Ads of the Year

After three decades, Sir John Hegarty and Dan Wieden are still trying to one-up each other. That was immediately clear at Cannes this summer when they took the stage together to celebrate the 30th anniversaries of Bartle Bogle Hegarty and Wieden + Kennedy, founded within weeks of each other in 1982. Wieden took the first shot, showing an amusing video in which he earns various degrees and ordainments through the Internet that give him the title Lord Rev. Dr. Dan Wieden—to equal, or perhaps even eclipse, the (actually) knighted Hegarty. Later, Sir John freely admitted to hating much of Wieden's work—because it's so good. Playful ribbing between legendary creatives whose place in advertising history is secure? Sure. But it also revealed two men still passionately striving for more, feeding off their rivalry—and a good old-fashioned jealousy of each other's work—as their agencies vie to produce the great advertising of the new century. In 2012, BBH and W+K did just that—creating between them five of the year's 10 best commercials, including the top two, as chosen here by Adweek. Their work is joined by an assortment of other brilliant spots covering a wide range of products, styles, ideas and executions. There are death-defying stunts and political manifestos; fairy tales and magic tricks; heroic women and utterly foolish men. There's the daring and the goofy; the inspirational and the indelible; the outsized and the obscure. All the spots reaffirm the joy in commercials that are meant to be savored, not sidestepped. For Hegarty, it was a particularly special year—his last as BBH's global creative chief. (He sold his remaining stake in the agency to Publicis Groupe the month after Cannes.) And what a swan song it was, as "Three Little Pigs," BBH's masterpiece of craft and storytelling for The Guardian, edges out W+K's "Jogger" for Nike as our pick for the year's best ad. Yes, Hegarty won this round. But you can bet the Lord Rev. Dr. Wieden is out there somewhere, plotting his revenge. Carlton Draught, "Beer Chase" Agency: Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia Director: Steve Ayson, The Sweet Shop Beer advertising has a long, proud history of inspired stupidity. This year, few ads in the category were as moronic—in a good way!—as this instant classic from Australia's Carlton Draught. Following literally in the footsteps of the brewer's previous faux-epic crowd pleasers like "Big Ad" (2005) and "Slo Mo" (2010), "Beer Chase" opens with four bros celebrating a heist with a cheeky pint. These blokes are so endearingly dumb that they almost fail to notice that the pub is full of police. The ad quickly and humorously cuts to a chase scene, though it takes place entirely on foot, as the guys decide not to drink and drive their getaway car. As a cheesy '80s anthem plays, the boys hoof it through city streets, down alleys and over hills, losing the cops one by one until they eventually blast their way through a roadblock—well, actually, they climb gingerly over it, as the police absurdly duck and cover. Finally, our heroes—pints still precariously in hand—leap from a bridge and land on a booze cruise, where they party on. The ad wraps with the tagline "Made from beer," a wonderfully half-witted ending to 90 seconds of pure entertaining silliness. [jwplayer jpeqRcp7-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. Axe, "Susan Glenn" Agency: BBH, New York Director: Ringan Ledwidge, Rattling Stick Perhaps no spot this year felt as refreshingly out of character for a brand as Axe's "Susan Glenn." For years, the meat-heady marketer has painted its customers as dweeby chick magnets who miraculously, and frankly inexplicably, attract buxom beauties. Suddenly changing course, this spot from BBH New York was a sophisticated, nostalgic ode to the proverbial girl who got away. Peter Rosch's poetic copy has a timeless quality. Ringan Ledwidge—the only director to appear twice on this list—brings it masterfully to life with surreal, stylish visions of fond yet tortured memories from high school. The dream sequences are as romantic as any advertising put to film this year, proving that getting the girl isn't half as interesting as longing for her (and perhaps undermining Axe's traditional brand promise along the way). Kiefer Sutherland's rich narration helps build the delicate atmosphere, and his appearance in the final scene doesn't swamp it. "Everybody has had that person who renders them useless," BBH's Ari Weiss told Adweek in July. This spot, likewise, is irresistible with a charm that lingers. [jwplayer jXVZvPh9-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. Procter & Gamble, "Best Job" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Anonymous Content The feel-good commercial of this summer's London Olympics wasn't about the athletes at all. It was about their mothers. Wieden + Kennedy hired Babel director Alejandro González Iñárritu to tell the story of "Best Job," P&G's latest salute to moms, whose dedication makes the world's top athletes possible. It's easy to think of the spot as schmaltzy. Indeed, the conceit is sentimental. But watching frame by frame, you see that it's remarkably varied and skillfully interwoven, traveling from continent to continent, from homes to sporting arenas, from black to white. Yet every scene celebrates the single relationship—the ultimate one, in the end—that has helped so many young Olympians realize their dreams. Moms have a supporting role, not the starring one. This spot gave them the spotlight, returning the love they so freely give. And it was received with open arms—by mothers everywhere, by their children and by the Emmy Awards, which named "Best Job" the best spot of 2012. [jwplayer XESenpAx-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. Chrysler, "It's Halftime in America" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Director: David Gordon Green, Chelsea Pictures It's a rare commercial that can stop a rowdy Super Bowl party in its tracks. Yet Chrysler managed just that in homes and bars across the country last February with this hard-boiled two-minute manifesto from Wieden + Kennedy that dared to speak for America—in the voice of Detroit. Months before Clint Eastwood addressed an empty chair, he spoke to the people, challenging them in tough times to find hope beyond despair and to see Detroit not as a black eye but as an inspiration. "This country can't be knocked out with one punch," he says gruffly. "We get right back up again. And when we do, the world's going to hear the roar of our engines." The actor's odd furniture scolding at the Republican National Convention belatedly took some of the sheen off this spot, revealing the depth of its artifice. Still, it was the one Super Bowl ad that dared to go beyond advertising and join a larger national conversation. It did so with muscle and style. In the end, it was the game's best national ad, and a worthy successor to Chrysler's Emmy-winning "Born of Fire" spot from the year before. [jwplayer SC34nXzC-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. Red Bull, "Red Bull Stratos" Partners: Riedel Communications, FlightLine Films It takes a special kind of nerve to plan a stunt that could cause a human being to explode 24 miles above the Earth as millions watched live. Red Bull took that risk with Stratos, a months-long project that culminated on Oct. 14 with Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner leaping safely from the edge of space to the New Mexican desert below. In doing so, the energy drink rewrote the rules of content marketing, sponsorships and PR. With the heavens as a singular backdrop, the stunt tapped into a basic craving to test the limits of human potential. As Baumgartner made the longest and fastest free fall ever, Red Bull set its own record—with 8 million people watching live on YouTube. Though not a traditional commercial, the 90-second mission-highlights video is a stunning piece of film with several iconic images, including the leap from the capsule. "I'm coming home now," Baumgartner says before plunging into the void, landing eight minutes later, then dropping to his knees in triumph. With more than 30 million views, the montage may lack the craft of our other top 10 ads, but it powers into our list by sheer force of will—Baumgartner's and Red Bull's. [jwplayer 2Bvl6ZmW-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. Old Milwaukee, "Field Cut Off" Director: Jake Szymanski Production Company: Gifted Youth The best ad of Super Bowl XLVI didn't air nationally or even regionally. It aired in one town—North Platte, Neb., the country's second-smallest TV market. Comedian Will Ferrell had popped up a few months earlier in low-budget Old Milwaukee commercials in other Midwestern towns, waxing poetic about the joys of the heartland and no-nonsense beer. Now, he was back in what would be the pinnacle of a wonderfully peculiar and at times flat-out brilliant campaign. The Super Bowl spot was grander than the others—and exquisitely stupid. As Ferrell walks through a field in blue plaid shorts while stirring music plays, someone tosses him a beer. He pops it open and begins to say "Old…" when the scene abruptly ends with a fast splice. Subversive and hilarious, the ad lampooned advertising on its biggest night. The quirky and inspired media buy cost just $1,500—four ten-thousands the price of a national Super Bowl spot—to broadcast to a city of 25,000. Yet it vastly outperformed most of the night's national ads in Twitter mentions and YouTube views. Funny, innovative and socially smart, this kind of content points to the future. Just because you can still bludgeon Super Bowl viewers into submission doesn't mean you have to. [jwplayer 4YZO9ENU-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. DirecTV, "Charlie Sheen" Agency: Grey, New York Director: Tom Kuntz, MJZ The annoyances of cable TV may seem minor. But in fact, boring programs and poor customer service could be life threatening, setting in motion a series of unfortunate events that will send your life spiraling into the toilet, leading to misery, personal degradation and death (or at least, fake death). That was the darkly mirthful premise behind Grey's hilarious campaign this year for DirecTV. Creating compelling mass-market ads for a TV provider is harder than for cars or beer. But Grey did just that with a novel, quotable, meme-inducing structure for the voiceover narration, paired with amusingly bleak visuals from director Tom Kuntz. Particularly inspired was Charlie Sheen's cameo as "the unofficial poster child of bad decisions and life spiraling out of control," says Grey's Doug Fallon. The actor repaid the faith in him tenfold, delivering the funniest wordless performance of the year with his absurdly committed look at the end. Speaking at Cannes in June, Bill Clinton said this was his favorite ad campaign of the year. Join the club. [jwplayer uEsLNBOE-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. 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." [jwplayer OtEcdT6Q-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. Nike, "Jogger" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Director: Lance Acord, Park Pictures Leave it to Nike, which wasn't an official Olympic sponsor, to ambush this year's Games with the best spot of them all. Searching other places named London far from the Olympic Village for stories of everyday athletic struggle, Wieden + Kennedy found a great one in London, Ohio. Meet Nathan Sorrell, a 200-pound 12-year-old who would become the summer's most unlikely ad star. On an empty country road at dawn, he jogs slowly and painfully toward the gradually receding camera. "Greatness is just something we made up," says the voiceover by Tom Hardy. "Somehow we've come to believe greatness is a gift reserved for a chosen few. For prodigies. For superstars. And the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. Not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We're all capable of it. All of us." It's classic Nike—audacious and visually simple yet magnificent, with a populist message boiled down to a few short lines. Manipulative? Sure. Exploitative? Perhaps. Yet it distilled a brand's ethos like no other ad this year, in a way that got everybody talking, without spending millions on a sponsorship. Once again, Nike found greatness on its own terms—in sport and in advertising. [jwplayer DxgkrlXB-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. The Guardian, "Three Little Pigs" Agency: BBH, London Director: Ringan Ledwidge, Rattling Stick BBH copywriter Mark Lewis, creative director David Kolbusz, art director Matt Fitch | Photo: James Day In another charmed creative year for BBH, the agency's greatest work was literally a fairy tale. Its brilliant two-minute spot for The Guardian reimagines the Three Little Pigs as a modern news story, beginning with the Big Bad Wolf's death in a boiling pot and a SWAT team descending on the home of the porcine suspects. All of Britain is appalled at the horrific crime. But there's more to the story. Weren't the pigs just protecting their property? How could the wolf, who had asthma, blow down two of their houses? Maybe the pigs, who were behind on their mortgage payments, framed the wolf to pick up the insurance money. The Guardian's reporters chase every twist and turn, with help from readers across social media, vividly demonstrating the paper's collaborative concept of "open journalism." Grim yet playful, mythical yet supremely modern, the spot has it all: a delightful conceit, an epic vision and deft execution from director Ringan Ledwidge. Putting The Guardian at the center of the swirl of 21st century life was a defiant rebuke to those who would question newspapers' relevance today. With a huff and a puff, BBH delivered the year's greatest mix of craft and storytelling—a rousing triumph in an industry that needed it. [jwplayer OqLQ2ojY-1kT9Z8rj] Full credits here. CREDITS 10. Carlton Draught, "Beer Chase" Agency: Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia Creative Chairman: James McGrath Executive Creative Director: Ant Keogh Copywriter: Richard Williams Art Director: Anthony Phillips Executive Producer: Sonia von Bibra Production Company: The Sweet Shop Director: Steve Ayson Production Company Executive Producer: Wilf Sweetland Production Company Producer: Cindy Kavanagh Cinematographer: Greig Fraser Production Designer: Robbie Freed Offline Editor: Jack Hutchings, The Butchery Final Grade: Edel Rafferty, Method Online Editor: Nicholas Ponzoni, Fin Design & Effects Sound Design, Music Arrangers: Byron Scullin, Cornel Wilczek Music Supervision: Karl Richter, Level Two Music Music Track: Thunder in Your Heart Planning Director: Michael Derepas Planner: Sam Mackisack Managing Partner: Paul McMillan Account Director: Nick Cohen Account Manager: Brendan Taylor Carlton Draught Chief Marketing Officer: Andy Gibson General Manager of Marketing: Andrew Meldrum Senior Brand Manager: Alastair McCausland Assistant Brand Managers: Kirt Daunt, Laura King Media Agency: Mediacom Group Director, Client Communications Planning: Shaun Briggs Director, Client Communication Planning: Brett Elliot Client Communication Planner: Michael Bradley 9. Axe, "Susan Glenn" Agency: BBH New York Chief Creative Officer: John Patroulis Executive Creative Director: Ari Weiss Associate Creative Director: Nate Able Copywriter: Peter Rosch Art Director: Nate Able Head of Broadcast: Lisa Setten Agency Producer: Calleen Colburn Business Affairs Manager: Laurie Litonjua Business Director: Armando Turco Account Director: Mandy Dempsey Strategy Director: John Graham Strategy Director: Griffin Farley Strategist: Eric Fernandez Production Company: Rattling Stick Director: Ringan Ledwidge Production Company Partner/EP: Jennifer Barrons DP: Matthew Libatique Line Producer: Pat Frazier VFX Company: The Mill NY Producer: Charlotte Arnold VFX Supervisor: Iwan Zwarts Colorist: Fergus McCall Lead Flame: Iwan Zwarts Flame Assist: Albert Cook CG product : Isaiah Palmer Editorial: Work (NY) Editor: Rich Orrick Assistant Editor: Healy Snow Editorial EP: Jane Dilworth/Erica Thompson Music Composer: Phil Kay Music Company: Woodwork Music Sound Designer: Brian Emrich Mix Company: LIME Mixer: Rohan Young 8. Procter & Gamble, "Best Job" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Creative directors: Danielle Flagg, Karl Lieberman Copywriter: Kevin Jones Art director: Ollie Watson Senior agency producers: Erika Madison, Matt Hunnicutt Account team: Eric Gabrielson, Jesse Johnson Business affairs: Cindy Lewellen Executive creative directors: Mark Fitzloff, Susan Hoffman Head of broadcast production: Ben Grylewicz Production company: Anonymous Content Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Executive producers: Dave Morrison, Eric Stern, Jeff Baron Head of production: SueEllen Clair Line producer: John Benet Director of photography: Rodrigo Prieto First assistant directors: Peter Kohn, Javier Soto Production designer: Jeremy Hindle Costume designer: Casey Storm Associate producer: Chris Gallagher Production supervisor: Natalie Jacobson 7. Chrysler, "It's Halftime in America" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Creative Directors: Aaron Allen, Michael Tabtabai, Joe Staples Copywriters: Kevin Jones, Smith Henderson, Matthew Dickman Art Director: Jimm Lasser Producer: Bob Wendt Project Manager: Tamar Berk ECDs: Mark Fitzloff, Susan Hoffman Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz Production Company: Chelsea Pictures Director: David Gordon Green Executive Producers: Allison Amon, Lisa Mehling, Patrick McGoldrick Line Producer: Melinda Nugent Director of Photography: Eric Treml Editorial Company: Joint Editor: Tommy Harden Assistant Editor: Nicholas Davis Post Producers: Ryan Shanholtzer, Jennifer Patterson Post Executive Producer: Patty Brebner VFX Company: Method Studios VFX Executive Producer: Robert Owens Flame Artist: Claus Hansen VFX Producer: Colin Clarry Titles/Graphics: Method Music & Sound Company: Revolver Studios Composer: Alison Ables Producer: Collin Hegna Mix Company: Eleven Mixer: Jeff Payne Producer: DJ Fox-Engstrom 6. Red Bull, "Red Bull Stratos" Partners: Riedel Communications, FlightLine Films See the full list of partners here. 5. Old Milwaukee, "Field Cut Off" Ad Agency: Funny Or Die Director: Jake Szymanski Production Company: Gifted Youth 4. DirecTV, "Charlie Sheen" Agency: Grey, New York Chief Creative Officer: Tor Myhren Executive Creative Director: Dan Kelleher Associate Creative Directors: Doug Fallon, Steven Fogel Agency Executive Producer: Andrew Chinich Agency Associate Producer: Lindsay Myers Production Company: MJZ Director: Tom Kuntz Director of Photography: Emmanuel Lubezki Editorial Company: MacKenzie Cutler Editor: Gavin Cutler Sound Design: Sam Shaffer, MacKenzie Cutler VFX: Method NY Flame Artist/Lead: Martin Lazaro Producer: Christa Cox Nuke Artists: Ryan Leonard, David Piombino VO: Robb Webb 3. Widerøe Airlines, "Grandpa's Magic Trick" Agency: McCann, Oslo, Norwauy Copywriter: Stein Simonsen Art Director: Torstein Greni Agency Producer: Beril Holte Rasmussen Project Manager: Camilla von Borcke Account Director: Janne Espevalen Planner: Svein Saelid Production Company: 4 1/2 Director: Marius Holst Director of Photography: John Andreas Andersen Producer: Magnus Castracane Editing and Post Production Company: Storyline Studios Music: Daughter 2. Nike, "Jogger" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Global Creative Directors: Ryan O'Rourke, Alberto Ponte Interactive Creative Director: Dan Hon Copywriter: Caleb Jensen Art Director: Aramis Israel Senior Agency Producers: Erika Madison, Shelley Eisner ECDs: Mark Fitzloff, Susan Hoffman Agency Head of Production: Ben Grylewicz Production Company: Park Pictures Director/DP: Lance Acord EP: Mary Ann Marino Line Producer: David Mitchell Production Supervisor: Jason Groves Editorial Company: SpotWelders Editor: Catherine Bull Post Producers: Patrick McElroy, Carolina Wallace Post Executive Producer: David Glean Assistant Editor: Sophie Kornberg VFX Company: A52 VFX Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall VFX Producer: Scott Boyajan 2D VFX Artists: Paul Yacono, Cameron Coombs, Andy Rafael Barrios Sound Designer: Brian Emrich Mix Company: Lime Studios Mixer: Loren Silber EP: Jessica Locke 1. The Guardian, "Three Little Pigs" Agency: BBH, London Creative Director: David Kolbusz Creative Team: Matt Fitch Creative Team: Mark Lewis Producer: Davud Karbassioun Production Assistant: Genevieve Sheppard Head of Strategy: Jason Gonsalves Team Director: Ngaio Pardon Team Manager: Alex Monger Team Assistant: Katie Burkes Creative Team: Carl Broadhurst Creative Team: Peter Reid Head of Art: Mark Reddy Print Producer: Sally Green Producer: Chris Harrison Prod. Co.: Rattling Stick Director: Ringan Ledwidge DOP: Franz Lustig Editor/Editing House: Richard Orrick Post Production: The Mill - London Sound Design: Will Cohen Sound Design: Sam Brock Music: Phil Kay Music: Woodwork Music Head of Sales and Marketing: Richard Furness Marketing Manager: Anna Hayman VFX: The Mill

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Ads of the Year

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