Fiverr Go, Gatorade and more: creative ads of the week
Every week, I attempt to share clutter-breaking creative ads. Most ads are simply ignored – a fate worse than being disliked. So ads which get noticed and liked need to be celebrated. In this week’s list, creative ads from Fiverr, Gatorade and more.
Fiverr GO: not just another AI
In 2024 Fiverr, the marketplace for freelance services released a popular ad ‘Nobody cares’ claiming that AI is only good as the people using it. In the business world, it is accepted that while AI is an useful tool, it needs human intervention, ingenuity and creativity to make it useful. AI by itself is not an edge for enterprises. They have launched a product extension of sorts: Fiverr Go empowers freelancers to train and control personalized AI tools and enables clients to generate unique work instantly.
A new ad personifies AI as a human being ‘who is always trying to create but never getting it right’. For most of us that sums up the experience with AI tools on most occasions. Of course some get what they want through the right prompts or references but it can be said that AI tools need training of the right kind. The ad brings out the idea very well with a creative ‘before-after’ scenario which feels real and credible.
Australian Institute of Business: turn could’ve into can
Creative efforts, especially those which are linked to business success are most effective when they appeal to the intended audience. I remember downloading Snapchat a few years ago and not being able to figure it out. It wasn’t meant for me. It was meant for a much younger audience. We see efforts from brands to reach out to Generation Z of late using language as a ‘connector’. If an ad makes the viewer feel that the situation is where they are at or the protagonist represents what they feel, it’s a win.
Many mid-level or even senior executives harbour a feeling that they are under-qualified in today’s corporate world. They may see the lack of a specific degree or certification as a hindrance to career progression. A new ad from Australian Institute of Business captures this sentiment well in a light-hearted musical like treatment echoing the sentiments of such executives:
We’ve all had those “I could’ve…” moments at work. Could’ve asked for that pay rise. Could’ve landed that corner office. Could’ve done my MBA and called the c-suite, home. We’ve just launched this new campaign ‘Turn Could’ve into Can’, as an ode to all those corporate frustrations that keep us up at night—turning regrets into rhythms, longing into lyrics. With AIB’s flexible online delivery, it’s easier to balance life and work with study – turning your MBA pipedream into reality, and could’ve into can.
Agency: Cocogun
Gatorade: rejection
What motivates someone to take up jogging, cycling or hiking? A new set of ads from Gatorade suggests that even rejection can be one such motivation. A clever series of ads dramatise the moment one could be motivated to forget rejection and take up such outdoor activity. It’s a bit tangential in terms of the product connect but the idea does have an appeal once the penny drops.
Agency: El Taier DDB
Stella Artois: worth it
Going out to a restaurant, club or bar in a typical urban jungle means dealing with packed spaces and jostling. Despite such, the experience is seen as ‘worth it’ as it signifies a good time and unwinding, I suppose. A new outdoor campaign for Stella Artois extends its ‘for moments worth more‘ idea with beautifully shot visuals which place the brand smack bang at the centre.
Agency: Grey
World ID: select all squares
Anyone who’s been online must have experienced the CAPTCHA security measure. Very often it can be frustrating as it randomly rejects your claim of being a human. Outdoor installations from World ID, an alternate way to authenticate humans online took a jibe at CAPTCHA using the familiar visual references of cross walks and hydrants. Such installations are dependent on going viral after coverage from media outlets beyond ad portals.
Agency: Iris
Macha tea: nostalgia
Mom’s cooking and her gestures of love are memory anchors that stay with us for life. After a certain age in life, nostalgia is powerful motivation – as we saw with Paper Boat in India. A new ad from Macha Tea (not be confused with matcha tea) claims to be full of ‘mother’s love’. Such claims don’t really need concrete proof if the idea is executed well. In my view, the TVC captures the moments one would have typically experienced mother’s love in India and links it to the brand (whose name is Marathi in origin, I presume).
Back Market: let’s end fast tech
Back Market sells refurbished tech products. As a brand it makes sense for them to champion sustainable technology consumption. In a world obsessed with yearly upgrades of mobile phones, a new print campaign cleverly dramatises the impact on climate due to e-waste.
Agency: Marcel
PayPal: pay your own way (again)
Last year, Fleetwood Mac’s “I want to be with you everywhere‘ was tweaked as a jingle in an ad for Paypal, starring Will Ferrell who mouthed ‘I wanna pay with you everywhere’. A new ad references that ad with some self-deprecating humour to drive home the ease of use of PayPal.
Agency: BBH
Renault Rafale: stick to the road
The Caudron-Renault Rafale was a legendary aircraft of the 1930s. A new film for Renault Rafale, a hybrid car pays homage to the brand’s history and its link to the skies.
In 1934, an extraordinary racing aircraft opened up new horizons: the Caudron-Renault Rafale. Today, this high-flying design inspires us once again to bring the sky to the road. Renault Rafale full hybrid E-Tech, streamlined design, sculpted lines, solarbay® opacifying panoramic glass roof, openR link with Google built-in¹ and more than 50 available apps. By aiming higher, we reinvent ourselves.
The idea of ‘stick to the road’ becomes apparent if one makes the connect to the aircraft heritage. Nevertheless, the film is a masterpiece in production: To realistically create a tilted world where characters and sets are subject to gravity, everything was meticulously planned before filming. The set was mounted on hydraulic jacks, and both actors and objects were manipulated using cables. All practical effects were captured in-camera, directly on set, to deliver the most convincing visual illusions possible [Source: Ads of the World].
Also, given the heritage and the idea the ad looks very different from the typical automobile ad.
Agency: Publics Conseil
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.