I love ads. My fascination with them started early. I cannot remember how many times I watched them in the family setting. Commercial breaks were my highlight of the evening. As a ten-year-old, I would talk about their meanings, creative aspect, and what could have been better. Now, I sympathize with my family members who had to listen about something that is not of their interest. All that while they were waiting for a movie to start again. It's no coincidence that I ended up pursuing my career in advertising.
Can you imagine how many TV ads I have seen so far? Thousands and thousands and still counting. One of my rules is to look at ten different ads a day and try to do reverse engineering. The beauty of a career in advertising is that you get a chance to make ads too.
After seeing so many ads, only three made it to my top list. Only three captured my heart like no other.
The ads from my list are from different decades and different industries. Yet, there is an underlying tone between them that hijacks my mind every time I watch them. Every time I watch them, my limbic brain goes nuts. So visceral, that is hard to explain or put in the words why I love them so much, but I will try. My connection with them is so intimate as if they were made for me. Perhaps, they are, and I know that many other people feel the same, which is the essence of great advertising. So here are my top three ads in chronological order:
#1 Apple - Think Different (1997)
The brilliance of Steve Jobs, no matter if we like him or not as a person, he has done something marvelous with Apple.
The ads epitomized what Apple is that hasn't changed till this very day. Think different ad was an ode for people who are like Apple - iconoclasts. People who don't care for being different and who challenge the status quo. It's a great ad that celebrates this perfect union between the brand and its users. And probably, for this reason, we can see that especially in those early days, the brand reached the status of a cult.
#2 Beck's - Different by Choice (2008)
Some people walk through life with self-determination and open-mindedness. They love self-expression and freedom of thought. For them, there is only one path. It's not about what they do. It's a principle that they follow. The uncompromising pursuit of living their life to its full potential. Beck's shares the same belief. And they made an ad about it. They are celebrating the principle that unites the brand and its users. In its essence, the ad is about the intrinsic values of a product but became much more than that. It is beautifully done and executed!
#3 The North Face – Question Madness (2016)
When was the last time you questioned your madness? If it was a long time ago, then you have stopped exploring.
Obsessed/devoted, crazy/calculated, pain/perspective, freaks/pioneers, madness/progress. True explores walk between those words and often don't know on which side they are leaning more. They question themselves more than others about their madness. It is not always clear in their heads. But one thing is for sure - they will never stop exploring. I like to extend this and say - never stop exploring within your mind, your heart, and this beautiful planet Earth. It's a great ad that celebrates this belief, again in a seamless union between the brand and its people.
All the above ads reached perfection in execution. There is nothing that you could add or remove from it. The music, the camera, the copy, the people - everything came perfectly together. Interesting point - there are no actors in these ads. Only real people who do things that you do, who believe in something that you do, and who feel the same as you do.
I'm someone who thinks different. I'm someone who has an uncompromising pursuit of my life. I will never stop exploring. Or, I like to feel like this about me. Either way, it doesn't make a difference. These ads are my favorite ones, as they are made for me.
Even though I admire these ads, it doesn't mean that they are coming from my favorite brands. One of the above brands I don't use at all. The other I like, and I use a lot. While another one is my favorite brand that I love, and I'm going to write about it in my next article.
Btw, what's your list?
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