Best Ads of the Week: Mother’s groovy Juneteenth celebration & HBO’s Empire State dragon

This week, Visit Oslo used dry humor to spotlight the city’s charm, Primula returned to TV after a three-year advertising hiatus and Cheerios supported the 2024 Paralympics.

Visit Oslo: Is it Even a City? by NewsLab AS

The dry humor in a recent tourism ad for Oslo has stirred online acclaim, with some calling it the best they have ever seen. The ad humorously downplays the city’s attractions, noting short restaurant waits, a village-like feel, walkability and brief museum lines – contrasts to cities like New York or Paris. Narrated by a grumpy local, the ad highlights Oslo’s charms with deadpan wit. Inspired by Joachim Trier’s Oslo Trilogy, it uses sophisticated humor and cultural references to deliver an entertaining and standout message in the tourism sector.

Primula: Squeeze by Powerhouse

Primula has returned to TV after a three-year hiatus with a new multichannel ‘Squeeze’ campaign. The campaign, created with Powerhouse, Alchemy Media and Prohibition PR, features colorful scenes highlighting its Original, Chive, and Ham flavors. The ad humorously replaces “cheese” with “squeeze,” showing characters enjoying “squeezy beans,” “squeezy fries” and “a squeeze burger.” The campaign supports new packaging and includes a 30-second TV spot, 10-second cut-downs, print, digital media, point of sale and social media.

Nestlé Cheerios: Bring the Cheer with Cheerios

Nestlé Cereal’s ‘Bring the Cheer with Cheerios’ campaign supports the British Paralympic team as the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games approach. The campaign features Paralympic athletes as Cheerios brand ambassadors, engaging their social media followers to foster support. Central to the campaign is an on-pack promotion offering a chance to win a trip to the Games. Sarah Fordy, head of marketing at Cereal Partners UK, emphasized the campaign’s goal of rallying communities to celebrate the Paralympic spirit. The campaign spans various platforms, including in-store activities and digital channels, with Cheerios as the focal product.

Reiss: Finance Bro Flash Mob

@reissofficial Stop looking. We’ve found them. #fyp #maninfinance #finance #leadenhallmarket #londontiktok #reiss @ultimateeventdancers @Billen Ted @Girl On Couch @itsadamlyons_ ♬ original sound - reiss

Fashion brand Reiss embraced TikTok dance culture this week by posting a flash mob video outside its London store in the financial district. The video, choreographed and produced in just three days, features men in Reiss clothing dancing to a popular TikTok track. This track originated from a viral video by @girl_on_couch about seeking a “finance bro.” Reiss tied the video to its brand by dressing dancers in its menswear and including a branded shopping bag. Filmed at Leadenhall Market, a finance hotspot, the video has amassed 661,500 views, a significant increase from typical posts.

Heineken: HeineCare by Publicis

Publicis has created the ‘HeineCare’ campaign for Heineken, which offers a free refill to drinkers who spill their drinks during major sporting events. Inspired by research showing 11m pints are spilled annually, the campaign places beer mats with QR codes in participating pubs. Scanning the code leads to the HeineCare homepage, where users can enter details to receive a voucher for a free pint of Heineken or Heineken 0.0. The campaign, which includes outdoor and social media promotions with catchy lines like “Cheers to all spills ending in free refills,” also features a collaboration with Rainkiss for a protective Pint-cho.

Mother New York: Auntie Whine

Mother New York celebrated Juneteenth with ‘Auntie Whine,’ a campaign honoring Caribbean Black culture. The creative agency released a limited-edition wine and a Jamaican playlist inspired by aunties’ dance moves. The campaign features a wine with “notes of cocoa butter” and a playful video showcasing its design. The playlist, available on Spotify, includes dancehall and reggae artists like Serani and Chaka Demus & Pliers. Creative Penelope Vasquez emphasizes the cultural significance of whining, linking it to the joy and warmth aunties bring to Black families and communities.

HBO: Empire State Dragon

HBO has launched a high-profile out-of-home activation for the second season of its Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, by placing a giant inflatable dragon atop the Empire State Building. Unlike recent CGI campaigns, this dragon is physically wrapped around the iconic skyscraper. The activation includes an immersive experience at the Empire State Building with a throne photo op, games, and a 360-degree view of the dragon. Previously, HBO promoted the first season with a 3D ad in Times Square featuring a dragon breaking free of a building.

Michelob Ultra: Summer of Team USA by Draftline

Michelob Ultra has launched its largest-ever summer campaign ahead of Copa America 2024, featuring United States men’s national soccer team star Christian Pulisic. As the official global beer sponsor, Michelob Ultra plans immersive fan experiences across all 14 US host cities, offering soccer-inspired games, live music, and limited-edition merch during the tournament. The ‘Summer of Team USA’ initiative, created by Michelob Ultra’s internal DraftLine team, includes a TV commercial highlighting the blend of an active lifestyle with social occasions. Partnering with Puma, Michelob Ultra introduces a limited-edition collection inspired by the tournament’s official match ball, Cumbre, celebrating the cultural diversity of the participating nations.

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