The 10 Best Commercials of 2012

Widerøe Airlines, "Grandpa's Magic Trick"
Agency: McCann, Oslo, Norway
Director: Marius Holst, 4½

Want to go for a ride? This sublime ad for a regional Norwegian airline will take you places. It has gorgeous scenery, fantastic acting, a tantalizingly slow build and enchanted payoff. The story begins with a farm boy imploring his grandfather to do a beloved magic trick again. Grandpa repeatedly declines until a slight rumble and breeze pick up, and his hands suddenly come together as if possessed. Turning sideways, he brings his closed palms to his lips, then appears to blow out an airplane into the sky with a whoosh. (The tiny jetliner is actually taking off over distant mountains.) Quiet, simple and beautiful, the ad recaptures the sense of wonder about flying that's been sorely missing from the industry of late. (The scene also hints more practically at the regularity of Widerøe flights to rural areas.) This far-flung gem, originally shown only in Norway, became a global Internet hit. "The local market is, of course, the most important for them," the McCann creatives say. "But the international attention is an inspirational bonus."



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