U2 Rocks The Planet And Gisele Rolls With The Punches: 5 Ads You Should Watch Right Now

Ronaldo goes for a drive, Apple and U2 launch a marketing stunt and Ikea debuts ‘the Bookbook’. Yep, it’s just another week in AdLand!

So which ads have caught fire on the web over the last seven days? Here are our five picks.

Enjoy!

5. TAG Heuer – Ronaldo and Button Don’t Crack Under Pressure

If the fabulously popular Footkhana series of videos hadn’t sated your appetite for vehicular chicanery, then TAG Heuer has you sorted. Pairing up sporting stars Jenson Button and Cristiano Ronaldo, the spot is essentially a highlights reel of their blossoming friendship.

Beginning with Ronaldo coquettishly punting balls towards Jenson’s speeding car, they eventually go for a spin round the track, whispering sweet-nothings over the sound of roaring engines. While Button certainly has the career advantage in this particular activity, both appear to have a jolly good day out. While I’m not sure where “cracking under pressure” was meant to come into it, I think we can all agree friendship is the real winner.

4. Apple – Echoes

Managing somehow to eclipse the media light of their golden child, the iPhone 6, Apple’s latest marketing stunt has rankled quite a few people online. In an act comparable to the 21st century equivalent of Santa climbing down the chimney to secretly proffer presents, the mega-brand recently uploaded a copy of U2’s new ‘Songs of Innocence’ to every single cloud-connected Apple device in the world.

You read that right, every device IN THE WHOLE WORLD. Apple’s show of cloud dominance has spawned a few predictable op-eds concerning corporate intrusion, but that hasn’t deterred their media push. Their latest spot, “Echoes”, previews the band’s single, along with displaying some vintage clips of the band. The internet may be annoyed, but Bono is certainly pretty chuffed.

3. Under Armour – Gisele Bundchen: I Will What I Want

A stripped-back ad suitable to its lean, athletic product, Under Armour’s latest in their “I Will What I Want” series has an abrasive edge. After announcing supermodel Gisele Bundchen as a spokesperson for their product, online comments bemoaned her unsuitability for the role. Instead of ignoring these jabs, the brand decided to project the tweets on the wall while Gisele beats the living hell out of a punching bag.

2. State Farm – Hans and Franz

Plenty of amazing comedies have emerged from the stage of American sketch spectacular, Saturday Night Live. How could you forget ‘The Blues Brothers’, ‘Wayne’s World’ or ‘Coneheads’? Okay, we could forget the last one.

In any case, American insurance firm State Farm revived old SNL favourites, Hans and Franz, for their latest ad. I was previously unfamiliar with Hans and Franz’s oeuvre, but the spot clues the Brits in pretty quickly: they’re muscly German guys who really like working out. That’s basically it.

Taking State Farm’s spokesperson on a crash gym regime, the hulking boys make him drag a tank and drink a dumb-bell smoothie. Eventually he’s just one of the guys, and SNL fans everywhere smile, knowing that Dana Carvey is still out and about.

1. Ikea – Experience the power of a Bookbook

Being Apple is apparently not dissimilar to being a Medieval monarch: you’re essentially in charge, but that doesn’t stop people from making jokes behind your back. While the list of Apple-slamming ads could fill a tome, Ikea’s latest stab at the genre is undoubtedly one of the best yet.

Parodying the technology brand’s rather portentous product introductions, the Swedish lifestyle company preview their yearly catalogue in a similar fashion. From the earnestness of the narration to the inspirational instrumentals underlining every little feature, agency BBH Asia Pacific have the details down to a tee.

The new era of advertising I’m looking forward to is when Apple-slamming ads slam other Apple-slamming ads. Let’s get ready to rumble.