Best Ads of the Week: Coi Leray kicks it with Foot Locker & Dove decodes mom life with AI

This week, Editora Taverna fought the good fight against gay conversion therapy Brazil, Vivo rallied to save the Amazon rainforest and Genentech spread love for moms with an animated short film.

McDonald’s: The Meal by Leo Burnett

For the first time, McDonald’s has removed the iconic smiles from its Happy Meal boxes. The move, titled ‘The Meal,’ marks Mental Health Awareness Week and encourages families to have important conversations with each other about varying emotions.

What this ad does brilliantly is put kids at the heart of this topic and show just how crucial it is to chat with younger people about how they are feeling. To remain sensitive to the topic, the fast-food chain partnered with BBC’s Children in Need for the project. This has resulted in a dedicated online hub that will host resources to encourage candid conversations on emotional well-being with children.

The Ordinary: OOH by Uncommon

The Ordinary is championing science over celebrity in its latest outdoor campaign, which highlights all the ingredients in its products. Known for its no-nonsense approach to naming its lotions and potions, the brand is advocating for transparency within the beauty industry.

What makes this ad brilliant is that it emphasizes what’s inside its products in a way that is distinctive to the brand. Notably, the color palette remains entirely monochromatic, a signature characteristic of the brand’s identity. The clean aesthetic also cleverly feeds into wellness trends that promote a simplified beauty approach. It’s refreshingly understated while still packing a punch.

Monzo: Money Never Felt Like Monzo by Uncommon

Monzo has launched its new, UK-wide, above-the-line campaign. The digital bank, which boasts 9 million customers, is highlighting the negative and stressful feelings associated with money management.

In the spot, these emotions are juxtaposed with empowering, positive ones. For example, frustrated arguments become loving embraces, tarantulas turn into head massagers and nails on a blackboard become a harpist’s gentle strums.

Foot Locker x Adidas: Start with Sneakers by Preacher

Global retailer Foot Locker, in partnership with Adidas, debuted Tuesday ‘Start with Sneakers’ – the first installment of its new campaign starring Coi Leray. In the ad, the Grammy-nominated artist is clad in an Adidas tracksuit and trendy wraparound sunglasses as she helps customers bring their visions to fruition, from styling Adidas Originals Gazelles with a red Adidas dress to turning Originals Campus 00s into the epitome of “corporate chic.”

’Start with Sneakers’ marks the beginning of Foot Locker’s year-long partnership with Leray, which promises many brand activations ahead of the release of her upcoming EP, Lemon Cars, and US tour. It also represents part of Foot Locker’s ongoing efforts to expand its women’s business. According to the brand, ‘Start with Sneakers’ prioritizes consumer trends such as sneaker culture across social media platforms TikTok and Instagram to target Gen Z women.

Volkswagen: Without the Volks, There is No Wagen by Adam&EveDDB

Volkswagen, which translates to ‘people’s car,’ has championed the true meaning behind its name in a new ad from Adam&EveDDB that commemorates the love drivers from all walks of life have for its vehicles.

Titled ‘Without the Volks, there is no Wagen,’ the ad brilliantly puts the real-life car love stories of Volkswagen owners front and center. There’s a whole range of people featured too, from grans to mums and, of course, vacationers. It’s a heartwarming and feel-good ad that demonstrates the brand’s iconic status in a humble way. The campaign was created in genuine collaboration between Volkswagen and its fans, with drivers being involved from the early stages of creative development.

Dove Chocolate: The Mom Experience Translator by Weber Shandwick

For Mother’s Day, Dove Chocolate introduced the ‘Mom Experience Translator’ to transform ‘mommy gaps’ into career opportunities once they re-enter the workforce after focusing on raising their children.

The AI-powered tool leverages OpenAI’s GPT-4 to translate parenting experiences into sought-after job skills. The campaign aims to inspire moments of joy and highlight the resilience and capabilities of mothers in all facets of life.

Genentech: A Beautiful Sight by Grey Health

Genentech, a pharma company, recently released an animated short film for its Vabysmo brand, a medication designed to treat two types of eye problems called wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema.

Created in partnership with Grey Health, ‘A Beautiful Sight’ honors mothers and caregivers dedicated to preserving their sight. Inspired by real stories and featuring innovative animation techniques, the short celebrates the bond between a mother and her son, their shared vision for the world and the profound impact of community in the face of vision loss. It narrates the importance of caring for our loved ones, especially when faced with challenges like wet age-related macular degeneration.

Vivo: Amazon Desert Rally by Africa Creative

Vivo, a Brazilian telecom company under Telefônica Brasil, recently unveiled a new project alerting to the point of no return in the Amazon Rainforest. The short film ‘Amazon Desert Rally’ highlights the unprecedented threats of drying rivers, deforestation and desertification in the Amazon rainforest through a fictitious race. Filmed on the Rio Branco in Roraima, the film portrays a dystopian future where indigenous people from the Paiter Suruí village, their ancestral homeland, train for a race on dry riverbeds.

Vivo, which bills itself as Latin America’s most sustainable tech company, developed the campaign with Brazilian indigenous tribes, such as the Paiter Suruí, environmental organizations like the IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) and the Stock Car racing series in Brazil.

Editora Taverna: The Cure by Africa Creative

In the realm of awareness-building, few mediums wield as much potential for impact as film. ‘The Cure,’ a chilling short produced by the progressive Brazilian publisher Editora Taverna, stands as a compelling testament to this truth.

With a narrative that is equally harrowing and urgent, ‘The Cure’ casts a spotlight on the pernicious practice of conversion therapy in Brazil. Through its dramatic portrayal, the film lays bare the atrocities perpetrated under the guise of “gay conversion therapy.” Viewers are confronted with scenes of LGBTQ+ individuals subjected to torture and psychological torment in the name of “treatment.” At its conclusion, a title card implores, “Let’s make conversion therapy a crime.”

Nescafé Canada: Make Your World by Courage

Nescafé Canada has just served up a delightful new campaign that’s not just about brewing the perfect cup of joe but also about reducing energy consumption one kettle at a time. In ‘80°C – Make Your World,’ viewers embark on a global journey, witnessing diverse morning brew rituals from RV kitchens to ornate Arabic homes, all prepared at 80°C (186°F) instead of the usual 100°C.

According to the brand, 5,700 cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every second. Now, imagine if each of those cups were made with just a little less energy. That’s precisely the goal of Nescafé’s campaign. Simply boiling your kettle at 80°C instead of 100°C can significantly affect energy consumption, saving up to 15.9 kWh of electricity each year. That’s not just a drop in the coffee pot; it’s enough to power your laptop for 398 hours, enjoy your favorite shows on a 50” LED TV for 199 hours or keep your refrigerator running for 265 hours, per the campaign’s website.

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