Guest Critic

didas: Ad most likely to get' em while they're young.Your name is Jose. You get to pick 10 of the top soccer players to be on your team. They come to your backyard to play and you get to tell them what to do, until your mother unfortunately calls you inside. But hey, you've just spent the afternoon with 10 of your heroes. What young aspiring soccer player wouldn't think that Adidas was golden?This spot is part of the Adidas "+10" campaign that celebrates the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Launched on the 10th of the 10th at 10:10, it exemplifies the "Impossible Is Nothing" platform. It is a campaign that is big in ideas and superstar names, yet it feels human and personal. It gets everyone involved. The campaign executions range from young Jose to soccer stars each handpicking a national team to play against each other. Good for Adidas. Especially when you consider where it was a few years ago. "Impossible Is Nothing" must also be the Adidas' marketing team's mantra.Snickers: Ad most likely to make the client and agency happy.Open on guy working in a carpet store about to enjoy a Snickers. Man with a guitar comes by and asks if he can help him enjoy eating the Snickers even more. Man plays guitar and sings, romancing the ingredients.After doing some great brand-building spots, maybe the client thought it was time to do a "product" spot. But how do you talk about the mouth-watering, hunger-satisfying ingredients and keep it in the voice of the brand? So the team says, "Hey, let's embrace the ingredients story. In fact, let's embellish those ingredients by having them sung by a dude with an acoustic guitar, cause somehow it doesn't sound so bad when somebody's singin' it. In fact, dramatizing those ingredients is what makes it funny."Tough challenge executed in an amusing way. Perhaps inspired by a combination of Jack Johnson meets Honda "Grrrr" soundtrack, the agency and the client did a great job with what could have been forgettable.Overall, very satisfying.Miller Lite: Ad most likely to speak to men, and get Burt Reynolds a "performance" award.This spot opens at night in a glass-walled boardroom. There are a group of men inside who have been named "the men of the square table," an updated version of the "knights of the round table." These men are a spirited collection of American male archetypes: the cowboy, the urban dude, the ex athlete, the Harley guy and the man in a category of his own, Burt Reynolds. Their purpose is to determine the "Man Laws," the rituals and rules that any decent Miller-drinking man should follow. They question and debate the use of the high-five, the clinking of bottles, and in this case, the crushing of cans. The debate ensues until a resolution is reached regarding the "Man Law" in question.All paid off by "Miller Lite, it's always a good call." The spot is well directed, wonderfully written, brilliantly cast and perfectly edited.Manlaws.com further dimensionalizes the idea and inspires great audience participation. Plus, it is possibly the best performance of Burt Reynold's career.Dunkin' Donuts: Ad most likely to win moms over and cause a spike in smoothie sales.Open on a woman in a minivan, driving her five kids to various after-school activities. Cut from one kid to the next, then to mom, chanting "Swimming, soccer, ballet, oboe ... and don't forget—karate!" Repeat list of activities one more time. The spot then suggests that mom should get herself a fruit and yogurt smoothie.Though this may not be the biggest idea in the world, there is something about this ultra simplistic, funny, slightly Wes Anderson-inspired spot that makes it work. The unexpected performance from Mom, and the insight about what she goes through, gets your attention off the top and retains it. If I were the creative team, I'd thank the director. If I were a mom, I would be motivated to stop at Dunkin' Donuts for a smoothie. In fact, I think I will anyway.

Brand Marketing

Guest Critic

Elspeth Lynn

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Elspeth Lynn