Following a request on last month’s blog post asking for greater focus on non-TV creative and interactive ads we’ve tried to expand out this month’s ad list. Showcasing interactive ads after they’ve run is difficult as the interactivity has normally been taken away but we’re going to do our best for a few months. Likewise the majority of video ads run across both TV and Video (99% for Vindico in the UK and 97% in the US) so it can be difficult to find video only executions, which have also done enough to make the top 5! Again, we’ll try and make sure that we represent these ads as best we can. Feel free to respond and recommend ads to us if you like!

Adidas

It seems only right to start this month’s round up with an Olympic-themed ad and who better than the official sponsor of the Team GB strip, Adidas. Featuring a number of Britain’s hopefuls including Louis Smith, Tom Daley and Jessica Ennis, the ad captures both the athletes’ and nations’ anticipation leading up to the forthcoming games, through a mix of gritty music, inspirational words and beautifully shot scenes.

Refuge

On a more sombre note, domestic violence charity Refuge has teamed up with make-up artist Lauren Luke to encourage victims of domestic violence to seek help. The digital campaign shows Luke in front of a hand held camera, offering guidance on how to cover up bruises and signs of domestic violence. The way Lauren normalises the issue by offering helpful hints and tips to her followers, sends a really powerful message to viewers that domestic violence shouldn’t be tolerated to anyone and it needs to be exposed.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton and Yasiin Bey pay tribute to boxing legend Muhammad Ali in the fashion brands first ever video campaign. All attention is on Bey, as he recites two of Ali’s most poetic speeches in a dark boxing ring.  The musical crescendo along with the beautiful calligraphy makes this video (titled ‘Dream’) an inspirational watch.

Dove

What is colour? This ad for Dove’s new hair care range features a woman exploring what colour means to her but with a surprising twist at the end that makes you want to watch the ad all over again. Beautifully filmed and fairly audacious, the ad underlines the values which underpin Dove’s ‘ordinary beauty’ campaign.

Ikea

Imagine a world without textiles… That is exactly where Ikea transports you with its new online ad.  The video follows a family going about their daily life, as they are forced to use cardboard for clothing, a cactus for a back scrubber and sand rugs. Fun and creative, this ad hammers home just how much we depend on textiles and just how horrible life would be without our Egyptian cotton sheets and sheep skin rugs. I personally, wouldn’t be happy if I had to wear a dressing gown made of grass…

What else we saw in July…

Grolsch

Grolsch has launched a fantastic interactive campaign, featuring the elusive Journt Von Deg. Set in a bar, viewers are invited to pull up a seat next to Journt who agrees to buy you a drink if you text him your name. The next thing you know Journt is checking his messages and seems to be texting you back and low and behold he has! I received my very own bar code for a free 4-pack of Grolsch!

http://www.grolsch.co.uk/campaign/bigbold

Lynx

Lynx has become the first brand to offer cinema-goers the chance to control the outcome of an advert simply by cheering at the screen. Viewers were asked to cheer for the scene (and the girl – of course!) which they would like to see in full. Running for just two weeks, the ad shows off the advantages of new ground-breaking audio technology helping brands to interact with consumer audiences.

http://www.vergemagazine.co.uk/girls/2012/07/sound-activated-interactive-cinema-advert/