Work of the Week: 05/09/25
Budweiser - Budweiser Japan x Haroshi
Chosen by Ben Conway, Americas reporter
I love a good mascot, and Budweiser Japan might have just created my new favourite. The beer brand’s latest campaign, created with BLT and PUSH, is a collaboration with the Japanese visual artist, Haroshi, who has designed a special edition can that I think is my new best friend.
Rocking a pair of shades and headphones, this little beer can-guy is unfazed. Unperturbed. And most importantly, vibing. Amidst the chaos, it has one motive: to just keep dancing. Side to side, side to side. Not even a BBQ blaze can melt the effortless cool of this tenacious tin.
The campaign’s three films are directed by London-based filmmaker Kelvin Jones, repped by Dutch production company 100%, and have this quirky-yet-stylish look and feel which no doubt comes from a unique blend of Kelvin’s bold, cinematic surrealism and Haroshi’s skater aesthetics. The result is something visually rich and with mass appeal funny that feels simultaneously local and global. May the dancing never end.
Save the Children - Change the World. Start with a Child
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
A beautifully shot campaign for Save the Children, 'Change the World. Start with a Child' highlights the incredible potential every young child has within them. Conceptualised by TBWA\NEBOKO with production by MJZ, the film is a series of cinematic shots featuring young girls and boys in influential positions as surgeons, football managers, firefighters, chefs and more.
It is an uplifting message that the future is in the hands of children, and that we have the opportunity to help nurture them into powerful members of society through contributions to sustainable, lasting change.
Just Eat - Every Neighbour Got Their Flava
Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor, EMEA
There are a few things about this latest Just Eat spot that click for me. After the global star power of Snoop, Katy, Xtina and Latto, I love that McCann London and Just Eat have turned their gaze inward, celebrating UK culture with one of our own icons.
Craig David isn’t just a nostalgic choice – though hearing that garage flava in the ‘Did Somebody Say’ mnemonic does trigger fond memories – he also embodies community and connection, which is exactly what this campaign is about – at a time when the country is sorely in need of it.
I can’t resist a dancefloor when a UK garage megamix is playing – and, in my experience, that’s something that unites millennial Brits at weddings and advertising award shows alike. That’s why it feels so right that this is the first UK&I-only spin on the platform. Add in the social-first flava – from VHS lo-fi clips to acapella riffs – and you’ve got something that feels both authentic and fresh.
John Lewis - Tableau
Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
Before sharing my thoughts on the work, I’d like to provide a disclaimer that I’m not from the UK, I’ve never been to the UK, and I don’t have any particular affinity for John Lewis. With that said, I don’t think it takes any of the above to appreciate what Saatchi & Saatchi has achieved with this campaign. Department stores are an international concept, and when you take the time to capture the versatility of their offerings in creative, original and visually-striking fashion, you’re bound to make magic.
Such is the case here, with an absolutely fantastic hero film. 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.
While I’m scared to know just what kind of labour went into bringing everything together, what I do know is the end result was well worth it. This fusion of craft, historic reflection, and brand promise is exactly what a storied brand needs to continue cementing its legacy for the future.
LEGO - Never Stop Playing
Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, Americas reporter
Tom Holland and LEGO have delivered a powerful reminder to 'never stop playing' in the latest iteration of its ‘Rebuild the World’ campaign -- and as a firm believer that LEGO does in fact make the world a better place, I support it. Created by LEGO’s in-house agency, the two-minute film sees Tom take on an array of personas – from a superstar footballer to an artist – to remind audiences that play is always possible, no matter your age, job or environment.
Directed by creative duo Los Peréz (Tania Verduzco and Adrián Pérez) through Biscuit Filmworks, the film, set to AC/DC’s ‘High Voltage’, sees the familiar click of two LEGO bricks coming together kickstart a whirlwind tour through worlds. It’s made all the more impressive thanks to VFX from Time Based Arts and immersive sound design from 750mph.
New Zealand Bank - Take Your Sweet Time
Chosen by Olivia Atkins, EMEA editor
This spot's embrace of simplicity and stillness is a welcome pause in the noise of TV advertising. ColensoBBDO delivers a tight 30 seconds that feels like a breath of fresh air, with the snail-and-tortoise duo quietly raising awareness of bank scamming and fraud by using calmness and restraint to cut through. Visually stunning with a clear message simply delivered, it's a reminder that sometimes the smartest move is to slow down, even in advertising.
Zalando - What Do I Wear? Autumn Winter ‘25
Chosen by Paul Monan, head of creative excellence
What do I wear? A question that I ask myself every morning and is central to this new campaign from Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam for Zalando, one of Europe's leading online fashion and lifestyle retailers.
Set at a farmers market, the series of 20-second films, which star PinkPantheress and Uma Thurman (and a stack of Uma lookalikes), explores a number of playful situations in which style takes centre stage. Choosing what to wear should be fun. And the campaign demonstrates an element of gamification to fashion; swiping, selecting and pinning pieces on the 'Boards on Zalando' feature which is introduced here.
The films are short, sharp and - most importantly - stylish, with the two celebrities bringing an added layer of cool to complement the clothes on show.
Depop - Depopelganger
Chosen by Tará McKerr, Americas reporter
Uncommon has pulled off another blinder. Despite having come to expect great work from the creative studio, this film for Depop packs buckets of punch; perhaps owed in part to the soundtrack arriving as a certified toe-tapper. The film sees the protagonist dragged through a multitude of scenes by the unravelling thread of his red jumper.
It climaxes in a field where the red string connects to another character, whose jumper is being woven together. Ending with some smart copy, the film ticks every box for entertainment, brand messaging, and extra points for pizzazz.
Virgin Media O2 - Trunk Trucker
Chosen by Zara Naseer, EMEA reporter
VCCP and Untold Studios have knocked it out the park once more with the latest in their animal-led Virgin Media O2 campaign, ‘To Better and Beyond’, directed by Andreas Nilsson through Biscuit Filmworks.
Set to Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’, the fourth instalment introduces an opportunistic Thai elephant who takes a joyride through the heart of Bangkok, with neon signs replaced by the brand’s entertainment options, from Netflix to Sky Sports. With its stunning CGI, the film is certainly a worthy follow-up to ‘Highland Rider’, ‘Goat Glider’ and ‘Walrus Whizzer’ – I’ll be intrigued to see which creature comes next.
Spotify x Nike – Make Moves
Chosen by Zhenya Tsenzharyk, UK editor
Too many women – still – feel like sport and exercise isn't for them. Often, these feelings set in during the formative childhood years and are difficult, if not impossible, to shift in adulthood.
A 2024 World Health Organisation study found 85% of teenage girls aren’t meeting recommended guidelines for physical activity, which can negatively impact well-being and mental health. To help tackle the issue, building on a successful pilot in the UK, Spotify and Nike reunited once more to launch the global 'Make Moves' campaign. The idea behind the campaign is that it's easy to move to a great song and if girls can be encouraged to do it to one song a day, it may just turn into a habit of movement for life.
The Make Moves playlist is central to the campaign but it's more than a collection of songs. Curated by a global community of artists, athletes and teen girls, it's the prompt to get girls moving with freedom and joy.
Waitrose - Check Out Our Better Chicken
Chosen by April Summers, North America features lead
I have recently noticed a trend on socials where British folk explain staple UK supermarkets and the types of people who shop at each. Normally a piss-taking exercise in naming and shaming the apparently nationally recognised traits of every store, these videos have had me cracking up. Of course, in these videos, Waitrose comes out on top, across the board. Say what you want about Waitrose, but its food cannot be beat. Yes it's the posh one, and for most, going there is a treat. But it's always an enjoyable experience and, most notably, it's trustworthy. Which is exactly what this new campaign is highlighting with a genius cameo from Alex Horne and The Horne Section. Earworm incoming...
Yates - National Gardening League
Chosen by Tess Connery-Britten, news and features editor AUNZ
Australians have been invited to swap the footy for fertiliser with Yates’ National Gardening League (NGL), the newest “low octane, medium adrenaline” sport.
Created by Howatson+Company, the campaign turns the humble backyard into a national sporting arena – complete with an AI-powered lawn ranking and national leaderboard, the shiny sports studio treatment, and a Championship ‘Green Thumb’ Ring.
The NGL taps into three very Australian obsessions – sport, lawn, and beating your friends in pointless competitions – while using humour to elevate garden care into a spectacle up there with the AFL or NRL. In fact, placements stretch from TV and OOH to AFL and NRL stadiums during both leagues’ finals. The ESPN-esque studio and music in the TVC is on point, and the Super Bowl and NBA-like Championship Ring is a stroke of genius.
It’s also absurd, but the message cuts (pun-intended) through – competitive, clever, and very funny.
