Bestads Top 6 of the Week – reviewed by Paul Brourman, president + CCO, Sponge, Chicago
Best TV: Axe – Even Angels Will Fall. This just came through as the biggest idea in the pack. What an unexpected way to demonstrate the power of the product’s formula without ever mentioning a word. It’s understated, simple and dramatic at the same time. I can just hear the guys around the globe wondering, “If it can corrupt angels, it should certainly work on the girl in cubicle C.” Only felt the arc near the end could have gone a notch higher. Still, another great one for Axe.
TV – Runner Up: Honda. I loved Grrr. And I wanted to love this sequel. The visuals are (again) wildly imaginative and stunning, but the core idea just didn’t resonate in comparison to the original bar. Grrr made me feel delight in how I could actually change something I hate. I missed the same level of tension here. Kudos on the amazing visual journey- especially smitten with the “kids on helium” rising from the clouds.
Best Print: Mini Hearing Aids: Dog. In pure pictures, this piece says, “unmistakable clarity”. I especially liked it because it doesn’t feel over-worked or polished, but raw and simple in the portrayal of the hearing aid’s ability to do what it claims to do. The crude artistic style adds to the gutsy feel.
Print – Runner Up: Muller Yogurt. There’s an elegance in how the shopping spree was depicted here that’s woefully absent in the product’s packaging itself. If only the package design was as good as the rest of it.
Best Outdoor: NUJP: Camera Gun. This is a poster that slaps you in the face without moving.
Runner Up Outdoor: PETA: The Ugly Side of Fashion. In what could have been a tired message, PETA finds fertile ground here. I like the focus on the precise moment of transformation that occurs just as the customer’s interest peaks. The technology in this case isn’t gratuitous. The horrific images may be enough to make you drop your phone. the celebrity element didn’t add anything.
Best Interactive: LEGO Star Wars III. You can’t help but dive in helmet first. A fun, accessible gaming platform with integrated story aspects got it the honors. The intro type seemed like a missed opportunity. Overall, the effects and characters made it a worthwhile journey. Stupid fun. Which brings me to the runner up.
Runner Up Interactive: Diesel. Fresh and Bright is as far out as the usual Diesel trip, but I couldn’t understand why Stupid died on the way to the altar. The Stupid content (that’s anything but) lives in tabs but doesn’t play the lead role on the site for some reason. Stupid as a concept has such a gutsy and rebellious brand point of view that was sorely missed in place of the superhero gag. Fun as it was to shoot torpedoes from scivvies, the site kind of left the big guns in the shed. Ahem… so to speak.