Work of the Week: 07/11/25
PlayStation – It Happens on PlayStation 5
Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor EMEA
It’s something of a tricky brief to be able to advertise a games console without referencing any specific games. Ultimately, the games are the reason you buy a console. So, I find it really impressive that the team at adam&eveDDB behind this new PS5 work have managed to land on an idea that communicates the feeling of excitement, escapism and otherworldiness that gaming can give you. These three films are quiet, suggesting all of that without spelling out the message too bluntly. They’re unusual, and I think will pique audiences’ interest in an ad break. Plus, they’re beautiful cinematic bits of film. I wouldn't expect less of director Nicolai Fuglsig, but they rock.
Volkswagen and Derichebourg Environment – Car Paradise
Chosen by Laura Swinton Gupta, editor-in-chief
Forget the Christmas ads, this may be the most enjoyable and satisfying commercial you see all week. In order to encourage French drivers to recycle the old bangers sitting neglected and rusting up in gardens, garages and back lots all over the country, Volkswagen Group France and Derichebourg Environment have teamed up to democratise car recycling.
The campaign from DDB Paris subverts the traditional view of scrap yards as dingy, dangerous places by taking a car apart step by step in a film that would not be out of place on r/OddlySatisfying. It takes a fairly niche and specific marketing message that could have been incredibly dull, and turns it into content that’s borderline hypnotic.
Masterfully directed by Julien Beuvry, it’s a campaign that’s opened up a whole new avenue of therapeutic content to train my algorithm on. No, I shan’t be doing any more work today, I have to watch cars being dismantled. Soz.
LEGO – Is it play you’re looking for?
Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, Americas reporter
LEGO’s festive feline, Cataclaws, returned this year with a rallying cry for children to embrace the joy of play this holiday season. Inspired by a younger sister willing her older brother, Eddie, to rediscover the magic of play, the familiar click of a LEGO brick coming together brings both Cataclaws and a mass of LEGO minifigures to life, intent on sparking joy and bringing Eddie out of his room and back to his family.
Directed by the award-winning Steve Ayson, and produced by Our LEGO Agency, in partnership with the LEGO Global Brand Development Team, the film is a visual and musical spectacle. Over 97,000 LEGO bricks were used to construct the main stage, and minifigures from across the LEGO Group’s universe – including Darth Vader, Batman and Elphaba – feature in a vibrant holiday choir singing a reimagined version of Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’.
No matter how big of a LEGO fan you are, this campaign really is a treat. Packed with Easter eggs and a tune that makes you smile, I’m not sure what’s not to love.
Heart of the City – Straight to the Heart
Chosen by Addison Capper, managing editor, Americas
Auckland’s city centre is still feeling the effects of post-covid-19 low footfall. To tempt visitors back, Kiwi agency Motion Sickness and Heart of the City (the business association representing the area) have launched a fleet of vintage taxis – those glorious ones with the wing mirrors on the front of the bonnet – offering free one-way rides to a single destination: the city centre. The campaign is supported by a delightfully kitschy infomercial fronted by a crooning cabbie and a series of equally vintage billboards.
Shelter – Earworm
Chosen by Zara Naseer, EMEA reporter
We've all consumed countless minutes of charity advertising. I still remember the campaigns I saw as a kid, first absorbing the shock of the world’s inequality.
A couple decades later, these ads still move me, but inevitably, the shock has dulled. It's one of the main challenges charities face: finding new ways to present the same problem, in order to cut through the mass desensitisation. That's why it's worth shouting out the creativity of Shelter's 2025 Christmas campaign, from Don’t Panic and director Michael Gracey through Partizan London.
Unwitting audiences simply believe they’re watching a merry ad with a hyper schoolchild who loves to perform the same song on repeat. It’s like a scene straight from the heartwarming UK Christmas film favourite, ‘Nativity’. And that’s where it tricks you. This ‘Earworm’ has lodged itself in our protagonist’s consciousness, because it’s the tune he and his mother hear every night, on hold for accommodation services.
The campaign zooms in on a tragic detail that’s likely never crossed the public’s mind, and that’s where I believe it humanises the experiences of those in need in a devastatingly subtle way.
Rosalía – Berghain
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, UK editor
Amid the flurry of festive cheer, the work that made me pause and really pay attention is the gorgeous new music video from Rosalía for her newest single, 'Berghain'. Directed by Nicolas Méndez with production from CANADA, the video takes us through a mundane day, except it's Rosalía, so every scene – drinking coffee, riding a bus, ironing – is accompanied by an orchestra while the song itself swells to operatic heights.
What caught my eye is all the archival fashion Rosalía wears throughout, including rosary heels and a tank top from Alexander McQueen's 2003 collection, cementing her status as a real fashion girly (with a fantastic stylist). I've taken against the overuse of the word 'surreal' recently, but this video certainly warrants it – a lot happens with only the loosest of narrative threads running throughout. That's not a bad thing; I loved spending a few minutes in Rosalía's dreamy world.
John Lewis – Where Love Lives
Chosen by April Summers, North Americas features lead and Canada reporter
It’s not officially Christmas ‘til the John Lewis holiday campaign drops. Admittedly, that seems to happen earlier and earlier each year, but it’s hard not to lean into it when the ads are this good.
This year, it’s the soundtrack of the brand’s seasonal offering that is making headlines, standing out for its alternative take on a heartfelt festive score. For Saatchi & Saatchi’s third collaboration with the department store retailer, a decision was made to double down on the power of music as an emotional instigator and vehicle of nostalgia. As Alex Reeves learned in his interview with the teams behind the ad, this campaign employs a “back-to-basics” emotional approach, making use of music as the universal connector.
In my humble opinion – and that is what WOTW is all about! – the music choice was a risky one, but thanks to expert execution by Wake the Town and 750mph, it definitely pays off. If, like me, your parents are former ‘90s ravers, then this will speak to you on every conceivable level. And, even if Alison Limerick’s bonafide dancefloor filler ‘Where Love Lives’ doesn’t specifically speak to you, there’s no resisting Labrinth’s softly sung reimagining of the classic house tune. No matter what you were listening to ‘back in the day’, the gift of being transported back to a moment of unadulterated joy – a core memory of your youth – is priceless.
Etsy – Gifts that Say I Get You
Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
I’m a firm believer that the best part of the holidays is giving gifts to the people you care about. Sure, the lights, festivities and food are all great fun, but seeing a person’s eyes light up because you got them a present that truly means something? Pure, unadulterated magic.
For this reason, all three of this year’s Etsy holiday spots, created by New York agency Orchard and directed by Biscuit’s Steve Rogers, have landed a special place in my heart. Despite being very different in feel – from a relentlessly fidgety boy named Alex being gifted drumsticks by his teacher, to a soccer coach getting a personalised hat – each beautifully captures not only the moment where a personal, thoughtful gift has landed, but the journey and anticipation leading up to the big handover. And, as someone who has certainly used Etsy in the past to get items for loved ones, I can confidently say these sentiments feel wholly reasonable for the brand to claim, celebrate, and use whilst reminding people of its offerings.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I suddenly feel very inspired to get started on my holiday shopping/browsing!
Barbour – Wallace & Gromit's 'Gift-o-matic'
Chosen by Ben Conway, Americas reporter
You’d be hard-pressed to find a ‘Wallace & Gromit’ animation – be it a film or an ad – that doesn’t immediately put a smile on my face. Aardman is on a roll right now, with recent campaigns for the likes of Coinbase and Nest, and I think this new Christmas spot for Barbour tops the lot. It certainly helps that the animation studio’s most famous and beloved duo are the centrepiece, but achieving this level of charm for a commercial is definitely not a given – even during the festive period.
In the film, directed by Steve Harding-Hill, the claymation inventor and his trusty sidekick dog test out their latest robotic contraption: the ‘Gift-o-Matic’. It pulls crackers, wraps gifts, and unwraps them too – but as the film shows, it might require a little bit of adjustment! Following the global success of ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’ last December, it’s a wonderful seasonal surprise to see Wallace and Gromit again this year, and a joy to see the craft and humour in the ad live up to its cinematic counterparts.
Boots – Gift Happily Ever After
Chosen by Tará McKerr, Americas reporter
Honestly, what’s not to love? I feel like when you work in this industry, it’s easy to be tainted with a dash of over-cynicism. We have an eye for intricacy, and sometimes that takes away from the magic.
Sometimes, an ad is just a good ad. And that’s how I felt about this spot from Boots. The fact that the link between Puss in Boots and the brand Boots hasn’t been made before seems a bit mad, but I’m glad it’s finally happened. The ‘meow’ when he falls is cute as hell, and it feels like a lot of story is squeezed into 90 seconds. It’s uplifting in all the right places, and has the ingredients I want my Christmas ads to have. And the hand warmers for the ice queen? No notes.
Sainsbury’s – The Unexpected Guest
Chosen by Olivia Atkins, EMEA editor
Sainsbury’s brings back the Big Friendly Giant for Christmas 2025, and with it, pure festive magic. Reuniting New Commercial Arts, Rogue’s Sam Brown, and Electric Theatre Collective, the campaign doubles down on last year’s Roald Dahl-inspired success with an even richer world and a new adversary: ‘The Greedy Giant’. It’s a charming blend of nostalgia, wit and visual splendour – the kind of spot that feels like a Christmas film in miniature. From its lovingly-crafted sets to its mouth-watering food moments, the ad’s commitment to craft and storytelling shines through, proving that the BFG’s heart – and appetite – remain as big as ever, and reminding audiences of the supermarket's enduring appeal at Christmas.
Home Instead – Home But Not Alone
Chosen by Paul Monan, head of creative excellence
Christmas campaigns are coming in thick and fast at the moment, with plenty tapping into feel-good festive nostalgia by reviving characters from film and TV favourites of years gone by. ‘Home Instead’, with the help of FCB Chicago and Caviar's Jody Hill, has gone big here, reviving an icon on its 35th anniversary: ‘Home Alone’.
The campaign pays homage to the original film with an almost word-for-word and frame-by-frame recreation of a number of its scenes. Except this time, Kevin McCallister, reprised by Macauley Culkin, is much older, (probably) much wiser, and looking to safeguard the family home to protect his ageing parents.
Worrying about our loved ones' comfort and safety, particularly as they get older, is a human truth that most of us will face. And this campaign deals with that potentially distressing topic in a lighthearted, humorous and hopeful manner.
