A view from Academy Member
Sachini Imbuldeniya, ceo and co-founder, House of Oddities
It's a wild mix for The Thinkboxes this month, and – thanks to Jude, who gets the praise for pretty much everything else – it's a clear sign that comedy and weirdness are firmly back on the advertising menu this year. And about time too.
Beavertown's modern take on Aardman's classic "Creature Comforts", but this time with more skulls, is a tasty little starter, chock full of slice-of-life humour, dry observations and inch-thick Northern accents. The result is quite delicate and certainly lives up to its "for humans and other social beings" tagline.
Sticking firmly in human empathy mode comes E45's game-changing ad about the benefits of its cream for transitioning skin. The temptation with trans identities is either to play down or go for high camp, but this threads the needle perfectly with real, insightful segments that evoke the private moments of pain and triumph that comes with transitioning. Plus it's got a real vein of knowing, self-aware humour running right through. Loved it.
While we're on self-deprecating humour... up steps Danny Dyer to steal all the best lines in Paddy Power's "Europe's Favourites" – with some deserved puncturing of British egos when it comes to Brexit, Brits abroad and '66 and all that. Completely sold by Dyer's “I'm proper brickin' it right now”.
Who to save the day (and Danny's brick-lined Y-fronts) but the mighty Jude Bellingham, for Adidas, of course? This ad had already earned "legend" status after Jude's tournament-saving overhead kick against Slovenia, and the mix of archive and celebrities lamenting over previous football miseries is beautifully shot, richly diverse and really well crafted. By the time you read this England may well be out of the Euros, but I'm choosing to believe Adidas when they say "you got this".
Which is a perfect place to dip into Tango's "The Warden", where a Shawshank-esque buttoned-up warden discovers a stash of illicit Tango Orange and is seized by the urge to...dance like a cross between a lapdancer and Pennywise the clown while toilet roll rains down on him. I've loved Tango ads my whole life ("You're an exchange student, Sebastian!") and it's great to see that subversive, slightly bonkers spirit back on our TV screens.
Who will the Thinkbox Academy vote for? And who gets your vote? Tweet us @ThinkboxTV using #Thinkboxes and view all the previous winners at www.thinkbox.tv/creative/the-thinkboxes
The Thinkboxes shortlist – May/June 2024
1. Adidas: “Hey Jude”
Adidas uses The Beatles’ Hey Jude as the soundtrack to this 2024 Uefa Euro Cup-themed ad about footballer Jude Bellingham to highlight England fans’ support for the team’s young players.
The track was chosen not only as it’s the song Bellingham was named after but also as, with the “take a sad song and make it better” theme, it’s the perfect anthem for summing up England fans’ expectation and anticipation. These emotions are powerfully depicted in scenes of fans across the country, disappointed at first in the team’s performance but then celebrating England’s success.
As former players such as Frank Lampard and Ian Wright plus famous fans including Stormzy cheer them on, a footballer walks along the tunnel to the pitch - and is revealed to be Bellingham.
Agency: Johannes Leonardo, New York Creative team: Leo Premutico, chief creative officer; Hunter Hampton, global creative director; Jeph Burton, global creative director; Alfonso Ruiz, creative director; Laszlo Szloboda, creative director; Hannah Lo Bello, associate design director; Karan Kumar, senior designer Client: Steve Marks, senior director brand communications, Adidas Production company: Spindle Director: Greg Hackett
2. Beavertown Brewery: “Pub stories: A good night out”
Beavertown Brewery’s debut TV ad brings the distinctive brand to life in unique style. The film features real people sharing their most memorable social moments of a good night out. But in a Beavertown twist, these real people have been animated in Beavertown style, depicted as Beavertown skeletons – mixing together the authenticity of real world stories and the visually impactful Beavertown world. First, several groups of friends sharing memories of good nights out were filmed. Then they were turned into hand-drawn 2D animations.
Agency: Like Minded Individuals Creative team: Ed Morris, creative director and writer Client: Tom Rainsford, marketing director, Beavertown Brewery Production company: Riff Raff Films and Black Dog Films Directors: Ed Morris and Alice Bloomfield
3. Paddy Power: “Europe’s Favourites”
England are “Europe’s favourites” to win the biggest football tournament of this summer. So claim Danny Dyer and Paddy Power in this film capturing the anticipation ahead of the Uefa Euros. The one-time EastEnders star reprises his turn as pub landlord with added swagger, playfully calling on his country to embrace this unlikely title as the England team re-engages with Europe.
A handful of Europeans from across the continent then offer their unique counterpoint perspective. The 60-second spot was intended to set the scene for the English “army” as they embarked upon their German odyssey as “Europe’s favourites”.
Agency: BBH London Creative team: Luke Till; Lawrence Bushell; Kevin Masters; Christine Turner; Marlon Rees; Aishah Siddique Client: Michelle Spillane, marketing & brand director, Paddy Power Production company: MindsEye Director: Andrew Gaynord
4. Tango: “Warden”
In “Warden”, the second instalment of Tango’s “Dangerously potent flavour campaign”,
prison inmate Pilkins smuggles contraband into his cell. The prison warden tells him to hand it over, revealing that the smuggled item is “just a bit of fizzy orange”. On further investigation, the warden discovers there is a can of Tango Orange hidden inside the generic-branded bottle. “It’s Tango Orange. The most powerful flavour on the street. Send him to the hole!” he says.
The warden then dips his finger into the drink for a taste – which causes him to break into a cringe-worthy dance in the middle of the prison with no music, as prisoners look on and a fellow inmate shouts from his cell: “He’s completely Tango’d!”
Agency: VCCP Creative team: Mark Obine, executive creative officer; George Wait, creative director Client: Munnawar Chishty, chief marketing officer, Britvic Production company: Girl&Bear Director: Ben Tonge
5. E45: “This is me, This is my space.”
This TV ad, part of the Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising award-winning campaign for skincare brand E45, shines a light on the lived experiences of trans people. In the film, a group of trans people in the privacy of their bathrooms focus on personal skincare which helps them feel confident and comfortable. The ad places particular emphasis on the physical challenges placed upon skin from transitioning - challenges relatable to trans people and sufferers of skin conditions alike. The spot is supported with a short-form social-first series called “In My Skin”.
Agency: T&Pm Creative team: Sarina Da Costa Gomez; Mika Alcock; Dan Dehlavi; Kate Allsop; Toby Allen Client: Sally Perry, global category director, skin health, Karo Healthcare Production company: Academy Films Director: Sophie Ray
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