The 18 most Bravest Campaigns Ever?
Creative Bravery can be defined in a number of ways. Is it ‘being unapologetically you no matter what space you’re in and not conforming to the standards of being a creative? Is it turning your back on the brief and doing what feels right rather than what makes you the most money or you know will keep the client happy? Or is it simply ‘proving the doubters wrong’?
One way of defining creative bravery is to simply look at the work that defines that bravery. So we asked our inuagural jury of the Kinsale Creativity Bravery awards to tell us what work for them truly represents creative bravery. Below is what they told us. A super inspiring list of work that we all wish we were making every day*. I hope you agree.
*If you have done anything brave in the last 12 months, there is still time to enter HERE (deadline is Wednesday 6th September).
Robert Senior: jury chair/CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide
REI: #OptOutside
Black Friday, a day when consumerism runs rampant. REI puts its money where its mouth is by closing its stores to encourage staff and shoppers to enjoy the outdoor rather than shop. A values driven message from a values driven brand paying the ultimate compliment to its core stakeholders of staff and shoppers. All at a potential short term commercial hit.
As Bill Bernbach said, a principle is not a principle until it costs you money.
Apple iPhone 6: World Gallery
A technology brand selling its new photographic technology to a technology obsessed audience … by demonstrating the end benefit of its technology on the oldest analogue medium in the world: big bold posters.
A compelling reminder of Apple’s purpose to unleash the creativity in everyone. And that technology is at its most powerful when it powers humanity. Genius.
Burger King: McWhopper
Burger King breaks the old adage of Brand Management that brands should never name or register your competition. This audacious PR coup did the opposite, playing into its status as the market number two and reaching out to McDonald’s to unite behind a common cause. McDonalds played into their hands and the rest is history. Another reminder of George Bernard Shaw’s assertion that progress lies in the hands of the unreasonable. And for that matter the brave.
Juliette Larthe: co-founder and EP at Prettybird
Nike: Equality
The Nike Equality ad by Melina Matsoukas and Fleur Fortune I feel argues for the importance of advertising as a vehicle for social change.
Sport England: This Girl Can
This Girl Can is brave because it sets out to improve the lives of girls and women by challenging and changing harmful gender constructions
Guillaume Rebbot: integrated creative director BETC Paris
State Street Global Advisors: Fearless Girl
A perfect example. Simple, strong, and popular. The power of this symbol is strong and it’s a real act of courage. It should come from an artist but it come from agency. Advertising can be useful sometimes…!
Tectate: Gender Violence
It was the first time in my life that I‘ve seen a brand which decided to exclude its consumers to protect women. Violence against women is a huge problem in Mexico and it’s so brave for a brand to stand against that. This was Bravery!
ABAAD: Undress 522
A very brave and powerful campaign against rape that forces the parliament to make a law against these kind of acts. When advertising has influence on a parliament and help people to take conscience of a problem like that. It’s really Bravery… !
Mary Doherty: founder of Red Dog Design
RSA Crashed Lives: Gillian Treacy
The bravest thing about this campaign is Gillian herself and her husband Ronan. She is left with devastating injuries while battling to cope with the loss of her little boy who was killed in the car accident after they were hit by a drunk driver. It’s a devastating suite of films and I think the agency got it just right by involving other people too who had to witness or help the family in the aftermath — nurses and gardai. It’s a very tough campaign to experience but it has to be.
END7: How to shock a celebrity
This campaign, created by Wunderman London, was based on the premise that people often turn away from charity ads that show morbid footage. To get around this, footage of the effects of tropical diseases was shown to celebrities (Emily Blunt, Eddie Redmayne etc) and their genuine reactions were filmed, thereby challenging viewers to watch what the celebrities watched. It is horrific viewing but certainly makes you want to put your hand in your pocket to help.
Heart & Stroke Foundation Logo
I think its brave to be so simple. This logo designed for the Canadian organisation by Paula Scher at Pentagram in 2011 is everything a logo like this should be; informative, emotive and memorable. Nice type too.
Lucy-Anne Ronayne: creative director at Havas London
Southern Comfort: Beach
In the dull world of die cut, aspirational booze characters I want to hang out with this guy the most.
Squarespace: DreamingWithJeff.com
I doubt there is a weirder, nor more wonderful way to demonstrate a website service’s flexibility.
Rechts gegen Rechts: Nazis Against Nazis
Going toe to toe with actual evil is about as brave as it gets, but to do so in such a fun, irreverent fashion is magical.
Chaser’s War On Everything: Remote Billboards
Over the years I have found myself thinking about this and wishing creatives got away with more stuff like this.
Dan Lucey: ECD at BBDO New York
REI: #OptOutside
I know I won’t be the only one who will choose REI’s Opt Outside as one of their picks, but I couldn’t leave it out. It’s simply too important. For a brand to risk monetary gain and sit out Black Friday to demonstrate their brand values couldn’t be braver. So, I’m piling on.
Ariel: Share the Load
Does it matter who does the laundry if you sell laundry detergent? For many brands, I have to imagine it doesn’t as long as you buy their brand of detergent. Ariel once again shows they are not afraid to challenge social norms and risk angering some loyal customers for the greater good.
Cadbury: Gorilla
Admittedly this is a wild card; maybe I’m just trying to find some white space on a list that will cite more obvious recent work. True, it doesn’t further a social cause and it didn’t put brand values above monetary gain, but it’s brave in its execution. A gorilla playing the drums to Phil Collins for a chocolate bar. I still can’t tell if I absolutely love it or if it makes no sense at all, but I wish I made it. I have to imagine the client was quite brave to trust this would work; after all, it’s not cheap to license a pop song.
Do you agree? What you would you put on the list?
And remember if you have done anything you consider brave in the last 12 months, there is still time to enter HERE.
A version of this piece first appeared in Shots magazine.
