Best Ads of the Week: Oxfam’s ode to activism & Land O’Lakes’ local dairy documentary

This week, Visit Sweden cleared up the confusion between Sweden and Switzerland, Snickers recreated an iconic 1990s commercial and Oxfam encouraged activists to ‘stay in the fight.’

Visit Sweden: Sweden (not Switzerland) by Forsman & Bodenfors

According to Sweden’s tourism board, 43% of people in the UK admit to confusing the country with Switzerland.

To put this to rest, Visit Sweden has devised a plan to reach an agreement with its European neighbor and solidify which country can talk about certain topics, including Abba and Ikea (which are synonymous with Sweden, of course). With a good dose of humor, Visit Sweden, and its ad agency Forsman & Bodenfors, is highlighting aspects it knows will attract travelers.

Volkswagen: No Going Back by Johannes Leonardo

A stylish ad from Volkswagen introduces the world’s pickiest person when it comes to sitting down. Be it the cinema, office or at the doctor’s, no matter the shape or size of the chair, the protagonist finds something wrong with it. The punchline is that it’s only when she sits down in the Volkswagen Taos SUV that she finds comfort. It is the work of the creative ad agency Johannes Leonardo and was directed by Bjorn Rühmann.

Snickers: Who are the Chefs? by BBDO New York

Snickers released a TV commercial that older generations are likely to recognize. The new ad, titled ‘Who are the Chefs?,’ opens with a dedicated gentleman carefully painting the lines of a football field ahead of a Kansas City Chiefs match.

As hunger takes over, the well-intentioned painter inadvertently transforms the name of the home team the ‘Chiefs‘ into the ‘Chefs.‘ The uproarious twist showcases how hunger can turn even the most meticulous person into a hapless rookie. The ad, created with BBDO New York, is a direct recreation of an iconic TV spot that originally aired in 1996.

Beats by Dre: The King & the Viking

Headphones brand Beats by Dre has announced Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland as its latest brand ambassador, alongside stakeholder LeBron James.

In ‘The King & The Viking,’ viewers see the athletes‘ nearest and dearest offer compelling words of support and encouragement to the two stars. It becomes apparent that although James and Haaland operate in different worlds, their stories of perseverance are strikingly similar. The campaign comes as James’s wife Savannah and kids Bryce and Zhuri have joined Beats by Dre in the brand’s first-ever family signing.

Oxfam: Leave a Legacy, Stay in the Fight by Don’t Panic

New work for the charity Oxfam tells the story of Edith. Surrounded by her grandchildren, she relays stories about her youth spent protesting with her friends and the ‘naughty’ things they’d write on their placards.

As she talks, the ad cuts to what appears to be black-and-white flashbacks of her youth before revealing that while she doesn’t protest any more, she’s still in the fight. The ad then reveals that it isn’t her youth in London that we’ve been seeing flashbacks of, but present day in Nairobi, Kenya, where another young protestor is on a march with friends. The campaign is part of a new drive from Oxfam to ask the older generation to ‘Stay in the Fight’ by leaving a legacy in their will to continue supporting causes important to them.

Dove: Celebrate Your Hair, Your Way by Media.Monks

In a powerful new Dove commercial, Lianna ‘Li‘ Saumet of Colombian electro-tropical group Bomba Estéreo has released a remix of the band’s iconic self-love anthem, Soy Yo (I am me).

‘Celebrate Your Hair, Your Way’ reimagines the song as a rallying cry to celebrate all hair types despite society’s unrealistic beauty standards. The campaign also carries the hashtag #MyHairAMiModo (My hair, my way). With this work, Dove aims to tackle pervasive societal pressures on women to conform to certain hair standards.

Edible: There’s an Edible for that by Hone

Painful piano recital? Deceptive online date? A new ad campaign from Edible says, ‘There’s an Edible for that.’ The lighthearted and irreverent campaign demonstrates that there’s a deliverable chocolate or fruit bouquet for every moment in life, even the most cringe-worthy ones, from a mismatched online date in ‘Catfished’ to the drawn-out agony of enduring a painful performance in ‘Recital.’

Through these hilarious and candid moments, Edible aims to convey that it offers much more than just edible arrangements – it delivers the perfect solution for all of life’s complexities in under an hour. The spots were directed by Community Films’ Ben Hurst and Dave Thomas, while production strategy and creative agency Hone developed the campaign.

Dreams: Think What a Dreams Bed Could Do for You by M&C Saatchi

Bed retailer Dreams has rolled out a £4m multichannel campaign starring Gillian Anderson asking consumers to ‘Think What a Dreams Bed Could Do for You.’

In the spot, Anderson, chosen to reinforce Dreams’ quality credentials, navigates a 60-foot art installation made entirely of mattresses and invites people to question what they sleep on before showing them how a Dreams mattress could transform their sleep.

Land O’Lakes: Tulare is Incredible by Human

Throughout the month of October, Land O’Lakes – a cooperative owned by some 1,700 farmers throughout 10,000 American rural communities – is uplifting the farmers, restaurant owners and families of Tulare, an agriculture town in the heart of California’s Central Valley.

‘Tulare is Incredible’ is a new mini-documentary telling the stories of everyday Tulare residents, along with images of their daily lives, be it expansive dairy farms, morning donut runs or children playing on swingsets. Land O’Lakes says many of its farmers and pastures call Tulare home and this work represents part of the co-op’s ongoing efforts to spotlight and support farmers and their rural communities, which play an unappreciated role in America’s food system.

NSPCC: Reconnecting by Calling

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has released a poignant campaign that raises awareness of the mental health issues that can arise after giving birth.

In ‘Reconnecting,’ viewers see a new mother struggle with the isolation and difficulties that can occur after having a baby while showing the transformative effect of remaining connected to families, friends and communities. According to NHS England, the demand for perinatal mental health services rose by 40% between August 2022 and March 2023.

Interested in seeing more creative campaigns? Check out our Ad of the Day and the Best Ads of the Week sections.