iPhone 15 ‘Check in’, KitKat and more: creative ads of the week
Every week, I attempt to share a compilation of creative ads which get noticed and convey a relevant message in an interesting fashion. Here are some ads which caught my eye this past week or so.
iPhone: check in
Deciphering the difference between a feature of a product or its and its resultant benefit is a key skill that very few communication planners, creatives and brands have mastered. For example, it’s quite natural to view ‘sugar-free’ as a benefit in the food category. We see that as a promise in biscuits, chocolates and such like. But the opportunity to create distinct communication and affinity towards the brand lies in how that feature is interpreted as a benefit. The immediate benefit of sugar-free is anyway apparent to one who seeks such a product. But to bring it alive in an engaging, relevant manner is an art.
Apple has done that time & again. Remember the RIP Leon ad which dramatised the ‘unsend’ feature on the iPhone? A new ad highlights what is means to use the ‘check in’ feature on the iPhone (something I have used myself).
Lenskart: superstar vibe
I am not a big fan of stereotypes in popular culture. Unfortunately, it is something that our movies and sadly, advertising propagate. People of certain communities and regions are always portrayed in a particular way. The ‘South Indian movie’ or The South Indian film hero’ are a couple of examples, among others. Nevertheless, here’s a fun take on South Indian movies going on to become ‘pan-India hits’ of late, for Lenskart.
Agency: Moonshot
KitKat: UK winters
Here’s an example of the power of a distinct brand asset. If you ask even folks far removed from advertising to complete the sentence, ‘Have a break…’ they are likely to associate it with KitKat. Recently, during the winters in UK when scraping ice from car windscreens is an everyday task, KitKat put up this kiosk with a smart fit to the context and the famous strap line.
Agency: VML, UK
Apple: Baby Face
A demo is a great way to bring alive a feature. We saw it done very creatively with Blendtec blenders (to demonstrate strength) among others. Here’s an Instagram reel to showcase how backgrounds can be blurred and regular images turned into ‘portrait mode’ on the iPhone 15.
Agency: TBWAMedia Arts Lab
Starling Bank: bank built for you
It’s fun to wait for the denouement or the twist in an ad until the last minute. The tough part in making that twist relatable for the viewer while making them feel that those few seconds were worth it.
Agency: Wonderhood Studios
Netflix Spain: who’s watching?
In a ‘deep’ sort of take on ‘Who is watching?’ – which is a by-now familiar log in screen for Netflix users, a new ad from Spain presents the notion that a single user can be ‘many people’. Simply put, a user can like different genres at times or moods and Netflix has the variety to suit those ‘profiles’ or moods. Will need subtitles to full get it – click on the image below to watch a version with subtitles. The original Spanish ad is here.
Hackergal: women in tech
In 1987, women represented 20% of the STEM workforce in Canada. Today they still only represent, 23%. Hackergal is a non-profit which aims to change that. A new set of posters aims to bring awareness about the issue through tongue-in-cheek lines which refer to names given to voice-command services – suggesting only those seem to be getting relevant opportunities in tech.
Agency: Fuse
Reinserta: daily hurricane
Child violence is a horrific reality. The trauma that they face as victims is unimaginable. Sadly, research shows that its those familiar and ‘around’ them who perform such crimes. A new campaign from Mexico highlights this situation by juxtaposing the trauma with that of ‘Hurricane Otis‘ which hit the country recently. A powerful and spine chilling campaign which makes you want to help.
Agency: Grey, Mexico
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.