Cricket Balls & Border Walls: 5 Ads You Should Watch Right Now

It’s almost summer, which means Cannes Lions, the Euros and the Rio Olympics are all just around the corner. As big brands gear up for some of Adland’s most important events, we’ve gathered up the best ads for you to catch up on over the weekend.

This week’s selection of video ads includes Lufthansa and Mars’ football ads, as well as a moving spot from Aeromexico and the hilarious return of 50 Cent. Who said ads nowadays are all the same?

So without further ado, enjoy!

5. Alpen – It All Started So Well – Cricket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HpYU9lVbMk

Alpen sends up cereal ad clichés in these two 30-second ads produced by BBH London. The brand used real YouTube fails as a starting point and worked backwards to imagine the events that led to them, and the end result is pretty hilarious. This particular video, which uses ‘Daydream Believer’ perfectly, shows us the ‘before’ to a spectacular cricket mishap.

4. Aeromexico – Fronteras

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isj2_xjulHI

This video from Mexican brand Aeromexico is not the first time ads have taken on social issues in 2016, but it definitely ranks as one of the most interesting pieces we’ve seen in recent months. Focused on the idea of ‘borders’ and the methods by which people are kept apart, the ad’s motivation is clearly Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall between USA and Mexico. By not showing any branding until late in the video, Aeromexico’s powerful message remains the centre of attention for its duration.

3. Hostelworld – In Da Hostel With 50 Cent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=espJ7oIHezk

Celebrity spots don’t often work as well as this 2-minute ad from Hostelworld, which plays on 50 Cent’s rap persona and penchant for the high-life in an ‘MTV’s Cribs’-style look at one of the brand’s finer hostels. Despite some cheesy moments, Fiddy’s unexpected comedic timing makes for absolute gold, and Hostelworld deserve credit for pulling off what could’ve been a disastrously awkward advert.

2. Lufthansa – Everyone`s Fanhansa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD9UTBWo51w

In case you didn’t know, the Euros 2016 start in 3 weeks. In anticipation a number of brands have started rolling out football ads of all shapes and sizes, including German airline Lufthansa’s comic spot, which takes a tongue-in-cheek stance on England and Germany’s bitter rivalry.

1. Mars – #BELIEVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC5bfQgSY9Y

Mars is showing its support for the England team this year with an epic Euros ad that shows a roaring crowd of British clichés following the three lions across the channel towards victory, obviously. The ad is light-hearted, and it’s hard to not feel just a little patriotic after watching.