Nov 29, 2023

November 29, 2023 | 11 min read Apple takes a surprisingly somber approach in its latest holiday spot / Credit: Apple Every week, The Drum picks the top global campaigns from our Creative Works. You can submit your new work here . Trainline: New Realizations by Dude London Trainline is going off the beaten path with its latest ad , featuring a woman in various situations realizing things about the world around her. In the spot, she identifies that blinking is actually just clapping for the eyes, shoes are portable floors and that her future self is watching her through memories. Trippy stuff. It’s a tongue-in-cheek approach that has been working well for the brand. An ad released at the end of October saw a man become besties with Bigfoot. Both are part of the ’Great Journeys Start with Trainline’ brand platform, with the latest execution running across connected TV, online video, out-of-home and digital-out-of-home in Rome and Milan. The campaign is the work of the ad agency Dude London. Amica Life Insurance: What You Leave Behind by Mother New York Death is an inevitable part of life, yet it remains a topic no one wants to discuss, whether it’s dealing with the loss of a loved one or confronting one’s own mortality. Evidently, this phenomenon poses a marketing challenge for most life insurance companies. Such is the reason why Amica Life Insurance took a fresh approach with its new campaign, ‘ What You Leave Behind .’ The project, comprising three short films and an experiential event, seeks to help people find meaning and beauty in the objects left behind by someone who has passed away—be it a well-worn drum kit, a bookmarked recipe book or an antique film camera. It also compels audiences to consider fortifying their own legacy with life insurance to assist and support their loved ones in the future. Advertisement JD Sports: The Bag for Life by Uncommon Amid a sea of fanciful, often farfetched, Christmas campaigns, JD Sports’s new ad instantly stood out for its relatability. It’s the work of the creative ad agency Uncommon, centered around one simple item: the retailer’s iconic duffel bag. Throughout the past 25 years, the plastic carrier has shuttled home new trainers, lugged PE kits to school, carried leftover food, held books and more. One of the moments that captured imaginations features a horse. The teenage boy riding it is known as The Blessed Equestrian on Instagram. He has high hopes of going to the Olympics one day. It was filmed at Vauxhall City Farm, and they simply liked that it existed and that kids could go there. Montefiore Medical Center: There’s Magic in All of Us by Alto New York Montefiore Medical Center, a hospital and academic medical center in New York City, has unveiled a heartwarming short exemplifying the transformative role technology plays in the lives of people with disabilities. The five-minute film, titled ‘There’s Magic in All of Us,’ introduces viewers to Solo, a young boy with a neurological condition that affects his speech and mobility, and his younger able-bodied brother, Henry. The film was directed by Tom Hooper, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker known for his previous work on ‘The King’s Speech’ (2010) and ‘The Danish Girl’ (2015). The eye-tracking technology portrayed in the film was developed by neurologists at Montefiore’s Einstein campus. Suggested newsletters for you Handicap International: Real Minesweeper by Mutant If you grew up in the 90s, then there’s a fair chance you will be familiar with the game Minesweeper. The iconic logic puzzle features a grid of clickable tiles, with hidden ‘mines’ scattered throughout the board. The objective is to clear the board without detonating any of them. With over 100m real active landmines across the globe in roughly 60 countries, the team at Mutant is using this computer game to drive awareness and raise funds for Handicap International to help victims . Players of this game version can experience how it feels to walk in the shoes of real de-miners in Ukraine, Iraq and Laos. Throughout the game, participants are introduced to some of the victims and 270 Minesweeping heroes who clear contaminated areas daily. For them, this is anything but a game. Royal Mail: In Good Hands by AMV BBDO Royal Mail is marking its busy Christmas period with a poetic ad that celebrates the hardworking people who deliver our parcels all year long, but especially during the cold and hectic Winter months. ‘ In Good Hands ’ is set to a poem by the TS Eliot Prize-winning poet, Roger Robinson and focuses on the hands that deliver our mail. It is read by actor Sope Dirisu and guides viewers through a journey over the course of the year, showing the changing of the seasons and the rhythm of life. The spot was created by ad agency AMV BBDO. It highlights the warmth and humanity between posties and customers. Aviation American Gin: Just Friendsgiving by Maximum Effort In a nostalgic nod to the beloved 2005 Christmas rom-com Just Friends, Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart have reunited for a new seasonal ad for Aviation American Gin, aptly named ’Just Friendsgiving .’ The reunion is the first in 18 years – timed to the anniversary of Just Friends, a holiday romcom that follows friends from New Jersey who navigate their changing relationship over time. In the ad, Smart catches on quickly to the true reason behind the reunion. After a few takes, she jokingly calls Reynolds out for using her for an ad for his spirit company; he hits back that “this is a self-funded sequel predicated on a loose interpretation of IP laws so… yes, it is an ad for my Aviation American Gin.” The spot was developed by Reynolds’ creative agency, Maximum Effort. Oatly: Outdoor Stunt Oat milk brand Oatly has created an out-of-home (OOH) stunt that sees it hack its own murals to promote its launch in France. At first glance, the copy seems fairly vanilla, reading in black and white phrases like ‘Wouldn’t this wall be much nicer with a carton of oat drink?’ and ‘Is this a piece of art or one of those oat drink ads?’. In a twist, a series of online videos show that the oat drink makers have filmed delivery drivers lining up their wares with a mural to give them a new meaning. The campaign was made in-house by Oatly’s creative team and has been gaining traction across various social media channels. Apple: Fuzzy Feelings by TBWA \ Media Arts Lab With many brands leaning into humor this festive period, Apple has taken an entirely different direction and is pulling on heartstrings with its holiday ad . Titled ‘Fuzzy Feelings,’ the almost four-minute short tells of a young woman with a grumpy boss. To deal with the predicament, the office worker uses her creative skillset to make a stop-motion film on her iPhone that features the irritable manager. In various scenes, the protagonist films the miniature version of her boss falling into icy rivers, getting hit by a car, and even having snow dumped on him. As the ad progresses, the live-action shots reveal a different side to the tetchy man, and the woman begins to realize his reasons for being so cold. The film is set to the tune of Isn’t It a Pity by George Harrison from his 1970 album All Things Must Pass. With themes of forgetting to give back and being unable to see beauty all around, the lyrics fit this emotional spot.