Ad Digger – 5.9.2014
It’s been a particularly beautiful week for sight and sound, with solid synch choices bolstering eye candy aplenty. Here’s a selection of our favourite starry-eyed, sumptuously filmed, silken-haired ads. It’s also been a good week for giggles (and similarly bouffant manes) from both the Hoff and the cutest mini horse since 3’s fleet-hoofed creation.
Land Rover USA – Galactic Discovery Competition
The bar’s been set for space travel spots, and from a rather unexpected quarter. Apparat lend an enigmatic, celestial drive to this wide-eyed and invigorating ensemble call to adventure with their shimmering, unearthly instrumental.
Song: PV
Artist: Apparat
Agency: The Brooklyn Brothers
Marks and Spencer Food – Adventures in Imagination
It’s food porn, but not as we’ve known it. Marks and Sparks keep all the visual sumptuousness they’ve honed over a decade of voluptuous spots, but trade in the voiceover and languorous pace for a brighter beat and deliciously crisp editing. The quiet UK hit of the summer keeps things bubbling in a pared-down instrumental guise.
Song: Rather Be
Artist: Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynn
Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R
Direction: Michaël Roulier and Philippe Lhomme, Foodfilm
Temptations – Time to Play Ball
Music-minded cat fanciers have long awaited something that might rival the rippling canine glory of Vitalic’s Pleix-helmed Poney Part 1 video (already beautifully referenced by Pedigree) and this certainly gives it a fair bash, with a good eye for the sometimes po-faced values of sportswear spots and a zest bestowed by Elliphant’s smouldering, slow-flex call to arms.
Song: Revolusion
Artist: Elliphant
Agency: Adam & Eve/DDB
Volkswagen Australia
Though it might have some troubling things to say about hotness-as-social-ranking, this plucky spot at least says them amusingly, with the help of Nick Waterhouse’s strutting, soul-infused tune and devil-may-care lyrics.
Song: This Is A Game
Artist: Nick Waterhouse
Agency: DDB Sydney
Director: Tim Bullock
Victoria’s Secret – Fearless
There’s nothing to upset even the most male of gazes in the visuals, which comprise high-gloss standard-issue writhing, but they do embrace elegant shadow with the same aplomb as their far more refreshing accompaniment – Ben Khan’s sensuous Princely beats almost cut through the saccharine satin, and at least add a smoky edge to proceedings. Might this herald even a hint of subversion in the brand’s overall creative direction? It is to dream.
Song: Drive (Part 1)
Artist: Ben Khan