Some of the best commercials of 2012

We thought it would be good to close off the year showcasing what were in our opinion some of the best commercials we’ve come across during 2012.

1.   John Lewis – The Journey

A heartwarming ad that features a snowman embarking on an arduous quest to buy a present for a special someone, who is only revealed at the very end of the commercial.

2.   P&G - Best Job

This ad promotes P&G’s Olympics sponsorship, and celebrates the role that mums play in raising Olympians. The commercial has been very well received and has won a commercial Emmy Award.

3.   The Guardian - Three Little Pigs

An ingenious and well produced commercial, where the Three Little Pigs tale is rehashed having the pigs burning the wolf alive. The Guardian is there to cover the rest of the story is at unfolds. The ad won multiple Cannes Lion awards.

4.   Chrysler - Halftime in America

Starring Clint Eastwood, this inspirational commercial is about rallying Americans to work together to rebound from a tough ‘first half’. Despite being one of the adverts that stood out most in this year’s Super Bowl, it has drawn political criticism as it was seen to be an endorsement of the Obama administrations’ bailout of Chrysler and General Motors in 2009.

5.   Nike – Find Your Greatness (Jogger)

Although Nike wasn't an Olympic sponsor, it successfully ambushed the Olympic games this year with this brilliant yet simple commercial. The commercial was filmed in a single, unedited take and features an unknown, overweight teenager as he shuffles uncomfortably down a lonely road. Even though obviously struggling, he never gives up.

6.   British Airways - London 2012

In a tongue in cheek ad where a 65-metre wide Boeing 777 is seen motoring around London, we see BA telling it’s potential customers to stay at home and support team GB instead of flying.

7.   VWPolo – Dad

An emotional commercial, which opens with a couple bringing a newborn baby girl home and follows the development of the father’s relationship with his growing daughter. The commercial ends with the father giving his daughter a VW Polo when she leaves home heading off for university.

8.   NSPCC - Sh*t Kids Say

A heart-breaking campaign launched by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), that urges the public to trust their instincts and report anything that seems suspicious.

9.   Adidas – Take the Stage

A simple yet striking commercial focusing on top British athletes and the challenges of competing at the highest level on a global stage.

10. Audi – Vampire Party

Piggybacking on the latest trends relating to vampires, here we have a large group of young vampires being accidentally burnt by the LED headlights of an Audi S7.

What do you think of these commercials? Are there any others that you would add to the list?

New Anti Smoking Campaign launched today in the UK

Following Australia's world-first laws on cigarette and tobacco plain packaging, other countries could start becoming more aggressive in targeting tobacco company products with new legislation and publicity campaigns.

The UK could be the first to move as the department of health is set to invest £2.7 million in an integrated marketing campaign that will focus mainly on online and outdoor advertising. The ads being created are an attempt to “shock” smokers into quitting, the Dare-created spot explains that smoking 15 cigarettes could cause a mutation that leads to cancerous tumours.

This shock campaign is aimed at the generation of smokers that have not been exposed to hard-hitting campaigns but have grown up in an environment less accepting of smoking as a result of the 2007 smoking ban in public places and last year’s display ban in supermarkets. Although not as aggressive as the Australian approach (where all cigarette companies have been forced to replace their traditional packaging for uniform packaging with a generic drab olive green covering, gruesome pictures of diseased body parts and depictions of children and babies made ill by their parents' smoking), the campaign should be a very bold one both in terms of the message and the visuals used. (view video about Australian action below - WARNING: The Advert contains strong images)

In fact the campaign has been handed an “ex-kids” rating, which means it cannot be shown during children’s programming but could still be seen by children watching television with their parents and hence a number of complaints are expected to be received by the  Advertising Standards Authority from adults claiming the spot is upsetting to children.

The campaign launches today (28 December) and will run until mid-February. View the advert in the video below. (WARNING: The Advert contains strong images)