Best Ads of the Moment feat. 2016

 ​This latest ad from Adam and Eve DDB feels really fresh and certainly blows the lockdown cobwebs away. As one of my favourite agencies, I wasn't surprised when I found out Adam and Eve had made this ad, their originality is consistent and this appears another masterpiece to add to their collection with a string of successful John Lewis Christmas ads already under their belt. This ad doesn't feel like it's associated with a car- related brand yet the zesty lemon walls are unmistakably AA colours and give the whole piece a warm and vibrant feel. The style of the ad has really been well thought through; Tukker the dog could have easily been a real-life canine actor like so many previous ads yet a handmade puppet has been used to create originality  despite the ad mimicking the 1979 Maxwell's casette tapes ad. The soundtrack pulls all elements of the ad together effectively, really giving the viewer a feeling of driving with the window down on a sunny day- a great sense of escapism is just what's needed in the current climate. Good dog, great ad. 10/10. 

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Recently released for startup energy company Bulb, it's difficult to find fault with an ad containing a talking unicorn called Terry. Bulb have certainly helped themselves by using a bright pink backdrop which immediately distances themselves from the more traditional ads of energy companies. Ads today seem to have so much unnecessary 'background stuff' going on so the clean backdrop for these ads really focuses the viewers attention on what is being said i.e. the brand message. The voiceover also lends itself well to this ad, aimed at the average consumer, by giving the impression of being an ordinary 'Terry', albeit one who is a unicorn. Oli Beale, Executive Creative Director at the time for the agency who created these ads - Anomaly - said "I hope these don't feel like energy adverts because energy adverts are generally crap". And with the exception of EDF's orange blob, I would wholeheartedly agree with him. With the creativity shown in an industry that's well known for its lack-lustre ads, its not difficult to see why Bulb is the fastest growing energy company on the market. 8.5/10. 

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Not a particularly recent ad but a firm favourite of mine due to the ginormous inflatable dinosaur. All credit to BBH, the warm summer vibes given off from this ad provide the perfect antidote to the cold winter weather when this was released in November 2016. For me, a good advert is not necessarily about the content but rather how you feel when watching it and this ad made me feel like I was at the best pool party this side of Ibiza. Surprisingly, the dinosaur is not someone in an inflatable costume as I initially thought which is testament to the incredible VFX skills of The Mill. The only dampener I'd put on this party is the disappointing voiceover at the end. J2O themselves have said they are a brand targeting the 25-35 year old market so I would question why they chose a voiceover that would be more suited to announcing train times at Waterloo. This is the only thing that kills the otherwise cool vibe so all in all a solid classic. 8/10.                             

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