Canine Friends & VR Trends: 5 Ads You Should Watch Right Now
It’s Friday. And that means it’s time for our 5 Ads To Watch Right Now round-up. That’s right, every week we pick out the best video ads on the web so you can be fully caught up before the weekend.
This week’s bunch of freshly-picked ads is certainly an emotional one. Whether it’s the power of canine companionship, reading bedtime stories, or simply being connected with your family – it seems everybody in Adland got the memo about emotional advertising!
So without further ado, enjoy!
5. PEDIGREE® – “By My Side”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4BosVk1SRg
In 2015, Kleenex, Budweiser and Purina proved their bite was as big as their bark with puppy-focused spots that rocketed to the top of our most shared ads chart. But we haven’t seen much ‘dogvertising’ since then – at least until this spot from Pedigree & BBDO appeared. The moving video follows the story of US Marine Dan Lasko, who sustained injuries during his deployment that resulted in the amputation of most of his left leg. The Iraq war veteran battled with PTSD, until his life was changed when he met Wally the Labrador, his new best friend. ‘By My Side’ is the continuation of Pedigree’s ‘Feed the Good’ campaign, launched last year.
4. Red Cross – This history lesson will give you goosebumps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z81jMEbh1g4
Ahead of International Red Cross Day, Rode Kruis Vlaanderen (Red Cross Flanders) partnered with creative agency Duval Guillaume, known for creative experimental installations and videos, to produce this stark and powerful advert. The video features crosses from various organisations, religions and countries, alongside casualty statistics from related conflicts. It’s an effective ad that deftly handles sensitive topics, while also reminding the viewer of all the good work the Red Cross does. The video features animation from Bart Callaerts, and was produced by a creative team including Nik Sluijs, Jasper Declercq, Joey Boeters, Koenraad Lefever & Dries De Wilde.
3. Apple – Shot on iPhone – Mother’s Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFFLEN90aeI
Ahead of Mother’s Day in the USA this Sunday, Apple has released this spot celebrating mums everywhere. But instead of using actors and a production company, the tech giant has opted instead for carefully curated user content from iPhone owners all over the world. Set to a folksy piano soundtrack, the ad is very effective, in part due to its simplicity but also because of the authenticity of this kind of content.
2. Duracell – Stay Connected
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5znMZ_2w6c
When you think of Duracell ads you probably think of that very fast pink rabbit. But this latest ad from the battery manufacturer for their specialised hearing-aid batteries really plays on viewers’ heartstrings. It follows an elderly man whose poor hearing causes him to miss out on life’s important moments but whose life is restored when he receives the Duracell-powered device.
1. Samsung Mobile – Samsung Bedtime VR Stories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKjwazpmS-w
This week Samsung released a new video showing off the possibilities of VR communication with its ‘Bedtime VR Stories’ app, which allows parents and their children to share a virtual space as they read together. The video shows a mum and young daughter, wearing a Samsung Gear VR & cardboard headset respectively, who are apart for an evening but still want to spend time together. The advert flies in the face of VR nay-sayers and shows off the potential for the technology to bring people together rather than isolating them in a virtual world.
