Work of the Week: 08/05/26
adidas – Backyard Legends
Chosen by Addison Capper, managing editor, Americas
This is the World Cup ad I've been waiting for. adidas' World Cup 2026 campaign is a five-minute Mark Molloy-directed spectacle that feels reminiscent of the late ‘90s and early 2000s football advertising era that I grew up on. It has shades of FIFA Street - another formative obsession from my childhood - and sees Timothée Chalamet assemble a team featuring Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal and Trinity Rodman alongside Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Alessandro Del Piero in an attempt to defeat a legendary street football trio. Created by LOLA USA – the newly formed Omnicom agency built from the coming together of adam&eveDDB New York and 180 US – and produced by SMUGGLER, 'Backyard Legends' is extremely nostalgic and just very fun.
Flipkart – Kodinhi Code
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
Just last week we saw the return of Flipkart's SASA LELE campaign with a remix of the original earworm. Now, 22feet has released the second edition of the brand's flagship summer sale event. 'Kodinhi Code' emphasises the brand's double sale by celebrating the town of Kodinhi, a village in Kerala known for its unusually high number of twin births. Taking this further, everything Kodinhi purchases on Flipkart becomes available at a double offer for everyone.
Running alongside the campaign is an amusing film that plays on the idea of doubles, using humorous twin scenarios. A refreshingly fun campaign to deliver excitement for India's highly anticipated summer sale.
Airwallex – SPARKS
Chosen by Cathy Meyer-Funnell, reporter, EMEA
It’s got to be one of the trickier briefs in adland but Uncommon has succeeded in making a financial technology platform look incredibly cool and sexy. Airwallex’s first global brand platform ‘Build the Future’ actually harks back to the glorious inventions of the past with its brand anthem film ‘SPARKS’, praising the creators of everything from popcorn machines to the hula hoop to the defibrillator. However different each product may be they were all born from one thing - that evasive yet essential spark of a good idea. The frenetic energy of the in-camera rotating rig technique and the jazz soundtrack (‘That’s It’ by The Preservation Hall Jazz Band) further adds to the sense of excitement fizzing throughout the whole spot. If anyone needs any inspiration to sort their finances out, trust Airwallex to give it to you.
Goodyear – Fast Is in Us
Chosen by Ben Conway, reporter, Americas
Goodyear has launched a new global platform for its Goodyear Eagle tire family, revving things up at the Kentucky Derby with a classic Goodyear blimp before releasing this cinematic hero film. Created with BBH USA, ‘Fast Is in Us’ captures the childlike wonder of playing with toy cars in exhilarating fashion. The Dire Straits soundtrack and Ayrton Senna voiceover seem scientifically designed to elicit a ‘hell yeah’ from petrol heads, but the little nods to the action being inside a child’s imagination give it a joyful spark with wider appeal.
In a time of feature-focused automotive commercials, it’s invigorating to watch an ad that so effectively captures the feeling and freedom of what driving is in the imagination – even long before someone has sat behind the wheel. The brand has also shown some courage by letting director Salomon Ligthelm send its tyres soaring through the air, although the dream scenario grants plenty of room for creativity.
The reveal nicely puts everything that comes before it into context – the train track, the clicking as the cars reverse, the astronaut race starter – warranting a re-watch or two. And that moment along with the tagline endscreen really drives home the message that not only is the desire to go fast in Goodyear’s DNA, but in ours too. It’s full-throttle fun that, based on online reactions, has put the brand’s best foot (or tyre?) forward at the start of its new era.
FOX Sports – Miracle
Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
I’ll be honest, during my very first watch through of this ad by Special US, I had a sense of disdain. Not for the strategy, not for the craft, and not for the visuals, beautifully directed by Park Pictures’ Lance Acord. But for the very premise of someone even having the audacity to depict the US winning the World Cup (I am Canadian, after all, and a realistic fan of the beautiful game). However, toward the end, I realised that the joke was on me. That’s the entire point of the film. It’s quite literally titled ‘Miracle’. And then, on rewatch, it began to make sense. Is the US feasibly going to win the trophy? Probably not. Yet, isn’t it fun to imagine one’s country going the distance and pulling off the miraculous feat, especially when nobody expects it? We’re very much in the same boat here up north, after all.
Shoutout to this spot for genuinely capturing what the World Cup is about: team spirit, bringing one’s country together, and cheering as the very best of the best go head to head on the world’s biggest stage. Additional praise for the song selection of Elvis Presley’s 'The Impossible Dream'. And, of course, it’s very fun to see Tom Brady and Zlatan Ibrahimović show up as well. But, genuinely, good work to all involved – I’ll eat crow on this one and fully admit that I really, really like this campaign!
Marks & Spencer – Summer of Love That
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, managing editor, editorial strategy
Marks and Spencer's hot streak continues as part of 'Casa Del Compliments' thanks to agency Mother. In the latest instalments, Amelia Dimoldenberg takes over for the season from chief compliments officer, Gillian Anderson, serving as a fashion umpire and lifeguard, respectively. The tennis-themed spot is my favourite, with production from ProdCo and director Alice Kunisue. It evokes the 'Challengers' love triangle and shines a spotlight on some chic (but very court-inappropriate) outfits for the boys. Light, frothy, fun – honestly, love that.
Lidl – Barbeque Piper
Chosen by Scarlett Sherriff, reporter, EMEA
After a long, dreary winter where darkness can last up to 18 to 24 hours, it makes perfect sense that Finlanders get excited when the season finally turns. And it’s the simple things that count: barbecues, togetherness, being able to spend substantial time in the fresh air.
Created by Nord Helsinki, Lidl’s latest campaign channels exactly that understated ecstasy. A pied piper plays a sweet tune and, one by one, the barbecues join him. But it being the season of light, this story doesn’t have a tragic ending, it has a very happy one indeed: the barbecues arrive at Lidl and there’s a great cheer because all their practical needs can be met.
It’s delightfully Finnish – not only because the Pied Piper is celebrity chef Henri Alén – but because it's pure living-in-the-moment (pantsdrunk but at the barbecue), and frankly that’s quite Lidl too.
AHM – People Things
Chosen by Laura Swinton Gupta, editor-in-chief
Deadpan and relatable, this work for Australian insurer AHM is the definition of doing less with more thanks to its simple, spidery animations that cut through the category like cheesewire. Health insurance is typically laden with cliches, as is any conversation about ‘wellness’, but there’s no lens flare, yoga studios or cinematically moody hospital waiting rooms here. The minimalistic illustrations aren’t new to AHM - they adopted that aesthetic with a collaboration with Liana Finck in 2018 - but in the age of AI the hand drawn simplicity has even more impact. It’s a campaign that’s trying to meet people where they are, with writing that touches on everything from our terrible media binge habits to Australia’s prohibitive housing market.
HORNBACH – Just A Board
Chosen by Olivia Atkins, EMEA Craft Editor
Ian Pons Jewell ignites the imagination in this spot for home improvement retailer HORNBACH, where a simple plank of wood sparks a world of possibilities. Produced by ANORAK x ProdCo through HeimatTBWA, the dreamy film salutes DIY enthusiasts who see potential in scrappy leftovers and offcuts. Drifting through different iterations, the plank seamlessly transforms into a fence, a swing, a toilet seat, flooring, even a toothpick, proving that with the right tools and know-how, nothing goes to waste. Beautifully shot and simply executed, it’s an ode to the creative spirit — and to everyone hoarding materials in the belief that one day they’ll become part of a DIY project.
Duoprint – Safety Ads
Chosen by Cathy Meyer-Funnell, reporter, EMEA
Another week, another under-the-radar campaign that deserves to be shouted out for its beautifully effective simplicity. ‘Safety Ads’ from Havas and Oruga transports us to the beaches of Ecuador, where glorious weather and a carnival sees crowds flock to Manta to soak up the sun, sea and vibes. The lightbulb moment of turning advertising space into lifeguard chairs not only offers brands visibility at one of the busiest times of the year, but also provides vital protection for those taking to the water. The money generated is sufficient to cover all costs incurred, plus it actually works - over the course of the three-day carnival the initiative recorded 1081 preventive actions and 19 lives saved. It’s rare that an ad campaign can genuinely say it has changed lives for the better, but surely that accolade is one that Duoprint richly deserves.
Anchor – Absolutely Buttered
Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, reporter, Americas
Anchor’s latest brand positioning, ‘Absolutely Buttered’ offers 30 seconds of pure fun. Spotlighting the nation’s favourite double churned Anchor butter, the multi-channel campaign from Havas London introduces a new tagline, ‘Let’s Get Absolutely Buttered’, which feels tailor-made for the British public, and our love of the phrase, ‘getting battered’.
The hero spot, directed by Andrew Gaynord through MindsEye, centres around a woman who’s entirely absorbed the heavily-buttered crumpet she’s eating. Letting all distractions pass her by, she fails to notice that her canalboat is sinking, despite her desperate partner’s futile attempts to save it. From a stellar air fryer-throwing moment, to two kids who deliver the punchlines, 'she’s been on the double churned' and is 'absolutely buttered’, and not forgetting the butter-loving protagonist, Anchor has delivered an ad that’s as good as a perfectly buttered slice of toast.
SKITTLES – Gummies
Chosen by Tará McKerr, reporter, Americas
This trio of films from TBWA\Chiat\Day with production from Epoch introduce the new ‘SKITTLES Gummies’, stretching the metaphor of their softness beyond this world. We’re met with all things weird and wonderful in the form of a human kangaroo, a masseuse jellyfish, and a squeaking balloon dog.
The films themselves are short delights, but the knowledge that everything was made practically adds to the allure. That’s thanks to Epoch director Carl Sundemo, and his signature practical builds. Nowadays we’re quick to associate the bizarre with AI, so it’s a relief to venture into surrealism that’s proudly human.
Gran Theatre Del Liceu – La Forca Del Liceu
Chosen by Paul Monan, head of creative excellence
The Liceu - or Gran Teatre del Liceu, to give it its full name - is more than just a stage. It's Barcelona's oldest theatre building and, as portrayed in this sumptuous film promoting this season's opera line up, a place for emotional exploration. The protagonist goes on a spiritual journey of self-discovery whilst physically journeying through the gorgeous building; it's about the emotional reaction to how the operas will make you feel, rather than the stories being told on stage themselves. With such a rich cultural product at the heart of the film it's only right that the final film is so artistic: celestial sound design becomes an orchestral delight, intriguing camera angles complement the beautiful colour grade, and group choreography is juxtaposed with a stirring monologue. It certainly has both style and substance.
Canva – Make Anything A Thing
Chosen by Tará McKerr, reporter, Americas
There is a natural gravitational pull of goodwill towards all things talking squirrels, and for this writer, certainly pigeons. Those things aside, this really works for Canva. It's a memorable deviation from pure product-centric ads, and while not a groundbreaker within the category, it definitely works. Quality Meats has been killing it recently, being responsible for some of the past year’s most notable work. And this work for the communication platform doesn’t break the trend. The campaign launched with outdoor activations too, namely, a squirrel statue on Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York, with no explanation or visible connection to the brand. It’s cheeky, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and earns points for stretching itself beyond the hero film daringly.
Suncorp -- A Tale of Two Queenslands
Chosen by Lilya Murray, AUNZ reporter
Suncorp and Leo Australia have created a meaningful, crafted piece of work, shot entirely in-camera, to highlight the insurer’s ‘Resilience Never Rests’ platform.
It’s cleverly set in a studio, where the dramatic changes of Queensland’s weather could be captured in a realistic way. The beautifully-designed sets allow the major weather events to shift easily, emphasising how quickly a day can turn. It feels ‘realer’ than special effects or AI, and makes a lasting impression.
The perspective of a child is also clever; intense weather events seem particularly vivid at a younger age and subtly enhances the need for robust insurance. A clever but practical campaign to remind Australians that a storm can be no joke.
