ADWEEK recently crowned its 20 best ads of 2024but this list is different.
These are ads that have gone unnoticed or that you may have overlooked – but that doesn’t take away from their creative quality. For the second year in a rowADWEEK highlights campaigns that may not have swept industry awards shows or made headlines, but still deserve recognition.
Among this group are a self-aware parody of a luxury fashion house, a comedic road trip of a period care brand, a tourism ad using reverse psychology, a museum that sent people on a treasure hunt, and more even more.
In no particular order, here is ADWEEK’s list of hidden gems of 2024.
Rainbow wool | “Gay Rams” by Serviceplan Germany
Support for the LGBTQ+ community extends to the animal world in a fun and inspiring campaign for Rainbow Wool from agency Serviceplan. While homosexuality remains a crime in 62 countries around the world, a German sheep farm has decided to fight against inequalities by producing a textile made from the wool of homosexual rams. Serviceplan helped launch Rainbow Wool’s first fashion collectionfeaturing Tokio Hotel singer Bill Kaulitz, in a dynamic video that explains the product and the plan. –Kyle O’Brien
Courageous Conversation Global Foundation | “America Erased” by Wieden+Kennedy New York
As issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) come under constant attack in the United States, book bans are on the rise. As a result, some painful truths and valuable lessons that have shaped the country’s history are being overlooked. That’s why Wieden+Kennedy New York partnered with the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation on “America erased» to highlight the dangers of bans and censorship, especially for marginalized communities. Their goal was to spark a movement defending the freedom of students to learn the full history of their country. –Kyle O’Brien
Duolingo | “Teach your lesson, no cigarette butts” (internally)
In a five-second ad that aired during the Super Bowl, language learning app Duolingo shocked, confused and delighted audiences who watched the brand’s mascot. the rear expands and explodes into a little green owl. Duolingo’s message behind this bizarre spot was that users should follow their daily lessons, “no worries about it.” While this may have intrigued viewers, prompting some to scour the internet to understand the meaning, some were already aware of the BBL (Brazilian butt lift) joke. Regardless, the brand has managed to make a splash in a short period of time. –Kyle O’Brien
Téléflore | “Mother: A Teleflora Love Story” by The Wonderful Agency
Teleflora has advertised itself in recent years by telling heartwarming (sometimes heartbreaking) and unconventional love stories. With its Mother’s Day 2024 campaign, it made a splash with a long spot highlighting adventurous, rule-breaking, stigma-breaking women who, at one point, added the term “mother” to their many dimensions . Because mom wasn’t always a mom, you know, she had a life before giving birth. By focusing on the whole person, Teleflora broke the mold of mother-centric marketing and continued its successful two-handkerchief series. –TL Stanley
StōK Cold Brew | ‘Wred Dragon’ by maximum effort
Is that really Sir Anthony Hopkins in the furry, purple mascot costume of Wrexham AFC? Yes, insists this melodramatic, documentary-style ad which marks the first foray of the Danone-owned brand into the Super Bowl. Aired regionally and streamed, this low-key and hilarious spot stood out during the Big Game, shamelessly hijacking an American football holiday to promote a British professional football team and its coffeehouse sponsor. It also gave viewers another reason to love the tireless Hopkins. –TL Stanley
Show me organic products | “Taste Your Own Medicine” by Bandits & Friends
The David in this case (Missouri cannabis company Show-Me Organics) continued to fight his Goliath (Big Pharma) by issuing a bold challenge to opioid manufacturers to use the drugs they sell to American consumers. At the heart of the effort, a short documentary made the case for weed as an alternative to addictive prescription drugs, using pharmacy owners-turned-cannapreneurs as its stars. The content exploited public anger over the opioid epidemic, calling out pharmaceutical executives by name on social media, as a bold follow-up to the 2023 satirical campaign, “Ask Your Doctor.” –TL Stanley
Hong Kong Ballet | “Tutu Academy” by Design Army
If you ever get the chance to see Hong Kong Ballet in the flesh, take it. Otherwise, watch (and rewatch) this stunning short film that celebrates 45 years in business and launches a new training program. The longtime genre-savvy agency and brand partners landed somewhere between fantasy and sci-fi for the latest marketing effort. Aside from its entertainment value – stunning visuals and gravity-defying moves – the video gives another masterclass in how to promote classical dance to contemporary audiences. –TL Stanley
Thinx | “Road Trip over a 12 hour period” by BBDO LA and BBDO Atlanta
Natasha Leggero and Angeles. Coming up with an alternative slogan, “Comedians in cars testing panties,” was ridiculously easy. The friends, who were actually on their periods during filming, weaved their way through LA’s notorious traffic while carrying on a free-flowing conversation. And we are all the better for it. –TL Stanley
Loewe | “Decades of confusion” (internal)
For many years, many people have not known how to pronounce the name of the luxury fashion house Loewe. The brand is in on the action in a short film starring Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza, written by Levy and directed by Ally Pankiw. With deadpan humor, quirky characters, plenty of wigs and iconic looks from the Loewe archives, the film captures the tough times of spelling bees across the decades, taking viewers on a journey through the history of the brand. It’s also refreshingly funny and self-aware for the typically austere luxury category. –Brittaney Kiefer
Visit Oslo | Is it even a city? by Newslab
Reverse psychology is a powerful persuasion technique. Case in point: Check out Oslo’s tourism advertising, which tells people they shouldn’t come to the Norwegian capital. Full of irony, the spot features a native of Oslo who wonders if his hometown is even a city, given its small size and accessibility compared to tourist-heavy metropolises like Paris and New York. Visit Oslo’s viral ad struck a chord in a season of protests and government crackdowns on excessive tourism in popular destinations such as Barcelona and Venice. A low-key, unpretentious getaway like Oslo might be just what a new generation of travelers are looking for. –Brittaney Kiefer
V&A Museum | “If you’re interested, it’s in the V&A” by adam&eveDDB
London’s V&A Museum has invited people on a wild treasure hunt across the country. Transcending the boundaries of a typical marketing campaign, renowned institution and agency adam&eveDDB hid items in plain sight that catered to a wide range of niche interests: a ceramic pot in an antiques store; a plaque engraved on a theater seat; golf balls on a driving range; personalized football jerseys at Premier League matches; a silver mug at a metal detecting hot spot; and many more. This elaborate initiative, in the works for several months, has appealed to younger generations by highlighting the relevance of the V&A’s collection, made up of more than 2.8 million objects. –Brittaney Kiefer
Body shape | “Never just a period” by AMV BBDO
Since 2017, when it became the first UK advertiser to depict real menstrual blood instead of the typical blue liquid, menstrual care brand Essity Bodyform and its long-standing partner AMV BBDO have a long history of breaking taboos on women’s bodies. Her latest opus, “Never Just a Period,” explores the experiences of women who rarely appear on screen: unexpected discharge smells, getting your period while breastfeeding, having an IUD inserted, and more. There are moments of comedy, joy and shared pain that aim to educate and resonate with generations of women who may feel neglected or rejected. –Brittaney Kiefer
Magnum | “Find Your Summer” by LOLA MullenLowe
Ice cream may not be the first treat you consume in winter, but an art campaign is taking Magnum outside its typical summer niche. Shot by famed commercial director Juan Cabral, a moody film shows people finding respite from the dark, cold months with Magnum ice cream. Print and outdoor advertisements capturing similar moments of beauty in winter would not have been out of place on a gallery wall. –Brittaney Kiefer
