Work of the Week: 30/01/26
WABA – 2026 Ramadan Film
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Chosen by Zara Naseer, EMEA reporter
The editorial team’s been hearing me yap about this WABA Ramadan campaign by Shareet Studios for a few days now, but it really is just stunning. Speaking to Mohammed AlNashmi – who handled the creative, directing, cinematography, SFX, and editing – I was blown away by the sheer dedication poured into this showcase of not only the brand’s premium tableware, but also Gulf cultures.
I’m not the only one the film has had this effect on; it’s gone viral on socials, and the comments are full of people applauding the faultless match cuts, appreciating the Arab representation, and drawing a direct comparison between this feat of human craft and the AI slop they’re tired of seeing. And here’s a fun fact for you: this Kuwaiti campaign has had more views (5.6 million and counting) than the country has people.
For those who are curious how the Shareet Studios team pulled it off, I went behind the scenes with Mohammed earlier this week.
Fanatics Sportsbook – Bet on Kendall
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Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, Americas reporter
The Super Bowl and celebrity cameos go hand in hand, and undoubtedly, some land better than others. One that caught our attention this week came from Fanatics Sportsbook, after the sports betting platform enlisted Kendall Jenner to play out the ‘Kardashian Kurse’ conspiracy theory.
Despite not having the Kardashian surname, Kendall hasn’t escaped the lore of the ‘Kardashian Kurse’, with this campaign ‘Bet on Kendall’ tapping into that. Set in a sprawling mansion, the film opens with Kendall delivering a masterclass on “betting on the right guy”. Attributing her wealth to the unfortunate circumstances befallen by her basketballer ex-boyfriends after she bets on them, Kendall is now setting her sights on the Super Bowl, as she gears up for her footballer boyfriend and her next big bet: the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks?
Produced by the recently-launched Fanatics Studios, with creative direction from Bolded and direction by Michael D. Ratner and Cameron Harris, the spot invites audiences to pick a side – will they bet on Kendall, or against her? Anticipation has continued to build in the days since the spot launched, with Kendall’s Instagram post receiving over 1.2 million likes at the time of writing, and Kendall appearing on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ to discuss her big decision, even going as far as enlisting the advice of former Patriots star Tom Brady. A masterclass in fan engagement and truly tapping into culture, let’s see how successful Kendall’s Patriots prediction is on February 8th.
Mozilla – Choose Your Future
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Chosen by Ben Conway, Americas reporter
The rollout for Mozilla’s new campaign has been one big mystery in itself – and that’s before we delve into the contents of the freaky films. I say freaky because a bunch of freaks are behind the work – ‘Basement Freaks’, in fact – are the anonymous creative team responsible for the campaign.
Directed by Object & Animal's Hugh Mulhern, the videos all centre around the idea of reinforcing human agency in an age of AI, but they arrive at this destination in distinct yet equally strange ways. From cinematic, borderline-horror sequences with automated vehicles to ethereal stories of creativity, the films are confronting at first, but undeniably communicate Mozilla’s more human alternative to a sinister future being built by faceless tech brands.
BBC – Trails Will Blaze
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Chosen by Olivia Atkins, EMEA editor
This campaign is so compelling because of its commitment to craft. In an age dominated by digital shortcuts, BBC Creative and NOMINT lean into something beautifully tactile: real fire, real materials, and painstaking, hand-built animation through NOMINT. The use of 700 3D-printed athletes and live combustion techniques gives the film a visceral energy that mirrors the Olympic spirit it celebrates. To me, this piece is a reminder that the most moving work often comes from embracing risk, patience and process.
Absolut – TABASCO
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Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor, EMEA
If real life had some kind of ‘Beverages Wrapped’ summary on it, I’d like to think I’d be in the top 5% of Bloody Mary drinkers globally. Running out of TABASCO is pretty much an unthinkable scenario in my house. So I was already a receptive audience checking out this campaign for Absolut’s spicy new collaboration. But, even if I hated Bloody Marys, I’d still love this work. It’s an aesthetic that’s instantly seared itself onto my memory – glowing red lava and metallic figures popping out from the igneous Icelandic backdrop. It simultaneously makes me thirsty for a savoury tipple, and reminds me of my passion for geology. Combining the real landscape with clever models has created some truly larger-than-life imagery. I want to know more about how it was done. Huge respect to the team at Wieden+Kennedy London for pushing the vibes this far. And to Leigh Powis, ProdCo and the rest of the production team for realising the vision.
Instacart – Bananas
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Chosen by Tará McKerr, Americas reporter
I don’t think I had Benson Boone backflipping with Ben Stiller on my 2026 bingo card, but here we are. This Super Bowl spot from Instacart definitely got people talking. Though many – myself included – actually found themselves preferring the teaser to the ad itself. That isn’t a dig though. Anyone who can get this much fuss going over shopping for bananas really deserves a spot among the best bits from this week.
My colleague, Abi Lightfoot, spoke to the brand for a behind-the-scenes scoop on the campaign’s strategy, so if you’re interested, it’s worth sinking your teeth into.
Henry of Pelham – Developed Through Time
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Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, UK editor
'Experiential’, ‘tactile’, ‘circular’, were the words I noted down when looking at the work from Henry of Pelham, an Ontario Winery, and its agency, Zulu Alpha Kilo. The premise is simple on paper. Henry of Pelham turned its cellar into a photographic darkroom, allowing visitors to develop their photos in actual wine through a method known as Wineol. Employing that same process, the winery created a limited-edition set of 50 handcrafted bottles featuring photographic labels developed with its Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, and Baco Noir wines, to celebrate its 200-year-old history.
Each of the limited-edition labels was created in the same considered way the winery approaches its wine. Each one uses four paper layers with four different stocks for an aesthetically sensorial experience. The designs also incorporated traditional decorative techniques, before every bottle was individually dipped in molten wax with label pages bound together by hand into a folder and secured with twine. ‘Developed Through Time’ took no short cuts, and I love the care and attention that went into the whole idea. It feels considered – and looks classically beautiful – from the very start to the end, pulling a continuous thematic thread of craft throughout.
Crocs – Wonderfully Unordinary
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Chosen by Cathy Meyer-Funnell, EMEA reporter
This genuinely heartwarming campaign from Crocs is like ‘Heartstopper’ meets ‘Doctor Who’, as two shop mannequins come to life and slowly become human through the power of dance and comfortable shoes. The 90-second hero film sees them travelling through the streets of São Paulo by night as they gradually shed their plastic origins and develop human skin, expressions and emotions, dancing along the way in their Crocs.
The pair interact in a slightly uncanny yet still amusing way, as one sweetly offers the other a rose who then proceeds to eat it whole, while the Dark Rooms song ‘I Get Overwhelmed’ makes the perfect soundtrack to this tale of youthful exploration. Crocs may not be the most stylish or aesthetically-pleasing choice of footwear (at least in my opinion), but fans of the brand are able to express themselves with Jibbitz, decorating their feet with symbols to show their individuality. Joyful self-expression is the perfect way to summarise this campaign, and I’m here for it.
RHB – Dignity
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Chosen by Laura Swinton Gupta, editor-in-chief
Here’s a Chinese New Year ad that’s so full of heart and sincerity that it’s impossible to resist. Created by Shout Group for Malaysian bank RHB, it’s inspired by the true story of a social entrepreneur who used her tailoring business to empower 800 women from low-income communities – though this is a somewhat tighter tale of three such women who put in an extra shift to create a beautiful gesture of thanks. It’s an ad that speaks to Malaysia’s multiculturalism with an organic, light touch and, with some really tender performances and direction from D Moving Pictures’ Dick Chua. It’s also an ad that caused one or two members of the editorial team to get damp around the eyes.
Oreo® – OREO® Cows
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Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
There’s something about campaigns built on clever, niche discoveries which always earn a special place in the editorial team’s heart, and this piece of creative by VML’s New York and Mexican offices is certainly no exception. Four years into its quest to discover Oreo cookies hidden within everyday life, the brand has come across cows that match the sweet’s distinct pattern – a breed known as the Belted Galloway – and thus, some worthy work has been born. The hero spot tells the story of a Mexican farmer, and his quest to convince the world that his cows are truly legitimate. At the same time, he also endeavours to propose the pairing of Oreos and milk – which really makes a lot of sense if you think about it – in a valiant attempt to bring back cookie-dunking across the country.
It’s fun, it’s lighthearted, it’s absurd, and there’s lots to love about it. But what I personally enjoy most is actually the limited-edition, co-branded bottles of milk which pay homage to the cows’ patterns (and, well, Oreos too). I may be lactose intolerant, but I still wouldn’t say no to having one of those in my fridge.
Waka Kotahi – Speed Demons
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Chosen by Tom Loudon, AUNZ reporter
In the crowded, often grim category of road safety advertising, the Michael Hili-directed ‘Speed Demons’ trades the tired currency of shock and gore for a new kind of monster.
The first campaign from the newly-formed McCann New Zealand -- born from the merger of DDB and FCB -- for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi deploys a squadron of tactile, unsettling puppets. These handmade ‘Speed Demons’ are not manifestations of crash horrors, but personifications of social pressures -- nagging friends and tailgating strangers -- that push young drivers to rush.
A celebration of practical craft in the digital age, each awkward, emotionally-loaded demon was brought to life through an analogue alchemy of 3D-printed cages, silicone castings, papier-mâché, and intricate cityscape miniatures. The meticulous, in-camera approach gives the creatures a tangible, human-feeling grotesqueness which Michael Hili puts down to the friction of physical materials.
