Creative chiefs review the latest ads.
This week’s ads under review are: B&Q “Flip” by Uncommon Creative Studio; V&A “Creativity. It’s what makes us human” by Adam & Eve/DDB; Tena “Last lonely menopause” by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO; Dove “Toxic influence” by Ogilvy; Malibu “Welcome to Malibu” by Wieden & Kennedy London; and Old Speckled Hen “Try everything once” by Engine.
Franki Goodwin
Executive creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi
What a bumper week! So great to see such a range of executions and ideas this time around. I briefed a hilarious preamble to myself but having reviewed the options, I’ve decided not to present them. So let’s just crack on.
B&Q
What is there to say about this ad that hasn’t been said? It’s very technically impressive of course and a great reminder that even hose pipes can have their 15 minutes of fame. But for me, the music is hands down the best part. I wonder which is more difficult; flipping a house or licensing a Bowie track to sell Polyfilla and underlay?
V&A
This is like the art-house version of the film Mannequin from 1987 but instead of Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy making ultra groovy shop windows, we’ve got contemporary dancers rampaging through the V&A. I really like it.
Tena
Maybe I’m hormonal but I found this extremely moving. When it’s a story that never gets told, you can play it straight and just be really genuine in your expression of the message. Tena has come a long way since that lady in the red pants admiring her weak bladder in the mirror and we’re all the better for it.
Dove
Dove has a fabulous history of sitting women down in rooms and filming them doing something cool that makes us, and them, cry. I’m not sure this is a classic as I found the use of deep fake didn’t quite pay off, but it’s a great platform and a huge challenge facing young people. What is Dove actually doing about it though? Or is it all on the mums to fix?
Malibu
Malibu is being reinvented for the Gen Z who actually drink. A super fun production with the art direction on fleek. It feels like they made the budget go a really long way and the attention to detail across the piece is really amazing. The coconut horse is fabulous. It’s like the world’s most fun Pinterest board come to life.
Old Speckled Hen
Imagine having to present this script to the client. “So then he gets out of the water naked and a lady badger in a hat covers her son’s eyes but has a good old look herself. Oh, don’t worry. We’ll pixelate his cock”… the things we have to do.
Al Mackie
Chief creative officer, RAPP
It feels like everyone’s busy at the moment. We could certainly use some more teams.
Just as I was sitting down to write this, I overheard a creative director quoting renowned tutor Dave Morris, saying: “If you want fill your book, look at what’s out there and try to beat it.”
I think the same applies with helping clients and brands create better work. With that in mind, I’ll give you my opinion on the work here. But if you’re a talented individual with a different perspective, I’m keen to hear yours.
It’s refreshing to see B&Q not talking about garden furniture or bank holiday clichés. The set is epic, even vertigo-inducing at points. I enjoyed the attention to detail in the transformation. Visually arresting as it is, it doesn’t really give me a reason to pick B&Q over a competitor. How about you?
The V&A work is like art, not advertising. And why not? Dancing through different topics is engaging and I love the cinematography. My mum used to take us to museums and art galleries in school holidays, so I felt nostalgic watching this.
Fortunately, the casting and choreography is more like a Years & Years music video and less like four overexcited kids bumping from exhibit to exhibit. I’m interested to see how the idea (or a different one) will open up to a broader audience.
The team at AMV keep finding new ways into wellness. #LastLonelyMenopause is no less insightful. I seem to spend a lot of time in conversations with my sisters and friends on the menopause recently — perhaps a reflection of the age of people around me. But I like the way this story focuses on the relationship with the daughter. It’s fun without making fun and it’s honest. Can you think of other sectors this approach could apply to?
The latest Dove campaign has a powerful thought. But it may have gone from leader to follower slightly in execution. Perhaps the tech is dominating the idea, or it might be the edit, but the parents’ reactions aren’t quite right for me. I wonder if there’s a more believable way of doing this (that would take the brand back to being a leader again).
That said I downloaded the pack and intend to use it to help my teenager who is suffering from a lot of these issues, so thank you.
On a brighter note, Malibu feels like it’s embracing its inner Katy Perry. Credit to the team for persuading the client to make a CGI animal out of coconuts. I feel harsh saying this, but I always compare Malibu work to the Seriously Easy Going campaign. I’d love to meet someone who could beat that.
The team behind Old Speckled Hen have clearly tried to move the brand forwards. They’ve moved from puppet to cartoon with pixelated genitals. The brand might not have come as far as Tena in the past few years but it is clearly giving it a go.
I wonder how much of the creativity was dictated (character, format, story structure). It would be interesting to see what could be done without those rails.
If you feel like I’ve almost written this more like a recruitment piece than a Private View, well, you’d be absolutely correct. So, if you believe our industry can start conversations, you love craft, and have a surprising alternative or two to some of the campaigns here, we’re looking to add that kind of talent to our team.
Al Mackie is the Chief Creative Officer at RAPP UK
This Article originally ran in Campaign in May 2022
