Sky Sports: “Greatest Moments” (Starts at 00:06) – UK
Shades of Woody Allen’s Zelig or Forrest Gump as Thierry Henry walks through some of the Premier League’s most iconic moments to mark the coming of the 2015-16 season. It’s a great way of adding a fresh twist to some familiar moments, with Henry revisiting everything from the Liverpool-Newcastle thriller of 96 to his own historic unbeaten season as an Arsenal player.
Agency: Brothers & Sisters
Director: Scott Lyon
Nike: “Short a Guy” (Starts at 01:38) – USA
The concept of a timeout doesn’t apply in this exhilarating ad for Nike. A skate down the street leads one athletic kid to become the extra man for one team sport after another. In a flash, he’s kitted up and ready to go. Having grown used to Nike and other brands focusing their attention on the big guns of basketball and both kinds of football, it’s refreshing to see sports like volleyball and lacrosse receiving their frenetic moment in the spotlight.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy (Portland)
Director: Stacy Wall
Clearasil: “Interruption” (Starts at 03:12) – USA
This advert for Clearasil from the US is a great combination of droll pragmatism and wonderful daftness. A teenage boy bemoans the one pimple on his otherwise flawless skin; telling himself it’s going to last forever. At this point his tube of Clearasil pipes up, telling him that’s not true – just like his mum won’t walk in on him forever at the wrong moment … before she demonstrates her staying power.
Agency: Droga5 (New York)
Director: Aaron Stoller
National Lottery/Lotto: “Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen” (Starts at 03:46) – UK
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen mercilessly sends himself up on behalf of the National Lottery. As those who watched last week’s documentary focusing on Llewelyn-Bowen’s efforts to internationalise his brand will already know, he is almost beyond parody but this hilarious film takes his odious ostentatiousness that bit further.
Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Director: Jeff Low
Lotto Powerball: “Pop’s Gift” (Starts at 06:20) – New Zealand
In contrast to the recent tongue-in-cheek approach adopted by Camelot to persuade UK punters to buy lottery tickets, this heart-warming advert for New Zealand’s Lotto Powerball looks at what a life-changing event can do for a family.
Agency: DDB New Zealand
Director: Steve Ayson
Ikea: “Jungle Kitchen” (Starts at 07:54) – UK
Ikea urge us to rediscover the joy of the kitchen by presenting it to us through the eyes of monkeys. A fitted kitchen nestles in a lush jungle clearing, and primates alerted to its presence bound towards the furnishings to discover what it’s all about.
Agency: Mother
Director: Juan Cabral
National Trust: “Love The Coast” (Starts at 08:58) – UK
John Cooper Clarke writes poetry without pomp; the prosody of his lines both effortless and earthy. And this advert for the National Trust, with a piece written and read by him demonstrates how powerful poetry can be when used wisely. It strikes quite a contrast with the terrible rhyming scripts that normally make an appearance during the commercial breaks.
Agency: 18 Feet & Rising
Director: Thomas Bryant
Jason Stone is the editor of David Reviews
