Claude, Waitrose and Coinbase Take Top Spots as The Monthly Cut Reveals UK’s Best Performers
Having unveiled the top 15 scoring projects globally, The Monthly Cut continues its Year-in-Review series by revealing the 10 best performing British ads from the creative excellence showcase’s first year.
Each month, a world-class creative council – composed of international brand, agency and craft leaders – curates a reel of the freshest, best new commercial creativity. Over 80 of the industry’s finest have taken part, including plenty of UK-based talent like McCann Worldgroup’s Harjot Singh, M+C Saatchi’s Rob Doubal and Laurence Thomson, Droga5 London’s Tara Ford, 4creative’s Dave Wigglesworth, and Riff Raff’s Tracey Cooper.
We’ve compiled the 10 highest-scoring campaigns to have come from the UK and placed them in order below, complete with their average scores out of 10 (in brackets) and a selection of comments on what made each stand out.
Thank you to The Monthly Cut’s sponsors, cape.io, Jukin Licencing, Shutterstock Studios and Telstra for wanting to support our industry, foster local creative communities, and celebrate the best that the brilliant business of advertising can be.
#1 Claude - Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude. (7.9)
Leo Chiesi, chief creative officer, McCann Worldgroup Santiago: “The casting in these ads is amazing. They have interpreted ChatGPT’s tone of voice in a perfect way, with all the awkwardness that comes with it. And have used it against it to deliver their promise. I love how the message aligns perfectly with the brand. They defy the main player in the industry in a very smart way.”
Adam Barnett, VP EMEA and APAC, Shutterstock Studios: “Brilliant idea and concept. Exceptional execution. I love how Jeff Lowe crafts these with just the right tone of comedic performance that entertains. In the face of the current AI landscape, it’s a very bold approach, and I'm all for it.”
Read more: Claude’s Super Bowl Debut Takes a Cheeky Stab at Ad-Supported AI
#2 Waitrose - The Perfect Gift (7.82)
Anna Jackson, head of brand, Westpac: “Sometimes I groan a bit when I see an ad over 90 seconds. But all four minutes of this delightful rom-com pastiche was worth the watch. It’s the perfect mix of charm, tongue-in-cheek direction and bang-on casting.”
#3 Coinbase - Everything Is Fine (7.75)
Psembi Kinstan, executive creative director, 72andSunny Amsterdam: “I’m not sure how many other ads in the Cut were banned by the ASA, but this one was. Did it imply that crypto helps you escape the dreary situation in the UK? Absolutely. Should that message have ever been taken seriously, when the film was so beautifully stupid? I’d argue no. But the craft on this is off the charts, the choreography perfect, the flying rats superb, and each insight brilliantly spotted and incredibly depressing. Fantastically evocative stuff.”
Read more: This Catchy Musical Number from Coinbase Captures Britain's Financial Challenges
#4 Channel 4 - The Fountain of Filth (7.6)
Stephen de Wolf, chief creative officer, Clemenger BBDO: “There’s nothing better than being genuinely interruptive in the real world, and The Fountain of Filth more than delivered. The craft of the idea and the obsessive level of detail from the main statue to the statues within it meant it didn’t just promote a show, but stood alone as a powerful piece, educating and driving outrage at the human cost of Britain’s sewage scandal.”
Read more: Channel 4 Exposes Britain’s Sewage Scandal with 'The Fountain of Filth'
#5 Tesco - That's What Makes it Christmas (7.52)
Will Studd, animation director, Aardman: “‘Where’s the insight?!’ I imagine, is the call of many an advertising CD. Maybe that’s why I loved this campaign, it has a lot. Featuring multiple formats exploring the little lame, annoying, silly things that go on at Christmas time. It’s packed with relatable vignettes that made me laugh out loud. It has a great balance of dry British humour and warmth, and as someone who has a mixed relationship with Christmas, was a big hit for me.”
#6 Andrex - First School Poo (7.47)
Pip Smart, executive producer, Revolver: “A perfect example of using levity and joy to communicate a message (and a brand). A classic Andreas Nillson piece that is beautifully made and tonally spot on for the industry and the viewer.”
Read more: Andrex Flushes Away School Poo Shame
#7 John Lewis - Tableau (7.44)
Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter, Little Black Book: “The way Somesuch’s Kim Gehrig captures vignettes of various eras feels authentic, and it’s genuinely impressive to see each transition, creating the ultimate 100-year tableau. In fact, this visual sequence is so mesmerising – especially when scored to Mike Skinner’s original cover of ‘The Beat Goes On’ – that you might forget it’s all designed to showcase John Lewis’ wares over the years – a welcome change in an era where a lot of product-based advertising feels aggressively in your face.”
Read more: John Lewis Celebrates 100 Years of Culture with Riotous Tableau
#8 BritBox - See it Differently (7.41)
Mpho Twala, co-founder, FAM Films: “For me what makes ‘See It Differently’ land is how tightly the idea and execution hold each other. The single shot isn’t just a technical flex for the sake of a flex, it pulls you into a world that’s constantly shifting, still feels real and grounded. There’s a clear celebration of a return to craft here; you can sense the ‘human hand’ in every frame, in the pacing (even with the motion control), the movement, the detail. It’s not trying to overwhelm you; it invites the viewer in much like the best of the shows on the platform. That’s what resonates, ambition held with discipline, and a piece that is cinematic, intentional, and genuinely made not manufactured.”
Roisin Keown, founder, The Brill Building: “A film from our first screening of The Monthly Cut in Dublin way back in Summer 2025. This is not just an ode to the craft of filmmaking, it's a meditation on the alchemy of vision, imagination and storytelling - the magic and wonder of being transported backwards and forwards in time - thanks to the craft of filmmakers. Still in love with it.”
Read more: BritBox's Epic Single-Take Sequence Celebrates Best of British TV
#9 Channel 4 - School's Back (7.38)
Rob Doubal and Laurence "Lolly" Thomson, global chief creative officers, M+C Saatchi: “400 kids. 12 workshops. One take. No retakes. That's 'School's Back'. And somehow it's the most joyful, chaotic, alive thing on telly this year. Well done Dougal sir and everyone that made that one happen.”
Charles Howell, global president of advertising and content, Framestore: “Love a good one-er - and love Dougal's work - loved the talent of the kids and it's technically very impressive too!”
Read more: School Kids Lead Dougal Wilson’s One-Take Bonanza for Channel 4
#10 Absolut - Absolut Tabasco (7.33)
Ger Roe, board creative director, Publicis Dublin: “Firstly, what a cool, ahem I mean hot partnership. Tabasco and Absolut. When I started in the industry, everyone seemed to have a shitty ‘Absolut’ print ad in their book, so the challenge here was always going to be living up to that incredible advertising legacy. Hats off to Freddy and Philippa from W+K, they nailed it. It still has the same iconic feel but now with a dash of real wit and a splash of contemporary vibes to it. Sometimes the best ideas have that familiarity to them. But that is when it fits perfectly for both product and brand. And seeing the smarts of how it was executed was even better. I am all in. It’s work you wish you had done.”
Roisin Keown, founder, The Brill Building: “Since it launched, we've all seen the real scientific research this was inspired by and that makes me love it even more. It's a reminder to deep dive, to explore, to do our own research when it comes to a brief - with the hope that we can create something as essentially beautiful but clear and compelling conceptually as this gorgeous piece.”
Read more: Absolut Vodka and TABASCO Team Up for Spiciest Launch of 2026
