Jealousy, when it comes to envying the great work of others, is not to be frowned upon. Instead, let’s celebrate.
ADWEEK’s annual Jealous List isn’t a sinful endeavor, but rather a joyous review of some of the best work that happened throughout 2024. We asked numerous creatives to tell us their favorite work of the year, but with the catch that they did not make it, nor did it come from their agency.
This year’s most popular is the wonderfully bizarre and darkly comic Lynx “Power of Fragrance” campaign, as well as Disney’s “The Boy and The Octopus,” but you’ll also find award winners and hidden gems among the entries from our wide array of agency creatives. Note: some entries were edited for space.
Check out editions of The Jealous List from prior years: 2023 |2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018
Lynx, “Power of a Fragrance“
Agency: Lola MullenLowe
Vince Soliven, executive creative director, Copacino Fujikado:
It’s less like a commercial and more like a short film. You don’t just watch it; you tumble into it, like one of those slightly deranged indie flicks your friends insist will “change your life” (and usually don’t). This one, though, actually delivers. The plot veers off in ways you could never predict, like Guy Ritchie and Jared Hess had a baby and decided to raise it on a diet of twisted, dark comedy. And the characters? They’re the kind you can’t forget, like the stranger who tells one too many TMI jokes at a party. Watching these videos makes me—a part-time consumer—hate advertising a little less.
Gordy Sang, co-founder and co-CCO, Quality Meats:
I’m not a heavy body spray user, but the new batch of Lynx spots made me think about using it. Kidding, I would never. But I did really enjoy the new “Power of Fragrance” campaign. In general, it’s a very treaded category and often giving off a bit of a “doucharino” vibe. These made non-aspirational characters, including a dead human corpse, “aspirational” in a very dark and fun way. Yes, I’m jealous of the execution, storytelling, and craft, but honestly, I’m most jealous that they were able to get the client to buy the ideas.
Travis Robertson, co-founder and executive creative director, Colossus:
Stylistically it was just gorgeous work. Beautifully shot. Filmic. Brilliant ska soundtrack paired with moments of awkward silence. The comedic timing they packed into this campaign is typically something reserved for feature films, not the commercial world. But beyond the cinematic storytelling, I most admired how the brand took two very risky and provocative scenarios (that would terrify 99% of clients) and somehow rooted them in a truly compelling, product insight.
Disney, “The Boy and The Octopus”
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Harris Wilkinson, chief creative officer, TMA:
Granted, I’m a sucker for long-form content, but it’s so much more than that. The casting is perfect, every frame is stunning, and it’s almost purely visual storytelling (I counted 17 words of dialogue in 4 minutes). And the VFX from Untold Studios, well, let’s just say that little guy wrapped his eight tentacles around my cold, dead heart, and squeezed it back to life.
Vanessa Chin, svp of marketing, System1:
This ad moved me so much that I anxiously waited for my daughter to come home from school just to share it with her. The mix of nostalgic Little Mermaid music with a brand new story of togetherness between the boy and his newfound friend evoked emotions you rarely feel with a new ad campaign. Disney nailed it, giving this little guy playfulness, curiosity, and innocence. This heart-wrenching, cute campaign also captivated viewers, resulting in exceptional long-term (5.1 Stars) and short-term (1.59 Spike) ratings from System1.
Adidas, “No Lie”
Agency: Johannes Leonardo
Jay Kamath, founder and chief creative officer, Haymaker:
I’m a big fan of the recent Adidas work for Anthony Edwards by Johannes Leonardo, but “No Lie” specifically just got me hyped as a basketball fan. Great, simple approach that lets Ant’s personality shine. And in a league where a lot of stars are making excuses about playing back-to-backs, it puts Ant’s “I want to rip the soul out of your body and make your ancestors weep” type competitiveness on full display.
Loewe, “Decades of Confusion”
Written and directed by Ally Pankiw from Partizan
Ida Gronblom, executive creative director, Anomaly NY:
Loewe’s “Decades of Confusion,” with 2.5 minutes of stylish hilarity with Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza, ticked all the boxes for me. Not only is it funny (fashion rarely is but should be!), it’s also strategic for so many reasons. The format of the spelling bee cleverly repeats the brand name over and over again and puts to rest any mispronunciations that persist in culture. It also manages to tell the heritage story of the brand in a throwback way that all generations can appreciate. And did I mention that the brand name is on screen for almost the entire time?
Hornbach, “The Square Meter”
Agency: Heimat
Hannes Ciatti, founder and CCO, Alto:
With the cost-of-living skyrocketing and every square foot counting, Heimat and industry icon Steve Rogers made funny, beautifully crafted work that showed the endless possibilities of a square meter for German home improvement and DIY retailer Hornbach.
Paris 2024 Pictograms
Agency: Conran Design Group
Talin Baharian, svp, director of design, Deutsch:
As a designer, it’s impossible to overlook the branding for the 2024 Paris Olympics this year. The true focus—and the heart of the games—always belongs to the athletes. That’s why I found the event pictograms particularly compelling and inventive. The collection included 62 “coats of arms,” as the designers referred to them, spanning both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With a balance of symmetrical diagonal lines and a structured grid, the absence of figures created a bold, abstract backdrop prominently seen throughout the games. While they appeared fun yet challenging to create, some designs, like those for tennis and boxing, stood out for their clarity. Others, like diving, struggled with legibility, and the skateboarding skateboards resembled band-aids.
CeraVe, “Michael CeraVe”
Agency: Ogilvy NY
Greg Almeida, ecd, co-founder, Colossus:
It was perfect in so many ways. The teaser, the execution, all of it. Such a stupidly simple idea coupled with the absolute perfect spokesperson to bring it to life. Truly a work of art.
Nike, “Greatness. It Only Takes Everything”
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Julian Cohen, acd, The Martin Agency:
How do you honor the career of one of tennis’s all-time greats? Nike just gave us the answer: a W+K film directed by the brilliant Martin de Thurah and narrated by none other than Phil Knight himself. It’s a perfect tribute to a career unlike any other. The spot captures Rafael Nadal’s indomitable spirit with masterful pacing and craftsmanship. And the voiceover? Delivered by someone just as legendary as the athlete it celebrates. The love and care poured into this film are palpable, and the final line ties it all together beautifully. It’s not just a reflection of Nadal’s legendary career but also of the effort and passion poured into this stunning piece of work—a piece I can’t help but feel happily jealous of.
Last Prisoner Project, “Pardon People. Not Poultry”
Agency: Sid Lee
Ellie Proctor, senior strategist, The Martin Agency:
This campaign took a very lighthearted tradition of pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys and used it to bring spotlight to a very timely issue—the thousands of prisoners who still remain incarcerated for low-level cannabis offenses. I believe advertisements (and advertisers) are at their best when they call upon their audience to challenge real societal issues. This was a simple, clear, and profoundly powerful way of doing just that.
Swehl, “Just Add Milk”
Clear Channel Outdoor, the company managing this advertisement space, reportedly flagged the Swehl ad for review.
Agency: Brex
Emily Watson, group creative director, Baldwin&:
I have to go with the Molly Baz billboard in Times Square – both the reaction from Seed when the original Swehl board was taken down and the subsequent placement by Bobbie. It was just so perfect and poignant and really showed how brands can actually give support, not just show support.
British Airways, “A British Original”
British Airways billboards appear to have passengers looking down on passersby.British Airways
Agency: Uncommon Creative Studio
Stevie Archer, chief creative officer, M+C Saatchi SSK:
It’s so simple and it really stood out in the chaos of London city streetscapes. And seeing those tiny little passenger faces peering out the windows so simply captured the joy and anticipation of travel. No words or even whole logos needed to make me wonder what the travelers were wondering at. Were they going back to the warm embrace of their homes after a long journey? Were they off on some exotic adventure? Were they thinking about meeting their in-laws for the first time? The answer is all of the above.
Coors Light, “Coors Lights Out”
Agency: Rethink
Atit Shah, chief creative officer, Digitas:
Brand ownership is a fantastically fuzzy concept these days; the hard and fast rules of home turf have been thrown out the window. This Coors activation brilliantly makes the point, dethroning the King of Beers, MLB’s official sponsor, through a turbo-charged act of marketing agility and product innovation. Shohei Ohtani, league MVP, blasts a foul ball, breaks a stadium sign, which sparks the overnight creation of a limited-edition Coors can that becomes famous in Japan, a blazing fast reset of the brand’s advertising assets, and a homecoming coronation at Angel Stadium for a GOAT athlete that Coors has zero official ties to. A heist of the highest order.
DoorDash, “DoorDash-All-The-Ads”
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
João Coutinho, co-founder, Atlantic New York:
“How the hell did they pull this off?” That’s what I thought when I saw the “DoorDash-All-The-Ads” on the Super Bowl. The idea is very simple: DoorDash was going to deliver every item advertised on Super Bowl 58 to someone who could decipher the code on their commercial. It must have been the worst of the nightmares to manage all these brands, with all their legal departments behind each of them. But it’s these kinds of groundbreaking ideas that have never been done before, leaving those who come up with them old, wrinkled, and bald while making everyone else envious.
Calm, “Silent Ad”
Agency: In-house creative
Tanya De Poli, founder and CEO, Founders Agency:
It takes lots of guts to buy 30-second ad space on major TV networks that are bombarding you with political ads—in an environment that is causing extreme amounts of anxiety—and just place a silent ad with powerful copy. I love the power that just one good line still has, and this idea is more than just the line—I would argue it’s almost “experiential.” They give you a 30-second silent break from the noise, the clutter, the madness, the huge divide of a whole country, and then they just place their logo in the form of the app. No call to action, no tagline. It’s just a suggestion that needs no explanation. If you are stressed, if you are feeling anxious, download Calm and meditate.
Nike, “Congratulations New York Liberty”
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Jason Miller, creative director, Siegel+Gale:
What made me most jealous—and proud to be a New Yorker—was Nike’s perfect congratulatory spot that aired immediately after the New York Liberty closed out Game 5 to win New York’s first-ever WNBA title. Super simple, and it hits deep. The slow reveal of Lady Liberty wearing a championship ring while holding her torch aloft is so immediate and massive, even before the line “Liberty has a nice ring to it” drops the mic and sails off into the sunset. Focusing on the torch—a symbol of enlightenment and lighting the way ahead—is such a strong and fitting way for Nike to not only celebrate the team’s accomplishment but also highlight a year that saw such an exciting rise of the WNBA brand and women’s sports in general.
Liquid Death, Jet giveaway
Agency: In-house creative
Katherine Schmidt, acd, Hanson Dodge:
It was so fun to watch [Liquid Death] turn Pepsi’s infamous Harrier jet mishap—a total marketing fail—into a cheeky win decades later. Liquid Death has this unique way of pushing conventional advertising boundaries with outrageous ideas that are still totally on-brand, playing right into the anti-corporate vibe that their consumers love. They always seem to strike that rare balance of wild and strategic, and as a creative I’m inspired by their willingness to “go there” each and every time.
