My favourite campaign of 2020...

Clockwise from top left: Ricardo Perez (Grupo Bimbo), Naomi Troni (Wunderman Thompson), Spencer Lee (AirAsia), Orlando Wood (System 1), Amar Chohan (Contagious), Hanna Riberdahl (Swedish Advertiser Association)

Volvo: ‘One in a Million’

“My absolute favourite ad campaign is from Volvo. As the inventor of the seat belt, Volvo has, since the late 1920s and with great focus since 1950, emphasised driving and safety. This year they took this a step further and connected the historical aspect with the focus they always have had on safety. In the campaign, they talk about the backlash the company experienced after launching the seat belt, while at the same time featuring true stories from today on how using the seat belt has actually saved lives. The concept is called “Volvo – One in a Million” and has a great longer introduction, a number of different substories where they focus on the individuals that survived and a “Volvo Study Talks” where they really focus deep into their products. Excellent work from Volvo that stands out from ad campaigns by other car brands.” - Hanna Riberdahl, CEO of the Swedish Advertiser Association

Bodyform: ‘Womb Stories’

“Bodyform’s Womb Stories was one of the most impactful and talked-about campaigns of the year, using exceptional craft to show the pleasure, the pain, the hate and the love that comes with having a womb. Abandoning the notion that Bodyform could tell women’s stories through the lens of its product's functional benefits, the team at AMV BBDO instead told the not-always-pleasant truth to hit a nerve with viewers and earn conversation, empathy and connection in a way that can't be bought. It’s one of the best ads I’ve ever seen. Period.” - Amar Chohan, Managing Director of WFA’s Strategic Partner for Creativity, Contagious

Joe Biden for President 2020 - ‘The Love’

“This isn’t technically an ad but it was the singularly most powerful piece of work I saw in 2020. I find it overwhelmingly moving every time I watch it. I fundamentally believe it is incumbent upon us to use the power of creativity to drive positive societal change in the world. And this is one of the best exemplars of that, ever. It’s where politics meet culture and it’s topical and of the moment. Above all it’s inspiring. It made me want to make a difference and be a better person. Let there be more love in 2021.” - Naomi Troni is Global Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Wunderman Thompson

Aldi: ‘Kevin the Carrot’

“Kevin the Carrot (Aldi/McCann) first hit our screens in 2016 and his star is far from waning. Quite the reverse. The campaign has been getting stronger each year, moving up from 3-Stars in its first years, to 4-Stars last year and topping out this year at 5.8 Stars in System1’s testing. Recurring characters (a ‘fluent device’) are both popular and effective, and besides having a character, this campaign also has incident and place: the three common features of video campaigns that result in very large market share and profit gains, as I show in my film Achtung! for EffWorks Global 2020.” - Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer of System1 Group

Grupo Bimbo: ‘Bimbo Contigo’

“During the COVID-19 crisis, new heroes have emerged, people who put the well-being of others before their own. Some of those heroes are our partners who are in the frontline, delivering products to Mexican homes. Bimbo took several actions, helping Mexicans and igniting their optimism, before launching its "Bimbo Contigo" (“Bimbo with You”) platform.“Bimbo Contigo” focused on keeping a positive attitude in uncertain times and positioned Bimbo as an empathetic and socially responsible company. It helped us stand out from the advertising clutter and connect with Mexican people.” - Ricardo Perez, Global Marketing Communications Director at Grupo Bimbo

Maxis: #KitaSapotKita

“Maxis #KitaSapotKita campaign encourages Malaysians to inspire one another positively with original entertainment and business contents – co-created with key and business opinion leaders – to raise awareness on the importance of staying home and staying connected during this challenging time. It’s not a one-off campaign to promote its products but a continuous effort to build and connect the SME community, to guide and to establish thought leadership. The campaign was launched in March and even now they're still consistently building the community via webinars and contents catered to this community. On brand level, they leveraged on this campaign theme to launch their new CI and brand campaign for Malaysia's independence day.” - Spencer Lee, CEO of BIGLIFE, a rewards platform of AirAsia Digital