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Every year at this time, Adweek rounds up the best ads from the previous 12 months and, not surprisingly, those highlighted often reflect or foreshadow winners in prestigious industry contests.
This list is different.
Not because the quality of the creative isn’t stellar—quite the opposite. But this inaugural collection of hidden gems is meant to give extra love to campaigns that may not be vying with Apple, Dove and Nike for hardware at Cannes Lions.
Many of these innovative, under-the-radar ads come from independent agencies deftly stretching shoestring budgets. That, in our opinion, often makes for the best work. It also means that the spots—for both small brands and household names—may have gone unnoticed by the public and the awards industrial complex.
We aim to broaden the exposure for some of our favorite unsung heroes of 2023. In no particular order, here are 10 ads and a smattering of honorable mentions you might have missed but should definitely catch up on now. Come on, it’s not like you’re working.
We hope you find these campaigns as inspiring as we do.
Liquid Death | “Your Grandma’s Energy Drink” (in-house)
With campaigns that featured a Steve-O voodoo doll, a blind “taze” test and a Travis Barker enema kit, Liquid Death continued to walk right up to the line of propriety in 2023… and thumb its nose at the concept. Nowhere was that better displayed than “Your Grandma’s Energy Drink,” the spot that introduced the brand’s first iced tea products with geriatric women rocking out in heavy metal bands, fistfighting in an octagon and shooting fireworks from their private parts. Meemaw, please! The stars were actually Liquid Death ambassadors and employees doing their best agro-bro imitations while wearing hilariously awful prosthetics. The grannies-gone-wild ad, from the in-house team and Jackass director Jeff Tremaine, borrowed from energy drink commercial tropes, flipped them on their heads and hit the target audience squarely between the eyes. Those outside the fan base may not have caught this ad, so… you’re welcome.
Kruger Products | “Love Can Be Messier” by Broken Heart Love Affair
Why are we sobbing over an ad from Kruger Products, a Canadian facial tissue and toilet paper conglomerate? Because it’s a cinematic mini-movie that injects a visceral dose of warmth and intensity into a staid commodity category. In its two-plus minute run time, the spot highlights intimate connections of all types, breaking new ground in marketing grocery store staples and hitting us directly in the feels. “Life can be messy—love can be messier,” from Toronto’s Broken Heart Love Affair and decorated director Mark Zibert, went light on the product integration but heavy on the human experience in all its vulnerable glory. And the moody soundtrack, Paloma Faith’s remake of the INXS hit “Never Tear Us Apart,” is note perfect.
