Coming on the heels of Cannes, the Oscars of the advertising world, the 2023 Emmy Awards announced its nominations today for Outstanding Commercial.
Not surprisingly—and not without precedent—there are several repeat appearances on the Television Academy’s list by brands that collected hardware recently in the south of France.
Tech giant Apple, a perennial favorite at both awards shows, has been named four times in the category. “The Greatest,” a disability inclusion film, and “R.I.P. Leon,” a clever mix of comedy and product demo, are among the seven campaigns vying for an Emmy this year. Both recently picked up Grand Prix at Cannes, and both come from Apple’s formidable in-house creative division.
Under the Apple umbrella, AirPods and AppleTV+ also snagged nominations, the latter for a self-referential Timothée Chalamet spot in its ongoing celebrity-centric series. “Call Me” is the streaming service’s follow-up to “Everyone but Jon Hamm.”
First-time Super Bowl advertiser The Farmer’s Dog melted viewers’ hearts during the Big Game with a spot about a lifelong love between a girl and her furry BFF. The ad is now in contention for an Emmy as the adorable underdog in the heavyweight category.
Dove, another familiar name on the plaudits circuit, continues to be recognized for its unflinching “Cost of Beauty” campaign. And speaking of a familiar face—or in this case, an army of familiar faces—Squarespace has an Emmy nom for its Super Bowl ad featuring more Adam Drivers than anyone can count. Squarespace’s chief creative officer David Lee told Adweek the brand “set out to create a quirky, existential concept” and that “it’s great to be recognized for our work.”
The 75th annual Emmy Awards are scheduled to air Sept. 18 on Fox, but the current writers strike is likely to disrupt that plan. According to Variety, the TV Academy is considering a delay to November, while the network has reportedly thrown out January as an alternative window for airing for the show.
Here are the 2023 nominees for Outstanding Commercial:
