2024 Ideas

Champion | Reverse Mode: Reversing Injustice & Rediscovering an Icon | USA

Champion revolutionized athleticwear by inventing the hoodie and pioneering Reverse Weave, a stitching method making fabric more durable. These innovations fuelled Champion’s rise in culture—from outfitting NFL, NBA, college teams, and USA Basketball’s 1992 “Dream Team” to being a fashion statement for athletes, musicians, and other celebrities. But Reverse Weave sales slowed as buyers aged and Champion’s image became dated. Young consumers, critical to brand health, saw Champion as a brand they’d “find at discount stores” or “something my parents wear.”
Knowing the audience’s values (integrity and creativity) and where they spent their time (TikTok), they noticed something dissonant and troubling: White influencers were getting credit for dances originated by Black creators…

MAYA | The Anthem of Financial Freedom | Philippines

Philippines has a Banking Gap: 44% of the country’s adult population is still unbanked as of end-2021. Mainly caused by lack of awareness of banking benefits and the difficulties of opening an account.
PayMaya in the FinTech Category: PayMaya was suffering from lower brand awareness, being perceived as the older e-wallet app versus the number 1, GCash.
Maya to Close the Banking Gap: In 2021, the BSP granted a digital bank license to Maya, enabling it to expand from just a digital payments platform into a bank. PayMaya pivoted from trying to outdo GCash, to becoming the only all-in-one digital bank and money app for all Filipinos. Maya combined the convenience of e-wallets with the security and broader services of a bank.
Business, Brand, and Comms Objectives: To beat acquisition campaigns of digital banks by improving brand awareness, consideration, and positive brand perception among Gen-Zs through engagement from rebrand content.

Heineken | Heinekicks | Italy

Heineken was seen as an ‘older’ beer that was part of formal, stuffy drinking occasions in Asia. This led to Gen-Z feeling disconnected from the brand, perceiving it to lack relevance, be predictable, distant and elitist.

With the introduction of a new brew targeted to Gen-Z, the aim of the Heineken Silver launch campaign was to drive desirability, brand relevance and sales amongst this target group and reverse the current brand decline. At the same time, Heineken Silver was launching in several dark markets where beer advertising is banned, necessitating a whole new inventive and innovative way to reach the target audience.

AIZOME | Industrial Waste – Certified as Skincare | Japan

1500+ harmful chemicals are used in textile production. Japanese start-up AIZOME has developed a dyeing method that uses only water, plants, and ultrasound, to create textiles that are not only less harmful, but even come with health benefits. But how can a small startup stand out among all the sustainability claims?

WASTECARE™ — the first skincare product that is industrial wastewater from textile dyeing. Straight from the factory, the wastewater is tested and certified according to dermatological standards. Bottled and packaged like a high-end beauty product, it was shipped out to key opinion leaders in textile, fashion, and healthcare with the goal of forming partnerships to eliminate toxic chemicals in the industry.

Nivea | Girls Got Game | Abu Dhabi

NIVEA has long cared for women’s skin, but to truly connect to the youth in Saudi Arabia, they took its care to a deeper level.

Saudi is home to 12 million girl gamers, and unfortunately 9 out of 10 of these girl gamers have faced destructive harassment. Saudi girl gamers often have to hide behind male usernames, male avatars, and male skins.

NIVEA ventured into the gaming world and showed its care for Saudi gamer girls’...skins.

With GIRLS GOT GAME, NIVEA would create safe spaces for Saudi women to evolve their skills and finally game free from harassment and abuse.

They would champion and facilitate protection from judgement; multiplying their enjoyment by removing barriers and creating even more spaces for girls to experience the human touch of friendship.

Anghami | Sole Music | Dubai

Music to some is life, has the power to transform, entertain, give joy and inspire. But, for deaf people this is a world they can’t access. Think of all the moments able hearing people enjoy music. Not just in concerts, but wherever they go, be it the bus, metro, work, studying, or in the park, these personal listening experiences are something the deaf community can’t enjoy like everyone else. in a way deaf people have been forgotten about by the music world.

Deaf people have been improvising over the years to feel music through vibration. Each genre has its own unique feeling and experience. Be it Dance, Classical, Jazz, or Rock - the sound wave pattern reflects in the vibrations that they sense. But this normally means touching very large powerful speakers, which is impractical for moving around and personal listening. Just as the Walkman had done decades ago for hearing-people, Anghami wanted to allow deaf people to feel their music anytime, anywhere by creating a product innovation which allows them to sense the vibrations of music more accessibly.

Consent Labs | Classify Consent | Australia

Most Australians still don’t know what sexual consent is. While new, progressive consent laws had swept the nation, our everyday understanding of sexual consent had not progressed. Government educational ads had been widely criticized.

Not-for-profit group Consent Labs had tried to bridge the gap through workshops, but needed a fresh approach in order to make a cultural impact. TBWA realised that Australians collectively watch over 780,000,000 hours of films a year - a form of entertainment, but also a vehicle to influence cultural norms.

They wanted to empower Australians to recognise non-consensual acts on a mass scale - but without a traditional, top-down approach.

Duolingo | The Tattoo Duo Over | Paris

Millions of people have tattoos in languages they don’t understand. And, unfortunately, many of these tattoos don’t actually say what they’re supposed to. Ariana Grande, for example, set the internet on fire when it turned out her Japanese tattoo didn’t say “7 Rings” as she’d intended, but actually said, “Barbeque Grill.”

Duolingo’s approach to language learning has always been based on one guiding principle: learning a language should be fun. And there’s nothing fun at all about a language mistake that you can’t take back. So Duolingo set themselves a goal, what if they could turn the most embarrassing language mistake into a language lesson the whole world could benefit from?

Samsung | Flipvertising | CHEP Network

The Samsung Galaxy Flip4 is the most innovative smartphone in Australia, a fully foldable device with all the capabilities of a cutting-edge smartphone. Samsung’s audience for this device were the internet trend-setters and online influencers that can drive a piece of tech from niche to mainstream.

This savvy audience is increasingly sceptical of advertising and often blind to its effects given their ad-free media consumption, use of ad-blockers and their desire to avoid anything that feels too ‘salesy’. So, to launch the new Galaxy Flip4 device, Samsung knew they had to approach their challenge differently. How could they find a way for people to discover the benefits of the device without just shouting about it in ads?

IKEA | Trapped in the 90’s | Madrid

In 2021, in line with the company’s commitment to sustainability, IKEA stopped producing its new product catalogue. The most important marketing tool the brand had ever had, one which reached 8.5M homes in Spain, ceased to exist.

In consequence, IKEA’s 2021 newness campaign was faced with the responsibility of compensating for the loss of its principal asset for building awareness, brand desire, product aspirationality, purchase intent and newness perception. The main problem with communicating products as newness is that, after many years, the products no longer seem new. And Spaniards losing the catalogue was… like Spain losing IKEA.

That’s why IKEA focused precisely on the generation of Spaniards who were born in the late 90s (25 years old or younger), called the “IKEA Natives”, that is, those who have never known what life was like without IKEA… in order to take IKEA away from them.

Oreo | Oreo Codes | USA

Oreo Cookies have been milk and cookie fans’ top choice for over 110 years. Since then, it has made a tremendous effort to become, in the brand's own words, "Milk's Favourite Cookie". Despite Oreo maintaining a 99% brand awareness across the U.S., there are still thousands of American households that purchase milk but don't buy Oreos—yet. "OREOCodes" is a commerce experience that taps into the minimalistic similarity between barcodes and a stack of Oreos to allow people to get offers directly from its all-time complementary partner – milk. Just grab any milk pack, flip the barcode and scan it! To identify every barcode, data was collected from several retail partners, managing to match every barcode out there with hundreds of milk products across thousands of American households.

Mastercard | Where to Settle | Poland

Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, almost 10 million refugees from the occupied territories have crossed the Polish border. Poland has welcomed more Ukrainian refugees than any other nation. However, many Ukrainians were looking for shelter in major Polish cities (like Warsaw, Cracow, or Wroclaw) which were already overcrowded, causing rental hikes, increased competition for jobs—all amid an unprecedented rise in inflation. It became evident, that to deal with the increasing stream of refugees, the movement had to be redirected to smaller cities. Places where life conditions might be even better than in big cities. Moreover, like everywhere else in the world, small towns in Poland are beginning to suffer from depopulation, as young people move to bigger cities. Mastercard – the brand that has social responsibility in its DNA – decided to act quickly and do it’s best to help Ukrainian in refugee crisis.

CERVEZA POKER | PROMOS DE BARRIO | Colombia

The year after the pandemic (2021) was a year of euphoria, reunion, returning to the streets, to the stores and getting back together. So much so that, during 2021, the beer category in Colombia recorded the highest per capita consumption in the last 25 years (52 liters). It was a year of recovery for both the beer category and the stores. However, the opposite was true for Poker: the brand had been dominating in the centre and south of the country, but after the pandemic it lost that leadership with two consecutive months of falling sales in the middle of 2021.According to the most recent economic study of shopkeepers conducted in August 2022 by Fenaltiendas, this segment has not achieved the growth dynamics it had before the pandemic.

Plant Drop | Smart Plants | London

The air inside our homes can be up to 5x more polluted that the air outside, with toxins coming off everyday items like paint, scented candles, cleaning products and even furniture. Plants have air-purifying properties. This was proven in the 80s when NASA conducted research to see if plants could help clean the air for astronauts living in the International Space Station. This data was declassified years ago, but nobody has truly done anything with it. Many plant retailers advertise their plants as ‘air-purifying’ - but never go into the specific details about the pollutants and which ones can help clean the in our homes.

Plant Drop is an online retailer for plants. But they face stiff competition and exist in a saturated market with little differentiation. They needed a way to set themselves apart and steal market share, whilst also enticing a new audience into the world of plants.

BMO | NXT NXT LVL | Canada

BMO (Bank of Montreal) is the 8th largest bank in North America, but their customer base was aging and they needed to connect with a younger demographic. However, young adults hate traditional banks. New online options and the desire for personalization have driven many younger millennial and Gen Z customers to turn to fintech and non-banks.Traditional banks, like BMO, were getting left behind and actively ignored by younger consumers. To reverse this trend and connect with younger customers, BMO needed an initiative to stimulate authentic and active engagement. They needed to do something a bank had never done before.

Piraquê | Accept Real Cookies | Brazil

On the market for more than 70 years, Piraquê is a Brazilian cookie brand, whose market positioning has been built up on originality. This brand identity began with its creative concept “The Recipe Is to Be Original” and extends throughout everything it does.
The challenge was clear: launching the new Piraquê cookies with a stand-out difference from the goods of the competition. But how could this be done in a segment where all the products are very similar, battling head-on for consumer attention?
The answer was right there, in the product. Piraquê Cookies are made with real chocolate chips. So, they turned this into an amusing and creative campaign that was REAL.

Durex | It's About Ducking Time | USA

After 15 years of autocorrecting 'F%#k' to 'Duck,' Apple finally updated the iOS Autocorrect, letting users SEXTING more freely. This announcement made during Apple’s WWDC conference stole the limelight in media worldwide.Durex is the world's #1 sexual health brand and has always supported open conversations about sex, including 'Sexpression' (the act of sending spicy messages to express one's sexuality). It was the perfect opportunity for Durex to own the moment and say: It’s about ducking time, flooding social media with Ducks as promo codes, tailored for different audiences such as DownToDuck for dating sites, QueerAsDuck for the queer community, DuckBuddies for friend enthusiasts, and more.As people discussed about the F%#ks and Ducks on social media, Duck codes would automatically appear on their timelines. With just two clicks, they could choose products based on their sexual preferences and buy Durex for much less. A simple solution that transformed a big cultural moment into a cultural e-commerce platform.

Kraft Heinz Philadelphia Cream Cheese | Philadelphia Schmear Socks | Canada

In Canada, Philadelphia has been a commanding icon for a long time. But in 2022, sales volume had declined 7.3% and market share dropped 1.5%. Research found that younger audiences especially, didn’t find the most recent Philadelphia campaign relatable to their lives, making it easily replaceable.

Philadelphia had struggled to resonate with younger audiences like Millennials and Gen Z. Capturing this audience’s attention is challenging - their attention is fragmented, and every brand is trying to reach them. In order to stand out, they needed to do something deeply culturally relevant that would instantly catch their attention and keep them engaged.

Stella Artois | The Artois Probability | Argentina

Stella Artois's history dates back to 1366, and numerous paintings throughout the centuries have featured beer. As a brand with a rich heritage, Stella Artois wanted to explore the probability of its presence in these paintings and create a campaign that would spark curiosity and conversation among art and beer enthusiasts.

The Artois Probability campaign calculates by crossing art history data with brand history data the likelihood of the beer featured in historical paintings actually being Stella Artois. The probability is based on containers, hue, location, and competitors. Once these data points are crossed, these beers portrayed are Stella Artois.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | ProPILOT MOP | Japan

Nissan supports the NBA JAPAN GAMES.

It is the world's most prestigious game, with over 60,000 arena spectators and fans from around the world watching the live broadcast in a frenzy. Nissan set out to showcase their technology to fans and to instil an image of an innovative brand.

But no one is interested in the commercials that play between games. They don't remember that logo on the court. They had to think disruptively, to turn Nissan technology into content, and give the fans watching the game a brand experience they would never forget.

Sol Cement | Sightwalks | Peru

A new tactile paving system was developed to help visually impaired people navigate urban environments independently.

This system uses horizontal bars and vertical lines on sidewalks to indicate different types of businesses, allowing users to identify locations like restaurants, banks, and stores by tapping with their canes. Initially implemented in Miraflores, this project involved the active participation of visually impaired individuals and is set to expand nationwide. The initiative, led by cement brand Sol, has been highly successful, benefiting over 500,000 people and promoting more inclusive urban design in Peru.

Pedigree | Adoptable. By Pedigree | USA

The PEDIGREE Foundation aims to end dog homelessness by 2050.

To tackle the issue, they developed "Adoptable," a machine-learning model that creates realistic 3D representations of shelter dogs for digital ads. This allows shelter dogs to be featured in personalised PEDIGREE ads, increasing their visibility and adoption chances. Launched in New Zealand, the campaign uses audience data to match dogs with potential adopters based on lifestyle and location. The initiative has significantly increased shelter visits, dwell time on dog profiles, and adoption rates, with 50% of featured dogs adopted within two weeks.

Renault | Cars to Work | France

Renault Group launched "Cars to Work" to address mobility barriers in French "mobility deserts," where public transport is lacking, and unemployment is high.

This initiative provides free cars to job seekers during their 3-month trial period, only requiring payment once employment is secured. Partnering with FranceTravail.fr and financial institutions, Renault made 6,000 cars available through 50 dealerships. The campaign significantly impacted social inclusion, doubling the rate of permanent employment among beneficiaries, and reaching millions through a national campaign. The initiative strengthened Renault's image as a socially responsible company.

BANCO DEL PACÍFICO| Gamer Loan | Ecuador

Banco del Pacífico addressed the financial struggles of young Ecuadorians by launching "Gamer Loans," a ground-breaking initiative allowing gaming accounts to be used as collateral for loans. Traditional banks require assets like cars or real estate, which most young people lack, but this innovative solution recognizes the value of virtual assets. Through BancaGamer.com, gamers can assess and submit their accounts for loan approval within 48 to 72 hours. The initiative significantly improved financial inclusion, leading to a 248% increase in loan requests from under-30s and positioning Banco del Pacífico as a major supporter of young entrepreneurs.

Gatorade | Turf Finder | India

Gatorade tackled the lack of space for sports in urban India, particularly in Mumbai, where limited playgrounds hinder participation.

They launched "Gatorade Turf Finder," a tech innovation in partnership with Google Maps, which used 20 years of traffic data and real-time insights to identify when roads were empty and could be temporarily converted into sports turfs. Modular turfs were set up and dismantled quickly, transforming roads into community playgrounds. The initiative reached 111 million people, increased brand awareness, and garnered government support for future turf locations, aligning with the "Fit India Movement" to promote active lifestyles.

AFRISAM | Plan (a) | South Africa

AfriSam addressed South Africa's housing crisis, where a 2.1 million housing backlog has led to informal home builds that often face demolition due to lack of council approval. They launched "Plan (a)," an initiative that provided open-source architectural plans through press ads in community newspapers. These plans, designed by BlackStudio Architects, are low-cost, modular, and can be submitted for council approval, enabling underprivileged South Africans to build legal, scalable homes. The initiative distributed over 500,000 plans, sparked national conversations on housing rights, and attracted government interest for potential future collaboration, raising significant awareness and funds to help rebuild demolished homes.

RUH Fighting | The National Sport of Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan

In 2023, Ruh Fighting Championship (RFC), Kazakhstan's leading MMA promotion, launched a bold campaign to address domestic violence, a topic largely ignored by its male-dominated audience. To provoke discussion, RFC announced a controversial "Men vs. Women" MMA fight, sparking outrage and widespread debate. Instead of the fight, RFC aired a shocking video revealing the prevalence of domestic violence in Kazakhstan. This campaign successfully engaged men, leading to a significant public dialogue, and contributing to the passage of a new law criminalizing domestic violence in Kazakhstan on February 28, 2024.

SPECIAL | Shift 20 Initiative | Australia

In response to the underrepresentation of people with disabilities in Australian advertising, the Dylan Alcott Foundation launched "The Shift 20 Initiative" to promote inclusivity.

The campaign featured "The Unignorable Ad Break," where 13 major brands reshot iconic ads with actors with disabilities, creating Australia's first coordinated media roadblock. The initiative sparked widespread national and global media coverage, achieving a potential reach of 434.9 million and leading over 200 brands to seek involvement. The campaign resulted in a significant increase in the recall of disability representation, helping to normalize disability in Australian media and inspiring long-term change.

Easypaisa | Audio Nikahnama | Pakistan

Easypaisa, Pakistan's largest fintech, aimed to address the financial vulnerability of unbanked women, 82% of whom face literacy challenges. They introduced the Audio Nikahnama, an innovative audio guide that reads marriage contracts in seven languages, accessible via mobile phones, landlines, and the easypaisa app. This initiative empowers women who can't read to understand their marriage contracts and protect their rights. Launched with extensive media coverage and outreach, it garnered 57 million impressions, and 35,000 hotline calls in its first week. The campaign also led to a 6% increase in female users and sparked discussions on legislative changes for marital rights.

Let her grow | Dove | Edelman, Bangkok

In Thailand, Dove launched the #LetHerGrow campaign to address the harmful practice of forced haircuts used to enforce discipline in schools. By aligning with the universal belief that children should grow up confidently, Dove focused on the negative impacts of such haircuts on self-esteem. The campaign featured voices from psychologists, influencers, and educators, transforming the bob haircut, a symbol of oppression, into a call for change. This approach led to an 11.1% revenue increase, improved market share, and heightened brand awareness. It also influenced the Thai Ministry of Education to lift restrictive hair rules, benefiting millions of women.

Missing Children & UNICEF | Unseen Faces | Argentina

In Argentina, the issue of missing children is a serious concern, with many families actively searching for their loved ones. Despite the efforts of many people, the faces of these children are still invisible to society. For the first time ever, celebrities and the media came together to shine a spotlight on those children who truly need to be seen.

Natalia Oreiro was chosen as a partner, an international actress and singer with over 25 years of experience. She teamed up with the press to utilise her son's exposure to bring attention to missing children. Instead of concealing faces, they revealed them, overlaying QR codes on images of Natalia's son, directing viewers to profiles of missing children.

Sandy Hook Promise | Know the Signs | USA

After 20 children and 6 staff were brutally killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in 2012, two grieving parents came together to turn tragedy into transformation. They founded Sandy Hook Promise on a mission to protect children from gun violence. The task of this campaign was to move people to support this mission in a country where the conversation about gun violence prevention had turned into a political debate.

SOS Children’s Villages | Workwear for Kids | Sweden

SOS Children’s Villages is an international nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding children’s rights worldwide. They believe that every child has the chance to simply be a child. However, the harsh reality is that millions of children, some as young as five years old, are forced to perform some of the world’s most dangerous jobs in industries such as mining, tobacco, and brickmaking. The brief was to raise awareness around this matter.

We The Parents | We The Parents of Trans Children | Poland

Parents of transgender children approached the agency with a challenge. There was no brief—just a goal: to protect their children from attacks and demonstrate that their families are no different from others. They joined creative and PR agencies forces to find the most effective solution together and spent long hours discussing with The Parents, working through various scenarios. The challenge was to create a campaign that would reach a wide audience but not trigger a wave of hate from the conservative segment of society—ensuring the safety of our campaign's heroes was crucial.

Save The Children | The Sound of Violence | Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, domestic violence against children increased by 29% in 2023 (Hong Kong Police). In one of the world’s most densely populated cities, we hear it ALL the time.

But as neighbours, most of us stay silent. To illustrate the reality that violence surrounds us (and to urge people to report suspected cases), the campaign recreated the iconic 'Dolby Atmos 7.1 Surround Sound Demo' typically played in cinemas worldwide.

However, in a bold move, every sound element in the demo is replaced with hard-hitting sounds of real violence.

Otrivin | Pollution Pencils | India

As part of its mission to help every child breathe better, Otrivin Nasal Health decided to turn air pollution in low-income schools into something positive: Pollution Pencils!

Made with toxic particles harvested from purifiers installed in schools, child-safe Pollution Pencils were made as part of the pilot project. Students received these child-safe pencils in unique packaging that represented their schools as a happier and more hopeful place, while also teaching them about the impact of air pollution.

Dulux | Yellow Canteen | Indonesia

Indonesia is consistently hot and humid year-round, which creates the perfect breeding ground for flies. Flies can transmit at least 65 diseases to humans such as the deadly typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, and more.

Most school canteens are open-air, leaving our children highly vulnerable to flies. Unfortunately, poor mealtime hygiene puts children at risk of contracting these diseases. Dulux, a household brand closely connected to the community in Indonesia, aimed to make a change by providing a healthier dining environment for students.

Seki Milk | Milk Manga | Japan

SEKIMILK is a regional milk producer in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. It produces fresh, wholesome milk for a variety of kinds of stores in the area, as well as schools. In elementary schools, where milk plays an important role in providing for the children's everyday nutrition, the schools and SEKIMILK were noticing that a large percentage of the kids weren't finishing their daily bottles. So, the school system in the area, concerned about the kids' daily nutrition intake, asked SEKIMILK what they could do to have them finish their milk. The budget was minimal, and the coverage would be across the Prefecture affecting some 40 schools.

McDonalds’s | Yes Kids Zone | South Korea

In South Korea, which has the world's lowest birth rate, interactions with children have decreased, contributing to the perception of children as nuisances. This has led to a nationwide phenomenon of “No Kids Zones,” with many restaurants and cafes banning children’s entry. As of 2021, more than 400 restaurants in Korea had voluntarily designated themselves as No Kids Zones, and an escalating number of online reviews expressed support for such child-free environments. So, McDonald’s aimed to launch a campaign to lead a broader societal transformation in the perception of children.

EBM | Schoolgirl Newscasters | Pakistan

Women in Pakistan are overwhelmingly deprived of their basic right to education. The Global Gender Gap Report placed the country at 145th rank out of 156. UN Women has stated that 53.6% of women had limited access to education, training, and employment in Pakistan. However, NGOs and companies like EMB have been working tirelessly to promote women’s education. The campaigns wanted to demonstrate how empowering girls with education can brighten their future, while also inspiring more parents to send their girls to school.