist vignettes of patients and their families capture the impact and significance of every birthday as children count to 150. The metaphoric imagery in this work is powerful, as the viewer sees a child entering a boxing ring, training in martial arts atop a candle and more. It’s a reminder of the fragility of life and the special meaning of every birthday, especially for those in hospitals.

The top 5 creative campaigns to know about right now

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