Setapp- Snake

In this commercial, productivity app Setapp absurdly exaggerates the perils of getting distracted and not completing a task.

Organic Doggie Treats- Muzzled

The idea of presenting what a dog might think, or rather, what an “enlightened pooch” might think, has been at the heart of the ad campaigns of Organic Doggie Treats.  Its latest commercial features a malamute reflecting on the current debate over masks.

Too Soft to Take Off

A rather intimate commercial for… -perhaps best to see for yourself.

Pepsi Picker- Real Skills

From Ecuador: a delivery app that doubles as a jobs site.

After being laid off during the pandemic,  a number of workers- white and blue collar- have found alternative employment as delivery service messengers.  In that backdrop, Pepsi has partnered with Picker, one of Ecuador’s most popular delivery platforms, to create an opportunity for its messengers to be hired for their core competence.  Consequently, its app has been modified to include the work experience and skills of its messengers, which pop up with every order they deliver. 

Here’s a link to the campaign video.

The Sleepy Town With a Snoring Problem

From Australia: this is a 3 minute film that is part of a campaign for SleepCheck, an app that tells you if there is “more to your snore”.  The film features real residents from Tuross Head, a small New South Wales coastal town.

Magnum XXL Towels

Limited edition beach towels, pitched as works of art that also serve a practical necessity.  Here’s a link to the promotion video.

The Escape Artist (2013)

It would seem that this 3 hour mini-series has something to say about criminal justice and the nature of legal defence.  What that is, doesn’t come out clearly, perhaps on account of the convoluted plot, dubious character motives, and ludicrous plot twists. Still, it manages to be very watchable, thanks to excellent performances, most notably by David Tennant in the lead role.

Here’s a link to a clip.

Haier Leader- iCase

This commercial makes quite the case for a modular refrigerator.

Snickers- First Visitors

For some people, coming out of lockdown and making the transition from virtual meetings back to actual face-to-face meetings may be a bigger challenge than they think.  Or at least that’s what Snickers wants us to believe in its new commercial.

Astreea- THE Dispenser

A sanitiser dispenser, pitched as a work of art and master craftmanship.  That, and more, is what the people behind the Romanian brand Astreea seem to be going for, in this compelling video.

Burger King- Late Night Delivery

The latest ad from Burger King Brazil takes the extraordinary step of featuring candid clips from its stores at night, showing customers at their worst: drunk, disorderly, or just doing stuff that is plain embarrassing.  It’s part of a promotion for its late night delivery service that is succinctly pitched as “the best of BK, without the worst of BK”.

Deserted

The makers of this video call it a “trojan trailer”: a message video that looks like a movie trailer.

For Those Who Miss the Sounds of the Office

A selection of websites to keep open in the background:

The Sound of Colleagues

I Miss The Office

Calm Office

Badoo- Keep the Home Fires Burning

The current pandemic has seen quite a few advertisers push the limits on acceptable ways to grab attention.  Somewhere at the top of that list, I am inclined to include dating app Badoo which has put out posters that thank Britons for “sacrificing sex for your country”.  Actually, that’s just the footnote- the headline copy and the visuals are more explicit, in-your-face, and leave nothing to the imagination.  At your risk, click here to see one example. 

The company explains its approach thus:

54% of singles are unsure on the rules about sex in lockdown so we've taken to the streets of London to make it loud & clear

In addition, for those who prefer a frank, no-holds-barred, long read, there is a 2000 word post on its website.

For anyone curious to know more, here’s a link to an in-depth report/ analysis of the campaign.

We should do this more often

Who knew that hand washing could be so sensual? 

This is a video that was released in April by a group of Los Angeles-based filmmakers.  As they put it to the viewers, the idea is to “turn you on” to good hygiene. 

There is also a “cleaner” version which, the filmmakers assure, “you can show your grandmother”.

Inert City

This 15 minute short film presents a chilling scenario of what an extreme traffic jam could lead to.

Life Below Water

The voiceover by Morgan Freeman that opens this 2 minute short is disarmingly deceptive.

Dominating every corner of the great sea, the ocean's newest inhabitants are making their permanent mark on life below water.  The creatures in this fascinating species do not have brains, teeth or even simple nervous systems. But miraculously, they can travel hundreds of miles, and live for thousands of years.

Right at that moment, when you think that this is a documentary about a new species of undersea life, it halts you in your tracks with one dreaded word.

RIP Alan Parker

Two scenes that stand out for me for their breathtaking uniqueness.

From Angel Heart (1987): The ‘egg’ scene.

From Mississippi Burning (1988): The razor wielding scene.

Greek Summer

For years now, Destination Greece has been promoting the ‘Greek Summer’.  Borrowing the same theme, we now have this commercial from… well, see if you can figure out what is the product/ service being advertised.  If at the end, you are still not sure, click here.  With that knowledge, you might like to re-watch the commercial, and closely study the imagery in it.

Swan Lake Bathtub Ballet

Awesome idea, inspired execution. 

From the description:

Set to Tchaikovsky's famous swan theme, 27 elite ballet dancers from renowned dance companies across the globe perform a modern-day Swan Lake from their own home (filled) baths. Swan Lake Bath Ballet was choreographed, filmed and post-produced completely remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The quirky choreography was performed in baths from New Zealand to South Africa, America to Hong Kong, Australia to the UK. Swan Lake Bath Ballet was filmed on smart phones, with innovative solutions such as a child’s scooter, piles of books, even a toilet plunger being co-opted to help stabilise and enable camera angles.

Here’s a link to the 3 minute video.