What makes a great cinema ad?
Check out the AdNews picks for the best cinema spots of 2012, from Playboy to Nikon to Pedigree and more, as featured in the AdNews Annual.
Pedigree: Adoption Drive
Colesno BBDO
Aussies, take note. While this list is supposed to be (mainly) for Australian campaigns, we just couldn’t look past this incredibly innovative New Zealand cinema ad for the top spot. If movie-goers made a donation upon entering the cinema, they were handed a yellow pair of glasses, but if they didn’t they got a red pair. The whole cinema then saw a story about an abandoned dog called Buzz, but those with the yellow glasses saw a positive story of recovery, while those with the red saw an entirely different story about the canine’s ongoing pain and loss. Emotionally manipulative? Sure. But truly ground-breaking.
Glaceau Vitaminwater: Antidote To Feeling Average
McCann Sydney
Sitting in a dark theatre, the impact of this ad is phenomenal. It’s young and energetic. Inspirational. Beautiful people in beautiful places. Chilled but uplifting music. Poetic words and imagery. People jumping out of planes, surfing and dancing. Just plain cool.
Nikon: I Am
JVM/Studio Woo
A magnificent commercial about the power of self-expression. You can’t help but feel a little clogged up watching this one in the darkness of the theatre, as the enchanting ‘Welcome Home Son’ by Radical Face leads the viewer through an emotional photographic journey. The 3D effects (created by Val Morgan and Park Roads) only heighten the intensity.
Heineken: Crack The Case
Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam
Why is this the perfect cinema ad? Because James Bond is the perfect cinematic hero. And just as we all cheered for him this year in Skyfall, cinema-goers were similarly energised by this action-packed James Bond spot. Some fans were, ahem, shaken by Bond’s association with Heineken, but the ad itself was as good as they get.
Optus: Lion
M&C Saatchi
There was a reason this spot took out the second Australian Creative Excellence Showcase (ACES) – it really is an outstanding use of the medium. It might not have the 3D effects, but it engages directly with cinema audiences by reminding them to switch off their phones, while also pushing home the Optus brand. Clever. Simple. Funny.
Nando's: Explosive Flavour
Banjo Advertising
Definitely one of the best uses of 3D in cinema advertising we’ve seen this year. As the symphony of flavours bursts on-screen, the 3D literally (well, figuratively) makes those flavours come to life. The concept is straightforward, but the execution is absolutely captivating. We’re looking forward to some funky new 3D ads in 2013.
Honda Palace Cinemas: The Shower Scene
Draftfcb Melbourne
We love this quirky series of ads featuring Honda robots lampooning famous scenes from cinema classics. In this one, the famous shower scene from Psycho gets a ribbing, but the robots have also poked fun at ET in another ad in the series. And, of course, we connect with the robots... because Wall-E has ruined us forever, hasn’t it?
Playboy VIP For Him: Press To Play
DDB Sydney
Smooth. Sexy. Suave. Cool. Sensual. Enter any adjective you want, but the result is the same. We watch the ad and think, ‘We wouldn’t mind being the sophisticated guy or girl in that limousine.’ The next logical step is: ‘Maybe we should go buy some of that fragrance.’ On a giant cinema screen the effect is doubled... no, tripled!
Canadian Club: ‘A Hunting We Will Go’
The Works Sydney
Canadian Club seems to have found just the right formula to take the fight to the beer giants, conjuring up a magical world of hideous ‘beer fairies’ who explode every time someone consumes one of its beverages. Great visuals and humour, perfectly suited for the silver screen. It took home the runners-up prize at the ACES, and we can see why.
Tanqueray: Tonight We Tanqueray
Mother New York/Leo Burnett Sydney
This classy spot for Tanqueray London Dry Gin, shot in black-and-white and featuring a track recorded exclusively for the campaign by singer Aloe Blacc, celebrates the role of a sauve bartender as he effortlessly steers the night for his equally stylish patrons – a far cry from pouring schooners at the local RSL.
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