Cadbury Puddles: “Bring Me Sunshine” (Starts at 00:06) – UK
The company that represented joy as a gorilla drumming along to Phil Collins’s In the Air Tonight returns to the theme with a commercial depicting the grim life of a toy duck attached to the grill of a lorry. As Morecambe and Wise’s timeless Bring me Sunshine plays, the little fellow starts to see reflections of happiness in the puddles he passes and realises life ain’t so bad after all.
Agency: Fallon
Director: Us
Genius Bread: “Duck” (Starts at 01:08) – UK
Advertising which warns punters about bloating is usually a po-faced look at grimacing people rubbing their tummies, so it’s refreshing to see a different approach. In this commercial for Genius bread, a rotund duck is unable to manoeuvre itself into position because of its bloated girth and the message is loud and clear.
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Director: Kyra & Constantin
McDonald’s: “The Cow” (Starts at 01:33) – UK
This advert for McDonald’s addresses the tricky issue of meat provenance with surprising directness. And, having made its point, it reminds us that it’s against the rules to say anything dishonest in a commercial. The message is dressed up in a humorous fashion but, make no mistake, McDonald’s is tackling perceptions about its food with some vigour.
Agency: Leo Burnett
Director: Guy Manwaring
John Smith’s: “Dairy Farmer” (Starts at 02:37) – UK
John Smith’s advertising has frequently provided us with a laugh over the years. And this commercial featuring a dairy farmer with an unusual hobby follows in the footsteps made by Arkwright (and his talented dog); Jack Dee and Peter Kay. It’s a dryly delivered piece of comedy and it’ll be very interesting to see if this campaign captures the public’s imagination as much as the great work of the past.
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Director: <Nick Gordon
Lunchables: “Hashtag” (Starts at 03:21) – USA
Malcolm McDowell puts in an excellent performance as a grouchy old star who’s behind the times in this funny American advert. An over-the-top stunt to promote Lunchables has him failing to grasp the idea of hashtags and throwing a hissy fit because the crowd are staring at him while he’s reciting the lines he clearly doesn’t understand.
Agency: McGarry Bowen (Chicago)
Director: Wayne McClammy
Johnsonville: “Grandma” (Starts at 04:27) – USA
In this classically silly advert from the States, an extended family is enjoying a sit-down meal at which ‘mom’ is giving a speech about the quality of Johnsonville sausages. They, she says, have nothing to hide … which is more than can be said for grandma.
Agency: Droga5 (New York)
Director: Matt Aselton
Jason Stone is the editor of David Reviews
