The AdCracker Ad Annual recognizes excellence in creative branding, positioning and direct response techniques.

This year, six TV commercials and four print ads comprise our selection of the top 10 ads worldwide. > Album view.

#1 "Onslaught" by Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto, for the Unilever brand Dove. This TVC is part of the “Campaign for Real Beauty” that Dove has executed worldwide over several years, which includes the highly awarded "Evolution" spot.

Advertising in this product category typically pictures glamorous, super-beautiful women as aspirational models.

The Dove ads say, “You’re fine just the way you are. Let’s make the most of your natural body shape, hair and skin.”

Brand personality: Refreshingly candid. A real friend. Trustworthy.

Relationship between the brand and the target audience: This brand respects you for who you are, and does not compare you to unrealistic standards of beauty. But more, much more than that, this brand is an advocate on issues that affect the self esteem of women and their daughters. As such, Dove challenges advertising that promotes shallow values.

From Dove’s website: “In a world of hype and stereotypes, Dove provides a refreshingly real alternative for women.”

That “refreshingly real alternative”, expressed most vividly in this TVC earns "Onslaught" our Best Ad of the Year.

#2 "Shadow Play" by Springer & Jacoby of Hamburg, for OSRAM.

This TVC is our pick for the best ad that positions a company, product or service. It’s simple. Memorable. And it states one specific attribute that sets it apart from competitors: "The strongest torch in the world."

#3 "Soap Man" by UbachsWisbrun / JWT, Amsterdam, for Vodafone.

It’s got an offer. It’s got a call to action. It’s got a human interest story. And it’s got our vote for the best direct response ad of the year.

Whether you call it “direct” or “below the line” this TVC is proof that direct does not have to be boring or bombastic. Here you see excellent integration of brand characteristics with direct response techniques.

#4 “Ketchup” by Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, for the Procter & Gamble brand Ultra Tide.

This ad personifies a product feature / benefit with the little Stain Dudes being attacked, overwhelmed by the Tide Dudes. Visually engaging, this creative approach is refreshingly unique in the product category.

#5 "Power" by RPA (Rubin Postaer and Associates), Santa Monica, for Honda.

Faster than a cheetah. More powerful than a locomotive. This TVC is a rock-n-roll metaphor for POWER, visually and musically. It earned a spot in the top 10 because it works emotionally and rationally. You get a feeling and you get a message from this TVC.

#6 "Kolkota" by Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore, for JetStar.

This ad takes you on a Time Machine back to the days when travel was cheap. The visuals are authentic, and rich in story value. The copy is concise. Taken together, the concept is the benefit. The campaign includes ads titled “Bali” “Hong Kong” and “Phuket”.

#7 "Before/Après" by LG&F, Brussels, for Inlingua language school, French language course.

Before and after is a favorite technique for products or services that offer results, such as weight loss programs. While the technique is common, it is unexpected in this product category. And it snaps the benefit as fast as you can read two words. Which earns it a spot on our top ten.

#8 "Boeing" by DDB Amsterdam, for the Volkswagen brand Touareg.

Exaggeration, as an advertising technique, is intended to be seen as exaggeration, not the literal truth. This ad twists that technique in a most imaginative way. What appears to be exaggerated is actually, well, read the ad.

#9 "Waiting Room" by JWT New York, for the Unilever brand Sunsilk.

Dramatic conflict is the chief technique in this TVC which, as every film student knows, is an effective way to grab attention and draw viewers into the story.

The movie review might read, “In an unexpected encounter, two female warriors lock eyes then grapple in an escalating battle for supremacy until fate tragically intervenes.”

#10 "Baby" by Creative Juice/G1, Bangkok, for Thailand Yellow Pages

This young couple can’t find anything, even their baby. So it’s a good thing they have the Yellow Pages.

Humor can be an effective technique to engage viewers and characterize brands. But humor depends on cultural, even demographic context to work. Consequently, humor rarely travels well, especially internationally. This ad is an exception, and that makes it exceptional.

###

Beyond the Top 10, AdCracker's Ad Annual includes 400 finalists in TV, print, email, and Web / Flash media. You can buy Ad Annual 8 on CD at the store.

> Get Ad Annual 8.

> Ad Techniques.

> Branding Techniques.

> Positioning Techniques.

> Top 10 from 2007.

> WorkShops & Consulting Services.

© Steven Lorin McNamara. California, USA. > Terms of use