Work of the Week: 21/08/26
Garage Beer x Liquid Death – We Want Your Pee
Chosen by Zara Góralczyk, writer, editorial strategy
For many of us around the world, summer 2026 has been characterised by heatwaves, wildfires, and drought. Meanwhile, we've been hearing of data centres guzzling up the gallons to stay cool. People are incensed.
It's a serious issue that deserves attention, but that doesn't mean it has to be dry. Humour is one of the sharpest communication tools we have and it’s brandished confidently in Garage Beer x Liquid Death's 'We Want Your Pee'.
The two beloved beverage brands present an ingenious solution – drink their products and donate the resulting urine to cool the data centres – via a music video fronted by former American football player, Jason Kelce and Liquid Death mascot, Murder Man. The US campaign is positively patriotic, with a choir of comrades marching together, pee-filled vessels in hand, to donate for the good of their country. Even a soaring bald eagle lends its stream.
To make donating that much easier, the brands are offering a limited-edition Data Centre Coolant Collector on Liquid Death’s website, and are setting up donation stations at Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest from September 17th-20th. US readers – you know what to do.
Uber – Oder Aber Uber
Chosen by Scarlett Sherriff, reporter, EMEA
People tend to cause themselves unnecessary pain. They’ll shove themselves onto a packed tube in the middle of rush hour when there’s a far more reasonable and chic approach. They’ll save the pennies but waste it by forgetting their lunch instead. Terrible. And those journeys can cause relationship-damaging strife.
Playing on the German phrase ‘oder aber uber’ which is about expressing an alternative approach to problem-solving, this set of short films by Serviceplan Germany transforms the familiar phrase into a playful take on peculiar habits like lugging heavy shopping bags unnecessarily, or layering up unwisely. The crux is that there is a far more practical solution: Uber. We should all take note, sometimes it just isn’t worth the wet hair, the extra sweat or the sore arms.
Flipkart – Hire a Rakhi Reminder
Chosen by Laura Swinton Gupta, editor-in-chief
Rakhi Bandhan is a traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the brother-sister relationship. Sisters tie a protection bracelet around their brothers’ wrists, and in exchange brothers return the favour with gifts and sweets. These days, a nice box of ladoo won’t quite cut the mustard. It’s become a massive retail opportunity and every year Indian commerce giant Flipkart gets creative. This year, they’ve decided to tackle the issue of conveniently ‘forgetful’ brothers in this campaign from Omnicom’s 22Feet.
This comedic, yet disturbing, spot sees one such brother bombarded with notifications as his co-workers are transformed into alarms and reminders. The grey office and kitsch styling lend a surreal vibe, and choreography and performance straddle the line between funny and menacing. There’s also a smart social element as sisters are invited to ‘recruit’ their own brothers’ colleagues as Rakhi Reminders via LinkedIn.
Disney – Once a Princess, Always a Princess
Chosen by Cathy Meyer-Funnell, reporter, EMEA
Most of us had a Disney phase at some point in our childhoods, but the entertainment giant’s almost four-minute long film celebrating World Princess Week reminds us that a little bit of Disney magic is always important. Directed by Alex Prager from Arts & Sciences, the film shows two girls living opposite each other embarking on an extraordinary imaginative adventure, inspired by their love of some of the most beloved Disney Princesses. Together they fly on a magic carpet, become mermaids at their local leisure centre, and even have to face the wrath of a ‘wicked witch’ (or wicked older sister). The emphasis is hugely on physical craft thanks to the ‘bigature’ castles, custom puppets and hand-painted matte backdrops, while a 56-piece live orchestra creates the soaring, emotion-inducing Disney violins we all grew up with. One of the girls may move away, but the power of lifelong friendship endures as we watch them reunite as adults with daughters of their own. Truly captivating.
Mando – Sniff Bert’s Bits
Chosen by Ben Conway, reporter, Americas
We can sense (smell?) that this one will divide rooms. However, there is a level of craft and authenticity to this experiential-cum-social campaign that allows Mando’s latest to strut the line between gross and grandiose with confidence.
Firstly, as the MIRIMAR creatives behind the work explained to us, this sniff-test exhibition in architecturally gorgeous surrounds only works – or exists at all – because of Bert Kreischer’s involvement. It’s not just his penchant for stripping while performing stand-up that makes him the ideal collaborator, but also his almost unparalleled ability to commit to the bit sans embarrassment, all while riffing with the attendees and, somehow, never feeling like the butt of the joke.
On top of that, you have deep craft bringing all the other senses to life across a variety of social films and activations – even if we can’t smell the ‘art installation’ ourselves. Shooting on 35mm film, recording an awesome track with a real orchestra and opera singers, capturing stunning photography in an epic location – all this attention to detail juxtaposes perfectly with the ludicrous nature of the experience, bringing laughs and shareability to what is otherwise a silly, and potentially uncomfortable, product demo.
charity: water – Every Penny Counts
Chosen by Adam Bennett, reporter, EMEA
One needn’t look hard to find something enjoyable about an ad featuring four men in pink velour singing an extravagantly earnest(?) boyband ballad about loose change. Boy Throb has become a social media sensation by leaving people perpetually unsure how seriously it is meant to be taken, making it a perfect fit for a charity campaign which blends playfulness with sincere impact.
The joke also disguises a beautifully simple mechanic. Post a picture of a penny, tag charity: water, and a donor gives $40 – enough, the organisation tells us, to provide one person with clean water. With the US penny itself on the way out, Fire Kite and Gear Seven have found a neat use for a cultural moment that could otherwise have been little more than trivia. The resulting music video is silly, catchy and knowingly overblown – but the idea beneath all that pink velour could hardly be easier to understand.
Three – Let Fun In
Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
This campaign from Three Mobile made me smile. While I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when the film – created by Wonderhood Studios and directed by Smuggler’s Lucy Forbes – opened upon a girl in a dressing room, it certainly wasn’t her taking to the ice, revealing an inflatable chicken costume, and going absolutely wild with a routine. It’s fun, it’s cute, it’s heartfelt, and the decision to set it all to The Donna's ‘Dancing with Myself’ takes it over the top. In particular, I love the slow-motion shot of her soaring through the air, spotlight blazing. It’s a great reminder that in a very serious period of time – for many valid reasons – it’s still important to look for moments of fun, and to not be afraid of trying new things, no matter the judgement of peers.
Kia – New Breed of Hybrid
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
In 'New Breed of Hybrid', Kia Australia juxtaposes its turbo-powered hybrid with one of the world's most well-known: the centaur.
Crafted by Innocean Australia, FINCH and Alt.VFX, the spot features a centaur encountering a Kia hybrid for the first time, venturing out of his wild habitat deep in the forest to inspect this new beast. As the vehicle sets off at speed, the centaur strives to keep up but is eventually outdone.
The ad is super cinematic and very well made, a testament to the level of detail the crew put into every aspect to make the centaur feel as believable as possible. From the anatomy to the gallop, everything was carefully considered.
Carhartt – Made Possible
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, managing editor, editorial strategy
Carhartt’s foray into sports marketing is rather lovely to watch. Aesthetic and considered, the latest instalment of its ‘Made Possible’ campaign takes a look behind the scene at the new Highmark Stadium where Buffalo Bills play. Across a series of thoughtful two-minute documentary-style films, viewers are introduced to all the people who put craft, skills, and care into the making of the stadium including the family-owned farm supplying natural grass to NFL stadiums, and Aluminum Athletic Equipment, where skilled welders make uprights. With authenticity fundamental to Carhartt, it makes perfect strategic sense to highlight the artisans behind everything that goes into a football game, connecting the craft of the clothes with the craft of the trades.
