Talking Pets & Olympic Bets: 5 Ads You Should Watch Right Now
This week brands looked ahead to the Summer Olympics, with Wednesday marking just 100 days to Rio 2016 – and we’ve got the ads to prove it.
This week’s round-up features a heavy dose of Olympic spirit, alongside the usual Adland oddities!
P&G proved themselves the unofficial king of Olympic advertising this week with another powerful spot focused on the relationship between athletes and the people who support them most – their mums. Elsewhere in the world of advertising this week, Droga5 teamed up with nutrition company MET-Rx to give us a spin on the tried-and-tested sports ad – and Temptation Labs unveiled a product that lets you talk to cats (kind of).
So without further ado, here are the five ads to watch. Enjoy!
5. P&G – Thank You, Mom – Strong | Rio 2016 Olympic Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ3k6BFX2uw
P&G has a celebrated history with Olympics ads – its London 2012 spot still holds the gold for most shared Olympic ad of all time – so their 2016 effort has been hotly anticipated. The new advert from the CPG giant was released on Wednesday in honour of #100DaysToRio, and it’s been well worth the wait. Like previous ads, it features different athletes from different countries, and the importance of their mothers in helping them achieve their sporting success. Tissues at the ready.
4. Knorr – Love At First Taste
Knorr goes all out to test out the theory the fastest way to a person’s heart is through their stomach in its latest brilliant spot. Hiring Tatia Pilieva – the director of 2014’s mega-hit, ‘First Kiss’, for clothing brand WREN – it manages to make the slightly awkward premise believable and charming, thanks to a twist which asks these potential love-birds to share their favourite meal – but only by feeding each other.
3. MET-Rx – Love The Monster I BUS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H182i1xSitM
MET-Rx, a US sports nutrition company, teamed up with Samsung-favourite Droga5 for this powerful and almost-sinister spot. Attempting to differentiate itself from the ‘underdog’ stories of other sports brands, ‘Love The Monster’ is an unapologetic ad that positions its star as a champion who knows they are going to win. The advert works because it so effectively mimics the tone of a monster-movie trailer, complete with Inception-style, speaker-shaking bass.
2. Temptations – Catterbox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP_Aw9EMB-U
No, it’s not a leftover ad from April Fools, the ‘Catterbox’ is a real thing (almost). The device, created by Adam & Eve and Acne, is fitted on a cat like a collar and has a microphone, speaker, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The product has come from The Temptations Lab, an R&D division devoted to pet-related gadgets, that Adam & Eve/DDB helped set up. The advert is simple and shows various cat-owners interacting with their feline friends, receiving somewhat relevant responses, in English… from their cat.
1. Samsung – Family Hub: Inside the Fridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1mKwuPtGfU
Samsung is no stranger to animation, most recently they produced the successful ‘Rock, Paper Scissors’, and their latest attempt comes close to Pixar-level cuteness. The new spot shows off the Family Hub system, which basically turn your fridge door into a large, connected, touch screen, so you can manage what you have and set reminders. The advert itself gives life to the content of a couple’s fridge (played by real-life husband and wife Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard), and tells the sad story of some chocolate sauce that can’t find live amongst their healthy snacks.
