Singing Narwhals And The Wizard Of Oz: Five Ads You Should Watch Right Now

Coke finds its sense of humour again, narwhals sing, and a self-employed glam imp goes around offices offering women soft drinks.

Sound intriguing? Well, weary traveller, it’s only another week in AdLand.

Here’s the five best ads Unruly have been enjoying this week.

Enjoy!

5. Samsung – Movie Magic

Arguably no brand crashed this year’s Oscars ceremony as Samsung’s selfie did last year, but that doesn’t mean the tech giant weren’t bringing its A-game. Their spot, ‘Movie Magic’, aired during the 87th Academy Awards, celebrating a breed of films so lo-fi they makes Sundance indies look like The Avengers.

The joyful ad follows a woman who decides to write, produce, direct (and potentially, star in) a film in and around her house. There’s shades of DIY wonders like Son of Rambow and Be Kind Rewind, and the whole piece charmingly integrates Samsung’s ‘galaxy’ of products.

4. Sprint – Narwhals

If you’re looking to categorize Sprint’s latest ad campaign, ‘lol random’ is a pretty good place to start. Produced by Leo Burnett, the spot begins with a question: “How will you remember Sprint’s $50 unlimited plan?” The answer? Narwhals. Reams and reams of singing, dancing narwhals.

That’s pretty much the long and short of it. While some may call Sprint’s method crude, you can’t deny that it’s effective. If you enjoy songs that walk the precarious line between ear-candy catchy and rip-your-ears off annoying (ahem), then ‘Narwhals’ might be your new favourite tune.

3. Dr Pepper – Lil’ Sweet

Now, Dr Pepper offers a low-sugar treat to American Idol fans. If you enjoyed televised talent shows in the year 2002, you’ll be thrilled about the triumphant return of Justin Guarini.

For everyone else in the world, Dr Pepper’s latest spot finds singer and reality star Guarini branching out into acting. I mean, branching out into acting again. Here he plays Lil’ Sweet, a self-employed glam imp who roams the earth offering strangers Diet Dr Pepper’s.

2. Coca-Cola – A Generous World

It’s not a stretch to accuse Coca-Cola of taking itself a little seriously in recent years. I mean, do we all remember when they tried to solve a contentious border dispute with a vending machine?

That’s what makes their new ‘A Generous World’ spot so refreshing – it’s an obviously silly premise that shows the brand has rediscovered its sense of humour. Set on a glistening beach boardwalk, we see strangers offering a single Coke to people less fortunate than themselves: a woman with a broken guitar string, a nun whose car gets towed, a marine biologist releasing his beloved dolphin.

While the sweet-as-sugar sentiment remains, it’s nice to see Coca-Cola straying into the absurd. More please.

1. Comcast – Emily’s Oz

Comcast’s charming new spot stars a little girl named Emily. Emily is blind, but she loves The Wizard of Oz. She says, “I think about shape. I think about colour. I think about the sound”.

Goodby Silverstein & Partners employs a dazzling visual style to bring Emily’s own Wizard of Oz to life, a version where the Lion is the size of a gerbil, the Tin Man has massive toes and Dorothy is…Emily herself. It’s meticulously created and faithful to its creator’s vision. In the equally enjoyable ‘making of‘, director Andreas Nilsson admits that Emily is the real auteur behind the spot.

Beautifully conceived and executed, ‘Emily’s Oz’ is undeniably one of the most creative campaigns of the year so far.