Commercials I’ve been loving lately

The most effective ads are the ones where creativity takes the lead whether in concept, storytelling or execution – beyond big budgets, celebrities and following a predictable template. Simple communication and good execution will compel people to watch and share organically. You don’t have to force it. Here are a few recent ads which really strike a chord.

Forest Essentials
Loved the new forest essentials ad. The 30-seconder (edited from the longer version) is beautifully shot and is a great example of how good storytelling is possible in such a short time. The concept woven around the tagline ‘Take your time’ is an invitation to women to prioritize themselves as told through this champi-time conversation between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Especialy love the drop line - ‘khud ko hold pe rakhna efficient hota hai kya’? (Is it efficient to put yourself on hold?). I’ve seen the longer version too but like the edited version here.
Agency: Talented

Dettol
This Dettol ad is one of the best I’ve seen in a while. The mother child bond and exceptional nuanced performance by the little kid in this 2-minute heart tugger is beautiful. The brand is driven home so well in the writing and execution. Special mention to the OST which is better than what even comes of out of the Indian film industry these days and really complements the storytelling here.
Agency: McCann

Burberry
Burberry’s animated video ‘Trench Spotting’ (a cute nod to trainspotting as you can see in the reel) showcasing the brand classic – the iconic trench of course - in a simple animation is exceptional. Check it out on their Instagram page here
In this age of AI generated content, getting artists to create cool renditions for the brand is a real flex.
Burberry has been working with artists for a while creating really cool stop motion animation – loved the felt, thread and craft animations last year too.
Artist: Adam

Screenshot from Burberry’s Instagram