Joel Kaplan, executive creative director, VCCP US
I admit it, I want to eat an extinct animal. A mammoth meatball specifically. Will it taste good? I don’t know, but ever since I read a Smithsonian article about how the food company Vow generated a meatball from mammoth DNA, my mouth has been ready. That’s the definition of an effective campaign, not only does it get you craving a product, it has you reading about it in very un-addy locations. At a time when climate change messaging is being ignored at best, and disbelieved at worst, “Mammoth Meatball” found a whole new way to get people talking and exploring the issue.
McDonald’s | ‘Grimace’s Birthday’ by Wieden+Kennedy New York
Jonathan Fernandez, associate creative director, Luquire
If I had to, I’d lay all my poker chips on the “Grimace’s Birthday” campaign from McDonald’s. I was such a fan for the nostalgia and had grown up loving McDonald’s. But then the viral factor of the Grimace Shake TikTok trend… it would have been so fun to see and follow-up on the internet’s reaction to the greatest commercial character of all time. Was it summer 2023 if you didn’t have a Grimace shake?
The Farmer’s Dog | ‘Forever’ by Steam, Sanctuary
Sam Houle, creative director, Siegel+Gale
“Forever” by The Farmer’s Dog is a simple story executed oh so brilliantly. From the first second to the last, this spot pulls at the heartstrings of every dog owner. The first Super Bowl ad from the pet brand taps into one of the purest promises we, as dog parents, make to our pets, “I’ll always take care of you.” Seeing little Ava make that exact promise to her sweet chocolate lab puppy, Bear, instantly gives you a lump in the back of your throat.
As you try to resist welling up even more, the music, impactful voiceover and artful cinematography come together in the most human and pure way. And if you are not crying by that point, the simple camera shift in perspective of seeing life through Bear’s aging eyes will surely do you in as Ava makes one final promise to love him forever.
