IKEA “Sweden’s Sunniest Square”
IKEA Sweden (in partnership with agency NoA Åkestam Holst) looked at 20 years of solar data to find the sunniest square meter in all of Sweden. The spot (in southern Gotland) has been marked with a permanent monument, two of IKEA’s Skarpö outdoor chairs built in stone.
The Real Story: It’s a fun off-the-road travel spot and a good photo opp that sneakily helps put IKEA front and center. The Skarpö is under $50, but the time you spent to find the stone versions…priceless. (lol)
Snickers Peanut Butter
Snickers (in partnership with their agency BBDO) put together a focus group of people named Reese (or Reece, or Rhyss, or any variation on the name) and had them taste test Snickers peanut butter.
Beyond the video spots, any Reese in America is invited to sign a public pledge endorsing Snickers Peanut Butter at snickers.com/peanutbutterpledge for a chance at a year’s supply.
The Real Story: Snickers built a campaign around the fact that thousands of Americans share a first name with the rival brand. I wish the spots were just a little bit more wacky and fun.
Paze “It Checks Out.”
Paze, a digital wallet built by a group of US banks and credit unions, launched its first national campaign starring Elizabeth Banks and Gabrielle Union. Created with agency Big Spaceship, the work uses the actresses’ last names as the entire creative concept. “Paze. It Checks Out.”
The Real Story: The entire campaign is the casting. The brief was probably their two headshots stapled to the Paze logo.
If you’re new here, I write a monthly serialized novel called Everything is Advertising, about a burned-out Creative Director and his cynical team that accidentally create QAnon through a viral marketing campaign. If you like that kind of thing, you can start at Part One and catch up from there.
Every Wednesday, Open Woods tracks the cultural moments worth paying attention to. Curated weekly for brands that want to move first.
Every Friday, The Business of Advertising shares lessons from over a decade working on the front lines of advertising.
Every Sunday, Above the Fold breaks down what’s running in advertising, what’s landing, and what’s a total disaster.