Work of the Week: 17/04/26
Zevia – ‘Real Soda for Real Humans’
Chosen by April Summers, lead writer, editorial strategy
There’s a certain brand of laughter that I really relish, in a truly sadistic way. The kind of haha-hehe that infects you from the inside out. A grimace breaks out across your face, indistinguishable from pain and enjoyment. The source of such laughter is typically something you shouldn’t find funny, or don’t fully understand, but here you are giggling anyway. It’s an inappropriate lol, a nervous titter, a wincing cackle – whatever you choose to label it, it’s something you can’t conceal.
Impossible Studios’ new Stevia ad had me in a chuckling chokehold of this very variety. Culturally on-the-nose and cleverly off-key, the spot sees a robot dousting itself in one of the drink brand’s sodas, and falling apart in real-time as a result. This is Eoin Glaister’s take on ‘standing against artificiality’ and the payoff is disturbingly satisfying. Importantly, major props to prosthetics artist Karlee Morse who has created a humanoid so ‘distinctly unhuman’ viewers can take perverse pleasure in its malfunctioning demise.
Jeep – The Silent Edition
Chosen by Cathy Meyer-Funnell, reporter, EMEA
Publicis Canada’s latest campaign for Jeep ignores the stereotypes associated with car advertising and heads into the wilderness to spotlight why the Jeep Cherokee Hybrid’s silent technology deserves to be celebrated. Teaming up with conservation photojournalist Patricia Homonylo, the project showcases the incredible close-up pictures she was able to take of some of Canada’s most charismatic wildlife thanks to the Jeep Cherokee’s combination of 4x4 capability and its hybrid quietness when moving.
The black and white images of a cosy fox, a winking owl and even an elusive Canada lynx are understated while still providing a winning uniqueness and intimacy, as the animals can be observed in their natural habitat, totally unstaged, without being disturbed by a noisy vehicle. In a world where AI can bring pretty much any idea to life - no matter how outlandish the brief - sometimes less is still more.
Vaseline – ‘Originals’/’The Nipple Sponsorship’
Chosen by Laura Swinton Gupta, editor-in-chief
We love a brand on a journey, and we love a creative idea that escapes award bait hell and actually has real world impact. So it’s a double tick for this double feature from Vaseline this week. Last year, Unilever’s Vaseline won two Grands Prix for ‘Vaseline Verified’, a social campaign that saw the brand harvest hacks from social media and test them out. In the process of doing that, they’ve alighted on a whole host of unexpected uses for this iconic pot of petroleum jelly, and a galaxy of new niches to explore. Well, now they’re turning those insights into actions.
This week we had two separate examples so we decided to pull them together, as they demonstrate the bigger story. In the UK, on finding that the running community loves Vaseline as a shield against chafing, they’ve thrown their weight behind the 2026 London marathon, as ‘official’ sponsors of runners’ nipples in this PR campaign from Edelman. They’ve created cheeky t-shirts celebrating this fact and are sharing merch with runners around the country. Meanwhile, in Singapore, together with Ogilvy, they’ve developed a line of new products, Vaseline Originals, making it even easier to use the product as a primer or eyebrow tamer. It’s a demonstration of Unilever’s social-first approach, which has become a creative engine in its own right, surfacing opportunities, ideas and insights.
As Vaseline’s global brand director told us in November ‘there’s no off button’. The industry likes to talk about creativity as a commercial multiplier and the next chapter of Vaseline Verified is a great demonstration
We Are Mobilise – No Place To Grow
Chosen by Ben Conway, Americas reporter
On Youth Homelessness Matters Day, the charity We Are Mobilise confronted the Australian public with disruptive street art revealing the hidden reality that 28,948 children in the country don’t have a stable home.
Created in a pro bono partnership with multiple Droga5 and Accenture Song offices across Australia, London, Dublin and New York, the campaign saw hand-drawn children’s height charts placed on streets in Sydney and Melbourne.
Placing such a recognisable symbol of family home-life on the outside of buildings is an evocative way to drive awareness of the issue, and a QR code at the bottom of each chart also directs passers-by to a donation page for some direct action as well.
AXA – Nothing Stops Women's Rugby
Chosen by Zara Naseer, writer, editorial strategy
I am the opposite of a sports fan – and yet I found myself smiling for near all three and a half minutes of AXA’s women’s rugby film. As the Official Insurer of the French Women’s National Team, the bank teamed up with Publicis Conseil, Hamlet, and directors Julien & Quenti to celebrate the players’ resilience in the face of every obstacle.
It does so by juxtaposing caricature – a stuffy room of men plotting ways to prevent women from playing – with footage of women doing it regardless, even if they have no changing rooms, even if they have to take up a second job, even if they’re shamed for their muscles. It’s equal parts silly and cinematic, with a soundtrack to get you hyped, and a powerful final shot.
Brazilian Amazon – An Ecosystem Brand
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
The Brazilian Amazon is now its own brand. Created by FutureBrand São Paulo in collaboration with artists and creatives from across the Legal Amazon, the brand identity features a beautiful new logo drawn from the actual curves and bends found along the region’s 25,000 kilometres of river.
More than just the logo, the entire alphabet was found within the river’s shape, leading to the creation of a typeface which can be adapted to suit a wide range of uses from communications to clothing. With a vibrant colour palette and original illustrations, the brand authentically captures the spirit of the Amazon and its people, and for the first time, unites all nine states under one positioning, strengthening the tourism ecosystem, business, and support for the Amazon's preservation.
Peloton – Let Yourself Go
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, managing editor, editorial strategy
David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ soundtracks the knowing spot from Peloton starring one of the it-boys of the moment, Hudson Willams of ‘Heated Rivalry’ with direction from Bethany Vargas. Williams dances, runs, stretches, and lifts weights. At one point, he literally winks at the camera making direct eye contact with the viewer to say that he knows everyone is partaking in some light objectification. Golden rays light the room and bounce off his glistening skin while deftly-timed comedic moments keep the sexiness as unapologetic as it is carefree.
La-Roche Posay – Sun Protection Tickets
Chosen by Scarlett Sherriff, reporter, EMEA
La Roche-Posay is often associated with beauty – the brand of the elegantly understated – and it has long been marketed that way. It’s certainly not the cheapest option on the high street.So it immediately caught my eye when I saw it branching out to court the group who arguably need sun protection the most: outdoor workers, such as construction workers in Southern Italy. The magic of the campaign by BETC lies in the introduction of a “sun protection ticket,” modelled on the widely used buoni pasto lunch vouchers, giving workers free access to sunscreen.It’s a strategically brilliant way to shift the brand from a premium-ish beauty product to something positioned as a universal health necessity. Most importantly, it underscores the product's no-nonsense quality more than a glossy beauty spot ever could.
Coca-Cola – The Last Coke in the Desert
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Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, Americas reporter
2026 marks Coca-Cola’s 100-year anniversary in Mexico. As part of the brand’s centenary celebrations, it has launched ‘The Last Coke in the Desert’, a documentary campaign from VML Mexico inspired by the people and communities keeping the experience of sharing a Coca-Cola alive across the most challenging of desert environments.
Spanning regions such as the Sonoran Desert and Baja California, the film shows that despite the harsh conditions and broad distances, small, independent stores are staying alive, continuing to serve ice-cold Coca-Cola. The film hones in on the idea that the ‘Last Coke in the Desert’ – a phrase inspired by a beloved expression – is not a bottle, but the people making the moment possible.
Highlighting the people who care, the campaign acts as a message of gratitude from the brand to the country, amplifying real stories and transforming real stories into a symbol of pride.
Amstel – Shot Without Permission
Chosen by Tara McKerr, reporter, Americas
This feels like such a simple idea, but the actual payoff is something quite gorgeous. We’re so accustomed to curation that a deviation from it feels like a little exhale. This momentary relief is brought to us by Ogilvy Amsterdam for the Dutch. larger brand Amstel.
The sneaky images of friends enjoying the beer were snapped without permission, and there’s a hint of voyeurism making them just cheeky enough to stand out. Fear not, though; any consent-related qualms can be quelled with the knowledge the photographer did actually approach those photographed after to ask their permission to ‘possibly’ be used in an ad campaign. As someone who enjoys little more than devouring a pint with pals, this work lands exactly where it intended to.
On – Shape of Dreams
Chosen by Olivia Atkins, Craft Editor UK
Spike Jonze returns, this time with actress-of-the-moment Zendaya, for 'Shape of Dreams', a film for On that launches her debut sportswear collection. Leaning into his signature in-camera trickery, Jonze transforms choreographed surrealism into pure spectacle. The spot feels playful and alive, offering a glimpse inside Zendaya’s imagination, where ideas stretch, shift, and take form in real time. Paired with a wonderfully whimsical soundtrack, there’s a real sense of joy and curiosity throughout, elevating the collection into something inventive and cinematic. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall!
Telstra -- Stop Motion Satellite Messaging spots
Chosen by Lilya Murray, AUNZ reporter
Telstra has once again highlighted the beauty of stop-motion in its latest films with Bear Meets Eagle on Fire and +61.
Handmade stop-motion sets show a farmer, hiker, and miner sending messages in remote locations, before the sets rotate and move into space -- spotlighting the strength of its satellite messaging tech. The best thing about these films is they aren’t overdone -- ‘just’ gorgeously crafted stop-motion characters (including an echidna in the farmer’s spot).
The sound design also has a refined elegance to it. There is no music, just the white noise of each setting -- a sheep baa-ing, a text whizzing through space -- and the accurate, nostalgic sound of a globe turning. As soon as we enter space, the sound becomes muted, like we’re suddenly underwater, immersing us in the world it creates with nothing more than sound and set.
The films are the first work for Telstra since chief marketing officer Brent Smart announced he would be departing the business. His replacement, Jana Kotatko, told LBB she plans on continuing his “incredible legacy”.
