Work of the Week: 24/10/25
MDDI - The Horrors of Vaping Are Real
Chosen by Sunna Coleman, reporter, Asia
It's the season for scares. And nothing is scarier than real-life horror. TBWA\Singapore's dark and suspenseful campaign for The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Board and Health Sciences Authority, presents as a film trailer for a new horror movie.
But then comes the terrifying and heartbreaking twist: the scares on screen aren't fictional – they're based on real-life accounts from Singaporeans whose lives have been deeply affected by vaping. The film switches to documentary style as we learn about people who have lost their loved ones and a man who narrowly escaped death by undergoing several lung washes.
Accompanying the film are movie-style posters with satirical titles such as ‘Breaking Dad’ that, on closer inspection, reveal the tragic reality of the campaign's real-life stories. It's a truly gripping and creative way to bring awareness to a serious cause through clever misdirection.
McDonald’s - World Menu Heist
Chosen by Ben Conway, Americas reporter
If there's one thing that unites fast food fans, it's their interest, or envy, in the different fast food other countries have. Particularly with McDonald's, there's a cohort of Big Mac aficionados who obsess over the international variations and exclusives. There's a slew of online content based around taste-testing other nation's fried delicacies, and many people whose first sightseeing spot in a new locale is the golden arches, just to see what they have which they don't at home.
McDonald's is well aware of this and regularly brings international products overseas for new audiences to try - and Leo UK's latest integrated campaign for the brand is taking this to a new level. Presenting it as a 'heist', the campaign 'steals' and brings items like the Australian Pineapple McSpicy and Polish Frytki McShaker to UK restaurants.
A hero film, directed by magna studios' Ben Dean, shows the heist taking place, but beforehand, McDonald's had been 'recruiting' its most envious fans through Instagram's close friends feature, and teasing the heist via CCTV-style footage on LADbible's socials.
OOH executions extend the secretive energy into the real world, and an experiential event allowed the 'close friends' to taste the stolen goods fresh from a shipment at Barking Riverside Pier. The final ‘Getaway Phase' of the campaign will also bring a tense escape to the end of the limited edition menu, using the McDonald's app, CRM and socials to urge thieving fans to move quickly.
It's 'Ocean's Eleven' meets McDonald's - a really fun way to frame time-sensitive menu items, with the cinematic scale and inventive worldbuilding worthy of a Hollywood heist film.
Autotrader - It’s Time for Autotrader
Chosen by Laura Swinton, editor-in-chief
Autotrader is the UK's biggest online automotive platform, and with new competitors on the scene they want to stay number one. To do that, IMA wanted to create a brand platform that positions Autotrader as the obvious choice for buying a car. To embed 'It's time for Autotrader' in to public consciousness, in effect speed-running what has taken the likes of Specsavers ('Should've gone to...) or Kit-Kat (Have a break....) decades, they needed to launch with a whole slew of scenarios.
To do that they turned to AI and production company Made By Humans, using cutting edge tech to create amusing human moments. With still executions that cut straight to the point and tell a story in an instant alongside a clutch of slice-of-almost-life videos the campaign uses humour to connect, while the AI execution hints at the innovative tech-first brand Autotrader has become.
Columbia - Death Wishes
Chosen by Alex Reeves, managing editor, EMEA
Acting like the grim reaper is an influencer might be an irreverent move for outdoor-wear brand Columbia, but there are dimensions to this campaign that are clever and poignant, as well as silly.
The proposition that many Columbia jackets outlive their owners is a weighty one, as well as a product promise that really demonstrates the durability. adam&eveDDB has paired that with the idea that many people who invest in such coats are often doing it in pursuit of potentially life-shortening pastimes (much to our loved ones' anxiety) which just adds to the cleverness. And yes, it’s a social campaign featuring the grim reaper running a competition to give away a coat. But the coat has an actual, legally-binding last will and testament sewn into it. How cool is that?
For all of advertising’s rehashing of ideas, you’ve never seen this one, surely. Apart from that, the aesthetics are just right, and appeal to me – an owner of a Columbia jacket that was recently worn for protection against the elements on the Isle of Skye – so I’m probably (along with half the creative directors in this industry) in the target market.
Life360 - All the Best People Are Dogs
Chosen by Abi Lightfoot, Americas reporter
Hard agree. All the best people are dogs. And this musical campaign from Life360 proves just why – because instead of being surrounded by insufferable family members and controversial friends, a furry companion is far more preferable company.
’All the Best People Are Dogs’ is a follow-up to the widely popular, dark-humoured animated musical 'I Think of You (Dying)', that launched earlier this year, created by the same brains at creative agency, ALTO and developed in partnership with animators Feral Child (Passion Pictures) as well as director Steve Ayson (MJZ) and songwriter Nick Lutsko.
The spot is part of the wider brand platform ‘Family-Proof Your Family’, which uses humour and brutal honesty to highlight the at times uncomfortable truths about family lives, and the ways that Life360 can help to navigate them. This time, the brand has brought pets into the fold with Pet GPS, because after all, dogs are a man’s best friend… and the best people are dogs.
McCain Foods - Masala Movie
Chosen by Jordan Won Neufeldt, Canada reporter
I’d be lying if I said that I ever expected to see a Bollywood-inspired campaign come from a brand like McCain, but I have to admit, the result is pretty spectacular. From superbly smooth dance moves to well-timed moments of action, comedy and romance, there’s so much about the film, created by Rethink, to love. The premise of a french fry-spice market mix-up is goofy, the visuals, brought to life by Mumbai-born director Nitin Menon, are a feast for the eyes, and the choreography – unsurprisingly – is excellent, considering it was curated by the renowned Longinus Fernandes.
Fundamentally, however, this is an ad for McCain’s new ‘Masala Fries’ and ‘Chili Garlic Potato Bites’, and the spot also sells these extremely effectively. While the shots of food aren’t the hero, they certainly make the most of their screentime, packing an effective one-two punch by driving the story itself, and adding an element of humour by making you think, ‘I can’t believe this entire, elaborate story revolves around… french fries?’.
Really, this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen from the brand, but the memorability is on point. Incidentally, I’m going grocery shopping later today, and I’ll admit, I’m inclined to pick up a bag while at the store.
The Hindu - Written by Journalists
Chosen by Zara Naseer, EMEA reporter
It’s no secret that inflammatory media is stoking division in societies around the world right now. This ad from Indian newspaper The Hindu, and agency Talented, conceptualises that in a rather alarming way.
Sitting down to read an article aloud to her husband, a woman erupts into an aggressive fit of barking, only able to relay the facts with calm and clarity when her paper is replaced by The Hindu. It’s topical, concise, and communicates its message – that sensationalist ‘journalism’ provokes hatred – with a shock factor that leaves a lasting impression. Editorial integrity, it claims, is the solution – and I’m inclined to agree.
Apple - Great ideas start on Mac
Chosen by Tará McKerr, Americas reporter
Often, there is little as debilitating as the blank page. The abyss looking back at you is also filled with the blank space of endless possibility. All the things that verge on creation that are simultaneously at risk of never being born at all.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve given up on the blank page, or become so frustrated with it that I’d happily throw my laptop out the window if I didn’t have to go pick it right back up after, because, you know, modern life.
I love this spot in part because it feels a little different for Apple. Often we see big productions with fat budgets where you can see every penny spent unfolding on screen. But this is stripped back, and carried by a warming narrative voiced by the late Dr. Jane Goodall. 10s all round for this one.
Ocean Spray - Just Add Cran, Beware of Cranpus
Chosen by Paul Monan, head of creative excellence
With the holiday season fast approaching, the time for giving is almost upon us. Unless you're Cranpus, the star of Ocean Spray's new campaign, then it's the time to receive (and by receive, I mean steal).
Played by the aptly named Byran Cranston, the mischievous character - based on mythical Christmas figure Krampus - runs riot at dinner, parties and all manner of festive functions as he swipes every cranberry-based product he can get his hands on (does a Cranpus have hands!?). The darker, comedic take is a fun extension of Ocean Spray's 'Just Add Cran' platform, which was introduced last year, and Cranston's star power should give the project mass appeal over the holiday season.
Cerveza Victoria - 'A ti, ¿quién te espera?' ('Who’s Waiting for You?')
Chosen by April Summers, North Americas features lead and Canada reporter
There are so many things to like about this work, but I'll start with the craft. 2,500 hand-drawn, hand-painted scenes! In this economy! Gracias a dios. I don't want to use this WOTW to harp on about AI, but 'A ti, ¿quién te espera?' really exemplifies how human input is crucial for creative to hit the right notes. And this one certainly hits you, right in the feels.
Directed by YUCA, artist duo Daniella Schuarts and Leonardo Salomão, with creative agency Wieden+Kennedy México, this celebrates tradition while forging an undeniable emotional connection. There is depth to this story that feel authentically Mexican and truly timeless.
British Airways - Reflections
Chosen by Tom Loudon, AUNZ reporter
A campaign that finds beauty in a passenger's most common perspective, British Airways and Uncommon Creative Studio have launched ‘Reflections’. The series, shot in-camera by four British photographers across three continents, captures breathtaking landscapes through aircraft windows with the airline's logo subtly mirrored on the engines, turning a simple moment of wonder into a powerful visual statement.
The work builds on the airline's ‘A British Original’ platform, evolving from last year's ‘Windows’ campaign by shifting the focus from the passenger's face to the view that inspires it. It’s a logistical ballet of pilots and engineers orchestrating perfect light, resulting in a brand campaign that feels less like an advertisement and more like a discovered moment of art.
