The World’s Best Outdoor Ads, 2011-12

—Agency: Ogilvy, Shanghai, China
Jonathan Mak Long, the 20-year-old Hong Kong design student whose logo tribute to Steve Jobs rocketed around the world last year, earned an Outdoor Grand Prix for this Coke poster which Ogilvy Shanghai commissioned after seeing the Jobs image. The minimalist poster, playing off the iconic white Coke stripe on a red background, shows two outstretched hands holding a bottle of Coke.

—Agency: Jung von Matt, Hamburg, Germany
This second Grand Prix was awarded in Outdoor to German ad agency Jung von Matt for "The Invisible Drive," a project that draped a Mercedes-Benz in an LED cloak that made it seem invisible, to promote the vehicle's zero-emissions technology.

—Agency: Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Norte invented the Photoblocker, a high-tech beer cooler "that detects when a photo is being taken and shines a flash, keeping you safe and sound" while behaving badly in clubs.

—Agency: AGE Isobar, São Paulo, Brazil
This company grew fruit in the shape of fruit boxes by using special molds in the growing process. The fruit was stamped with the brand logo, outfitted with straws and put in supermarkets as promotional items.

—Agency: Draftfcb, Buenos Aires, Argentina
This independent publisher and bookstore published The Book That Can't Wait, printed in ink that would disappear within two months of first being exposed to air and sunlight. The point: Read books now, while you can.

—Agency: Colenso BBDO, Auckland, New Zealand
For the Twig Project, Colenso packaged random twigs inside 12-packs of Monteith's Crushed Cider. The point was to reassure New Zealanders that Monteith's is made using fresh fruit, not concentrated fruit syrup.

—Agency: Serviceplan, Munich, Germany
Serviceplan created a barrel organ made from 20,000 Lego bricks to promote the release of Star Wars 3-D Episode 1. The campaign also won gold in Promo and Direct.

—Agency: Duval Guillaume Modem, Antwerp, Belgium
Innocent couples walked into a movie theater full of tough-guy bikers in this cinema stunt. Many left. Those who stayed were rewarded by Carlsberg.

—Agency: Duval Guillaume Modem, Antwerp, Belgium
To promote its launch in Belgium, TNT network placed a big red button "on an average Flemish square of an average Flemish town," and goaded people to push it. When they did, the square suddenly erupted in chaos, as actors appeared out of nowhere and flung themselves into scenes ripped from medical and legal dramas (and melodramas).

—Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Sydney, Australia
Coca-Cola personalized bottles and cans by putting people's first names on them.

—Agency: CHI & Partners, London
Ads for the paper's "Rich List" made their subjects physically proportional to their wealth. This exection with the Royal Family won gold. A series of three other ads also won gold.

—Agency: CHI & Partners, London
Ads for the paper's "Rich List" made their subjects physically proportional to their wealth. This series of three ads won gold. A separate, single exection with the Royal Family also won its own gold.

—Agency: CHI & Partners, London
Ads for the paper's "Rich List" made their subjects physically proportional to their wealth. This series of three ads won gold. A separate, single exection with the Royal Family also won its own gold.

—Agency: CHI & Partners, London
Ads for the paper's "Rich List" made their subjects physically proportional to their wealth. This series of three ads won gold. A separate, single exection with the Royal Family also won its own gold.

—Agency: McCann Worldgroup, Mumbai, India
Roadside billboards promoted swift money transfer by showing the faces of world currency switching as people drove past. Mao Zedong (Chinese Yuan) became Queen Elizabeth II (British pound). Abraham Lincoln (U.S. $5) became King Fahd (Saudi Riyal). And Benjamin Franklin (U.S. $100) became Mahatma Gandhi (Indian rupee).

—Agency: McCann Worldgroup, Mumbai, India
Roadside billboards promoted swift money transfer by showing the faces of world currency switching as people drove past. Mao Zedong (Chinese Yuan) became Queen Elizabeth II (British pound). Abraham Lincoln (U.S. $5) became King Fahd (Saudi Riyal). And Benjamin Franklin (U.S. $100) became Mahatma Gandhi (Indian rupee).

—Agency: McCann Worldgroup, Mumbai, India
Roadside billboards promoted swift money transfer by showing the faces of world currency switching as people drove past. Mao Zedong (Chinese Yuan) became Queen Elizabeth II (British pound). Abraham Lincoln (U.S. $5) became King Fahd (Saudi Riyal). And Benjamin Franklin (U.S. $100) became Mahatma Gandhi (Indian rupee).

—Agency: JWT, Mexico City
What do you need a break from? How about your smartphone and a boardroom table? Both were snapped in two in this amusing campaign, which was awarded two golds—in posters and in billboards.

—Agency: JWT, Mexico City
What do you need a break from? How about your smartphone and a boardroom table? Both were snapped in two in this amusing campaign, which was awarded two golds—in posters and in billboards.

—Agency: Draftfcb, São Paulo, Brazil
JVC's GCPX10 camera can extract stills from HD video. This campaign illustrated that by showing multiple shots—with only one staying out of the trash. The campaign won a bronze as well as a gold.

—Agency: Draftfcb, São Paulo, Brazil
JVC's GCPX10 camera can extract stills from HD video. This campaign illustrated that by showing multiple shots—with only one staying out of the trash. The campaign won a bronze as well as a gold.

—Agency: Draftfcb, São Paulo, Brazil
JVC's GCPX10 camera can extract stills from HD video. This campaign illustrated that by showing multiple shots—with only one staying out of the trash. The campaign won a bronze as well as a gold.

—Agency: BBDO, Dusseldorf, Germany
These ads for the automaker's Night View Assist feature showed obstacles up ahead as glowing typography.

—Agency: BBDO, Dusseldorf, Germany
These ads for the automaker's Night View Assist feature showed obstacles up ahead as glowing typography.

—Agency: BBDO, Dusseldorf, Germany
These ads for the automaker's Night View Assist feature showed obstacles up ahead as glowing typography.

—Agency: DDB, Singapore
This Singapore bike shop won two golds, two silvers and a bronze with its outdoor ads featuring landscapes made up of bicycle parts. The message of the ads: Take life slower, and live outside the box. Copy on this ad reads: "You live in a little box. You get into a little box that drives you to another little box. And you spend your day thinking little boxed thoughts in your little box. Till it’s time to leave for the other little box. Unbox yourself. Get a life. Get a cycle."

—Agency: DDB, Singapore
This Singapore bike shop won two golds, two silvers and a bronze with its outdoor ads featuring landscapes made up of bicycle parts. The message of the ads: Take life slower, and live outside the box. Copy on this ad reads: "Intrepid explorer journeying to the Elevator, bravely navigating past Office Politics, catching your breath at Cape Watercooler before you venture to the unknown land they call the Pantry. Step out. Get a life. Get a cycle."

—Agency: DDB, Singapore
This Singapore bike shop won two golds, two silvers and a bronze with its outdoor ads featuring landscapes made up of bicycle parts. The message of the ads: Take life slower, and live outside the box. Copy on this ad reads: "Look out the window. What do you see? Wait, there’s no window. Only a wall. And fake plastic flowers. And a fake parquet floor. A plastic coffee cup on a formica table. Artificial lighting, on all day. Get out. Get a life. Get a cycle."

—Agency: Clemenger BBDO, Sydney
A lovely, simple billboard promoting flights from Australia to the USA.

—Agency: Y&R, Mexico
These ads literally illustrated the cycle of abuse. Copy reads: "70% of abused children turn into abusive adults. Donate at savethechildren.mx. Break the circle."

—Agency: Y&R, Mexico
These ads literally illustrated the cycle of abuse. Copy reads: "70% of abused children turn into abusive adults. Donate at savethechildren.mx. Break the circle."

—Agency: Y&R, Mexico
These ads literally illustrated the cycle of abuse. Copy reads: "70% of abused children turn into abusive adults. Donate at savethechildren.mx. Break the circle."

—Agency: Lowe, Singapore
These ads for Unilever's Breeze laundry detergent showed how stains have evolved as the ingredients in food have become more complex.

—Agency: Lowe, Singapore
These ads for Unilever's Breeze laundry detergent showed how stains have evolved as the ingredients in food have become more complex.

—Agency: Lowe, Singapore
These ads for Unilever's Breeze laundry detergent showed how stains have evolved as the ingredients in food have become more complex.

—Agency: Lowe, Singapore
These ads for Unilever's Breeze laundry detergent showed how stains have evolved as the ingredients in food have become more complex.

—Agency: JWT, Shanghai, China
"Don't let germs settle down," said the copy line on these toothpaste ads, showing ancient ruins being excavated from inside teeth. The campaign also won a gold Lion in Press.

—Agency: JWT, Shanghai, China
"Don't let germs settle down," said the copy line on these toothpaste ads, showing ancient ruins being excavated from inside teeth. The campaign also won a gold Lion in Press.

—Agency: Ogilvy, São Paulo, Brazil
These ads quantified how the world would be different without its best-known billionaires.

—Agency: Ogilvy, São Paulo, Brazil
These ads quantified how the world would be different without its best-known billionaires.

—Agency: Ogilvy, São Paulo, Brazil
These ads quantified how the world would be different without its best-known billionaires.

—Agency: Ogilvy, São Paulo, Brazil
These ads quantified how the world would be different without its best-known billionaires.

—Agency: Lowe Ginkgo, Montevideo, Uruguay
This powerful campaign, drawing attention to state-sanctioned murder, restaged old photographs—minus family members who had mysteriously gone missing. The campaign also won a gold in Press.

—Agency: Lowe Ginkgo, Montevideo, Uruguay
This powerful campaign, drawing attention to state-sanctioned murder, restaged old photographs—minus family members who had mysteriously gone missing. The campaign also won a gold in Press.

—Agency: Lowe Ginkgo, Montevideo, Uruguay
This powerful campaign, drawing attention to state-sanctioned murder, restaged old photographs—minus family members who had mysteriously gone missing. The campaign also won a gold in Press.

—Agency: Lowe Ginkgo, Montevideo, Uruguay
This powerful campaign, drawing attention to state-sanctioned murder, restaged old photographs—minus family members who had mysteriously gone missing. The campaign also won a gold in Press.