14 Favorite Ads of 2014
Before we break out the champagne to celebrate the New Year, we wanted to take a quick look back at our favorite ad campaigns and marketing moments from 2014. Here’s a Best of List, in no particular order, pulled together by some of my fellow Planiteers:
Volkswagen “Eyes on the Road”
This ad’s unexpected integration of mobile technology packs a serious punch and a meaningful message: don’t text and drive. Clever stunts like this transcend advertising and elicit immediate behavior change.
Climate Name Change
The Guardian called it the No. 1 climate change campaign in history. We agree. It’s brilliantly simple and effective, with 116K petition signers and counting.
Google “Grads”
This ad from Google reminds us how deeply the brand is woven into our daily lives while showcasing how to run a $65-billion business with amazing heart and soul.
Hotels.com “Captain Obvious”
This ad personifies the popular phrase, “Thanks, Captain Obvious” to showcase just how easy it is to use Hotels.com.
Dove Men+Care #RealDadMoments
This heartwarming ad is a real tear jerker. We’re saps for this kind of stuff.
New Castle Brown Ale “If We Made It”
Simple and unforgettable concept with great humor. Just goes to show that an idea doesn’t need to be complicated to be great.
Ellen’s Selfie Tweet at the Oscars
Far from a traditional ad campaign, but the stats prove it worked: the Ellen Oscar Selfie Tweet was seen by 37 million people worldwide and broke the record for most retweeted photo on Twitter. Hats off to you, Samsung.
Evian’s Bottle Service
A great example of effective, real-time marketing. By listening to the trends this summer, Evian was able to capitalize on the heat wave plowing through the country.
UPS “Driver for a Day”
The adorable little boy in his mini UPS truck is almost too much to handle. This ad went viral all over social media just in time for the holidays.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
This grassroots, viral sensation was the hit of the summer. Better yet, it drove international awareness and made a tremendous financial impact for the cause.
Nescafe’s Thousand Red Mug
Nescaf© nailed it with this campaign by combining both online and offline marketing elements.
Snickers World Cup Tweet
Many brands attempted to capitalize off of that unforgettable World Cup moment when Uruguay’s forward Luis Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. We give kudos to Snickers for this timely Tweet.
Doritos “Time Machine”
Winner of the Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” contest created a witty ad for under $300. We could all learn from this single dad who earned the $1 million prize money for the :30 spot featuring his son and dog.
Coca-Cola “America the Beautiful”
This inspiring Super Bowl ad from Coca-Cola proved that America’s diversity is one of its most important assets. The 60-second spot celebrates Americans from diverse backgrounds and the Coca-Cola moments they share.
What are your favorite ads from 2014?