Work of the Week: 19/06/26
Nike – Sleep Well, NY
Chosen by Ben Conway, reporter, Americas
Well, New York got its fairy tale ending. The Knicks beat the Spurs to become NBA champions for the first time in over 50 years - and we could feel the ground shaking all the way from London. In fact, we were lucky to be in NYC for the first game of the series, and felt ourselves being swept up in Knicks fever, catching glimpses of the zealous revelry to come; no comparison, of course, to the biblical scenes around MSG and Times Square after the finals had concluded.
So when it came time to prepare a 'Knicks win' film for Nike, who better for Wieden+Kennedy to partner with, to capture the wildness of the city's celebrations, than a lifelong Knicks fan, and master of frenetic filmmaking, Josh Safdie?
In a sequence ripped straight from the Superprime director's high-velocity canon - perhaps most clearly resembling Timothée Chalamet's sprint through Manhattan in 'Marty Supreme' - 'Sleep Well, NY' shares in the adrenaline of that winning moment, tracking an astonished Knicks fans as he races, and cartwheels, through the streets to reach the main mob of partygoers.
The Billy Joel soundtrack also adds to the oneiric mood of the video, which brings everything home with a nod to both New York's always-awake reputation and its long wait for NBA glory: ‘Never slept. Always dreamed.’
Ōura – Ready?
Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor, EMEA
Ōura first entered my awareness as a result of the whole men’s England football squad wearing them during their preparations for Euro 2024, so although the brand has become pretty well known, I still associate them with international football. And the fitness-tracking ring brand is making great use of that association this World Cup in its film featuring the squad’s lynchpins, Harry Kane and Declan Rice. There’s a deft touch to the idea, playing on the unreasonable pressure that English fans traditionally put on their national team. The concept flips the pessimistic ‘are they ready?’ of the red-tops and turns it into a matey ‘you ready?’
There’s a nuanced understanding of English football culture here that I’m pleasantly surprised to see from American agency nice&frank. Someone there has really delved deep and the resulting authenticity in the film separates it from the morass of football content that’s flying our way this summer.
It’s also crucial to appreciate the filmmaking decisions made here by Love Song and director Louis McCourt. The casting has turned up a lovable cross-section of the nation’s footie fans and the performances from them and – to be fair – the two footballers, are charming.
And I’d just like to say that based on their performance earlier this week, Harry, Declan and the boys do look like they’re ready. Whether that’s with help from their Ōura rings is hard to know, but if it helps them bring it home, I don’t care.
Uber Eats – Get Almost, Almost Anything
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
What better way to demonstrate that with Uber Eats you can 'Get Almost, Almost Anything' than to bag up nearly every other brand ad you see on the street? In an unmissable Australian campaign by Special, the brand places OOH ads by brands available on Uber Eats inside giant versions of its green takeaway bags. It's eye-catching, playful, and delivers the message instantly.
EE – Get the Edge
Chosen by Zara Naseer, writer, editorial strategy
If you ask me, EE and Saatchi & Saatchi London are yet to miss. In ‘Get the Edge’, directed by Love Song’s Daniel Wolfe, we’re dropped into the middle of a busy train station at rush hour. It’s one kinetic blur, masterfully channelling the frustration of having both places to be and obstacles in your way – in this case, no connection. It channels the language that now feels so unmistakably EE, from the pacing, to the colours, to my favourite part, the music. Daniel Bedingfield’s ‘Gotta Get Thru This’ will always be a classic.
Apple – Dança
Chosen by Cathy Meyer-Funnell, reporter, EMEA
I first saw Apple’s advert ‘Dança’ appropriately enough during the break while watching England play their first World Cup game against Croatia. It was a win for the boys and also a win for Brazilian footballer Vini Jr (known for his enthusiastic post-goal celebrations) as he bops his way happily through a 30-second spot where the audience never hears the music he is dancing to, demonstrating the noise cancelling power of the AirPods Pro 3. It’s a simple idea beautifully executed by the tech giant; as football fans across the world are swept along in the excitement of the tournament, the pure escapism of dancing to a piece of music that touches you will always remain joyous. Even if somehow it does not in fact come home, we’ll never lose that.
IKEA Canada – Assemble the World
Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
Recently, I spoke to a number of agencies across Canada, seeking opinions on how marketers can effectively insert themselves into the World Cup discussion. This is an example of things being done right. One of the recurring observations was that local soccer fans – being part of a nation with incredible ethnic diversity – often not only cheer for Canada, but a second country, due to familial ties. So, Dentsu Creative’s idea to showcase IKEA products being turned into international flags is just brilliant. It’s playful, it’s fun, it’s timely, and most importantly, it’s memorable. Some of the best advertising I’ve seen this tournament, hands down!
Canac – The Secret Box (La Boîte Secrète)
Chosen by Laura Swinton Gupta, editor-in-chief
A real solution to a very real problem. For many of us, moving house involves one particular box of bits and pieces that are not for public consumption. Those of you blessed with family members with a healthy respect of boundaries may not relate, but for the rest of us, when you get an offer of help to move, keeping said box away from prying eyes becomes a complex logistical operation. Home hardware store Canac is easing the stress for Canadian movers. Traditionally in Quebec, July 1st is a popular day to move house as many leases expire on that date. Canac, which sells (among other things) moving boxes, has come up with an ingenious solution: moving boxes with secret false bottoms to help keep your unmentionables hidden. We love a product innovation that is truly available and not just a prototype or an open-source download. You can genuinely buy these for a limited time.
Michelob ULTRA – Pass for the Ages
Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, reporter, Americas
BBDO New York showed what it means to be an agency that participates in, and understands culture this week. In the moments following the New York Knicks’ long-awaited NBA Championship win, the agency and Michelob ULTRA – the official beer sponsor of the NBA – displayed a double-unit OOH ad across two Times Square billboards, tying the hero of the 1973 title team, Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, with 2026 Knicks star, Jalen Brunson. Captioned with the words ‘Legacy, Passed.’ the ad displayed above hordes of jubilant Knicks fans highlights the power of a shared legacy that spans generations.
The reactive OOH was a firm favourite within LBB’s Work of the Week discussions this week, with the accompanying film narrated by Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier serving as a further extension of ‘Pass for the Ages’ message.
Department for Education – Get Out of the Everyday
Chosen by Olivia Atkins, EMEA Craft Editor
M+C Saatchi’s first campaign since winning the Department for Education account is an inspiring and emotionally resonant look at the profession, presenting teaching as a career rich in purpose, creativity and personal fulfilment. Weaving choreography and spoken word, the film helmed by MJZ’s Gary Freedman illustrates the impact that teachers can have on young people’s identity and development. Following a teacher’s morning journey, we see her interaction with the students whose lives she has shaped. Accompanied by striking out-of-home executions featuring real gen z teachers, the campaign feels contemporary, authentic and attention-grabbing, positioning teaching as a rewarding, aspirational career for the next generation.
SKYN – Faces
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, managing editor, editorial strategy
Anticipation, tension, joy, and release are some of the emotions football fans will experience in the stands during the World Cup. They might also experience those emotions in the bedroom as they further celebrate or commiserate, and SKYN wants them to do it safely, whatever the mood. The brand’s global campaign 'Faces’, created by agency L&C with production by Fertil, extends the ‘Feel Everything’ platform to the biggest sporting event right now. Opening on intimate close-ups of faces that suggest a different activity, the camera slowly zooms out to reveal fans cheering. It’s a light provocation reminding us all that pleasure has many flavours.
KFC – Go Full Chicken
Chosen by Addison Capper, managing editor, Americas
Mastering the art of figure skating takes years – if not decades – of obsessive dedication in pursuit of flawless perfection. That's something Colonel Sanders can appreciate. Those 11 secret herbs and spices didn't mix themselves. A new ad for KFC in Australia – the first from Special Australia since it joined the brand's roster in February (and its second ad on this list this week!) – sees a restaurant worker ditch the apron in favour of a pair of skates, before gliding gracefully across an ice rink to Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up', perfectly in sync with a human-size chicken drumstick. The spot's metaphor might be a bit of a reach, but is all the more fun for it, deftly executed by EXIT director Stefan Hunt.
La Colombe Must be the Coffee
Chosen by Tará McKerr, reporter, Americas
We’ve been inundated with World Cup-related ads over the past few weeks. Tis’ the season after all. And if you aren’t, let’s say, a lover of football, many of them can leave you feeling cold. This though, leaves something warm and tingly. Some semblance of feeling. It’s able to pump life into cold-naysayers because, instead of tapping into noisy, beer-spiked glory, it leans into something much more familiar and human.
That being the idiosyncrasies of places that keep them pacing onwards. Told the meandering imaginings of the narrator are portrayed through the lens of ProdCo director Leigh Powis (whose work we’ve been seeing a lot of lately). ‘Must Be the Coffee’ for La Colombe brought to life with Uncommon New York is definitely one worth watching.
Odido - Startphone
Chosen by Scarlett Sherriff, reporter, EMEA
The Dutch telecom brand Odido has launched an ingenious, and rigorously considered app to children with smartphones alongside researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
In contrast to traditional apps, Smartphone - which was designed by TBWA/Neboko alongside Odido, uses a phased approach. Once installed, the app takes over the interface transforming a phone from a smartphone into a ‘startphone’, allowing children control but in a phased and age-appropriate way.
In a world where countries such as Australia, and now potentially the UK, are imposing bans on social media for under 16s, the approach is pragmatic and smart. The strategic genius is that it allows children to feel that they are growing with the phone and unlocking new understanding, rather than feeling disciplined. It also offers parents confidence and directly responds to an identifiable problem: 82% of parents say they should be doing more to protect their children online. And sometimes a simple solution expressed and executed with precision is exactly what is needed.
Hospice NZ - Dying Reviews
Chosen by Tom Loudon, AUNZ reporter
This world-first platform from Hospice New Zealand and McCann Wellington, gives terminally ill people a voice in how businesses treat them, rating everything from banks that won't adjust loan terms, to insurance companies with inflexible policies, to telcos with complicated cancellation processes.
A devastatingly humane piece of work, ‘Dying Reviews’ transforms an invisible, oft-avoided subject into real agency, measurable and actionable, equipping businesses with the data they need to improve.
The campaign refuses to treat dying as a niche concern and makes a compelling case that empathetic design is not charity, but good business, and that the final phase of life deserves the same customer-experience attention as any other.
