By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter
@Siwri88
IT is that time of year again where several areas have got
the review treatment from me and one of the annual areas is the advert.
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| Advert of the Year is here - who has made the top 25 in 2013? |
So what was
the best commercial of 2013 (logo pictured)? Some will see these messages as pointless and the
perfect opportunity to make a quick phone call or to put the kettle on, post a
message on social media or take a comfort break. Others enjoy the commercials,
either for laughter, the serious effect or if it sells the message it is
directing to you, the consumer.
John Lewis
has come out on top in the last two years with their Christmas adverts. This
time, the Xmas advert hasn’t made the top 25 but will the company still make it
a hat-trick in 2013. This is Advert of the Year.
25. Apple (Photos Every Day)
Apple’s
domination of the technology market has been marginalised in recent years by
the Android effect. However the iPhone remains the most popular smartphone and
it can share great memories from an early age to retirement. This advert
promotes the camera tool, showing that photos can be taken everyday and
cherished forever.
24. Halfords (Tour de Britain)
There was
more British success in the Tour de France this summer with Chris Froome
winning the classic event. However Halfords elected to put a funny spin on
this recent control by staging the Tour de Britain in a 40-second advert. See
what happens by clicking ‘Play.’
23. AXA (Little Things Mean A Lot)
It might not
be as funny as some others in this list but there is real sentimental value to
the new advertising campaign ran this year by AXA to promote their home
insurance. This commercial follows a romantic couple who are enjoying a break
in Brighton but the female of this loved-up pair is devastated when a break-in
at home sees some priceless jewellery stolen. So if it can’t be returned, AXA
will sort the small things out and make things better. Sometimes, it is the
little things that mean more than the big, bulky items in life.
22. Jessops (Are You In)
It has been a
difficult year for camera chain Jessops. In January 2013, the company slipped
into administration and within days, all 187 UK stores had been closed, taking
1,370 jobs with it. Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones though bought the
assets two months later and is attempting to reform them as both an online and
retail business. In this commercial, Jones spends the day undercover in the
main Oxford Street shop to attempt customer service skills. It doesn’t quite
work but it indicates that sometimes, one-to-one interaction is better than
just placing an order online on the internet. It will be interesting to see if
Jessops progresses under its new owner in 2014. The advert has some comic
appeal and I personally hope Jones makes a success of the brand.
21. PlayStation 4 (This is for the
Players)
The world of
gaming went up a gear this year with the launch of both Xbox One and
PlayStation 4 in November 2013. PlayStation’s advert isn’t quite as appealing
as some of the older versions of the console but this still attracts the
consumer, grabs their attention and makes sure they are number one. From early
reviews, it seems like Sony might have nudged back ahead of Microsoft in this
battle. PlayStation 4 is for the players.
20. TSB (Welcome Back to Local Banking)
Another name
many were delighted to see return to the high street and the banking industry
this year were TSB. TSB had been around for over 100 years until 1995 when
Lloyds Bank merged with them to form Lloyds TSB. A ruling of the European
Commission stated the group had to sell a portion of its business as it
categorised a 43.4 per cent stake by HM Government as state aid.
Therefore,
Lloyds decided to buy out the Cheltenham & Gloucester brand and disband the
TSB name, reforming as Lloyds Bank. Consequently, TSB is now back and this is a
lengthy commercial showing the story of its founder, the Reverend Henry Duncan.
Only time will tell to see how much impact they will have but it is nice to
have TSB back in many retail outlets up and down the land.
19. Harvester (Junior Chefs)
This
commercial is cheeky in many ways. Two little chefs battle it out in the
kitchen, branding out orders to more senior members of the team. This was
part of a competition by Harvester which saw a vote to see if Ben or his little
sister Annie won the battle in the cooking department. There’s a little Jamie
Oliver in all of us!
18. Whiskas (Big Cat, Little Cat)
While it
lacks the power or the knockout punch of other adverts in 2013, this is one of
the more heart-warming ones, particularly for lovers of cats. It shows the
cheetah, known as the fastest safari animal running quickly after hearing the
barking sound of a dog. He then enters a cat flap, and transforms into a little
cat, all based around the love for Whiskas. Other cat foods are available!
17. Virgin Media (Terrible Speed)
Two adverts
from Virgin Media have made the top 25 this year and this is the first,
promoting their broadband. Former Doctor Who star David Tennant seems to be
frustrated with the terrible speed his broadband service is providing and
therefore, promotes Virgin Media’s superfast broadband with the help of Sir
Richard Branson and Usain Bolt. My favourite part is when Bolt asks the Doctor
to put his hand down but is bluntly told ‘NO!’ by Tennant.
16. Royal Mail (We Love Parcels)
Royal Mail
hadn’t done a major TV advertising campaign since 2007 so it was about time
they did something and it is a good return to form. Featuring the postmen and
women who deliver their parcels, this advert came out just in time for
Christmas at a crucial time of the year for gifts and presents. The advert
shows the staff working extremely hard to bring joy and delight to the faces of
many across the nation. This features the voices of the Royal Mail Choir with
the cover of ‘All You Need Is Love’ by The Beatles being sung from the famous
Abbey Road Studios.
15. Sky Broadband (Toy Story of Terror)
Another
broadband advert and while it is no longer on the big screen, the animation
doesn’t stop for Toy Story. Wi-Fi 2000 can’t handle the amount of internet
usage and it eventually causes a powercut in the town. It all started because
Rex was watching a move that was struggling to buffer. Use your head Rex,
that’s your best use! The advert is to highlight Sky’s Fibre Broadband service
which is totally unlimited and superfast but that’s what they say. I can’t
judge who is the quickest because honestly, I’m not too bothered by these
statistics.
14. Guinness (Wheelchair Basketball)
I don’t drink
Guinness and nor will I ever but the advertising and marketing geniuses have
come up with some memorable adverts down the years. ‘Evolution’ and ‘Surfers’
are two that spring to mind. This one with music from the Cinematic Orchestra
shows a group of friends enjoying a game of competitive wheelchair basketball,
dedicated to winning but also staying loyal to their personal friendships. It
ends down the local with a pint of Guinness. You can’t really argue with the
results.
13. Sony Xperia (Momentous Events)
Japanese
manufacturer Sony made its big breakthrough onto the smartphone market this
year with the Xperia Z. This shows some of Sony’s evolution through the years
from the Walkman’s inception to the birth of the PlayStation in 1995. It
ultimately combines with a couple taking photos of a colourful carnival and
testing how water resistant the phone is. The music is David Bowie’s classic
Sound and Vision, remixed by Sonjay Prabhakar. I liked the commercial so much,
I bought the phone in late August and it is a decision I haven’t regretted.
12. EE (Conga Dance)
I find Kevin
Bacon, the man behind the EE adverts a tad irritating but this is a corny
advert. After the results come in which shows EE has the fastest 4G broadband
service (yes that word again), Bacon joins a Conga line which never seems to
end. It also involves the conga invading the Deal or No Deal set in Bristol,
leaving host Noel Edmonds slightly bemused. Shame the identity of ‘The Banker’
wasn’t revealed.
11. Kronenbourg 1664 (The Farmers of
Alsace)
While I might
not be the biggest fan of Bacon (both person and the food), Eric Cantona is of
a different scale. A genius on the football field, this temperamental Frenchman
has become a filmstar and now a commercial ace. Here, he promotes the good
tasting Kronenbourg 1664 and the farmers in a local French town of Alsace, who
are appreciated as much as English footballers. Cue some farmer statues, a
couple of curious facial expressions and then Cantona hoping to get lucky at
the end, when a woman asks him if he is a father too!
10. Sky (Moments)
The selection
of Christmas TV adverts has been largely disappointing this year and that’s a
pity. However, this is my personal favourite. The music by Jonathan Goldstein
has become so popular; it is now available to be downloaded as a full-length
track on iTunes. Sky’s Magical Moments season follows three families or
individuals hoping to feel happy or lucky in the festive season. It starts sad
and full of regret or sorrow but provides a happy ending for all three
outcomes. A lovely advert by Sky, showing magic can happen at Christmas.
9. Allianz (School Run)
The busy
school run can have its pressures, such as remembering lunchboxes, having the
right kind of shoes and the annoyance parents’ get of regular shouts of ‘Are We
There Yet.’ Filmed at what looks like the Rockingham Oval in Northamptonshire,
this advert for Allianz portrays all these issues in a battle to see who can
get to the chequered flag first. The pressure of winning or just getting there
in one piece is empathised by Allianz and it has its comical moments in this
advert.
8. Argos (Awesome Stuff)
The Argos
Aliens returned for another year of interesting commercials and their spring
one was one of frustration for one member of the family. Seeing a product he is
after online on a third-party website, he seems happy to accept the 3-5 day
delivery wait, believing it will come earlier than that. As seen, that is not
the case and going to Argos is probably cheaper, quicker and easier. Awesome
stuff!
7. John Lewis (Things Matter)
The ranking
here guarantees that it won’t be a hat-trick of top honours for John Lewis but
things do matter and home insurance is one of these. This advert shows the
precious pieces and some clever work in design studios to ensure everything in
the house from furniture to books makes a bid for freedom before the family of
five pose for a picture outside. Insure everything precious to you. Nina
Nesbitt sings a cover of the 1980s song ‘Don’t Stop’ by Fleetwood Mac and has
just completed her debut album. She could be an artist to watch in the coming
year.
6. BT Sport (Great Sport Happens Here)
BBC’s Formula
One coverage went downhill from the moment Jake Humphrey signed off as anchor
after the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. Frustrated at being the number two/three
choice for major BBC sporting events, Humphrey elected to move to BT Sport and
become the number one presenter. Here, he promotes the channel’s first TV
advert featuring stars such as Brian O’Driscoll, Joe Hart, Lawrence Dallaglio
and Robin van Persie. With top pick matches from the Barclays Premier League
alongside Aviva Premiership Rugby, MotoGP, WTA tennis and from 2015, the UEFA
Champions League – BT Sport is here to stay. Great sport is really happening
and Sky have been warned.
5. Virgin Media (Three Tennants)
Isn’t it a
grave disappointment when three programmes you want to watch are on at the same
time? Well, if you have the TiVO service from Virgin Media, this isn’t a
problem. As demonstrated by David Tennant and a feisty battle between three
lookalikes for supremacy, the three Tennants eventually get silenced by Richard
Branson. Still, it was a great duel while it lasted and just squeezes into my
top five in 2013.
4. Carling (Trick Shot)
In May,
Carling launched a new advertising campaign featuring Jon and Dylan getting up
to wild and wacky adventures. The first commercial sees Dylan heading up to the
pool table to tackle the ultimate trick shot, not seen since the days of Big
Break. It looks like target has been achieved until the white ball changes
course – will it stay on the table or drop into the hole? Click ‘Play’ to find
out.
3. British Airways (Today, Tomorrow)
Two years on from the classic To Fly, To Serve ad, British Airways introduced their new
advert featuring the classy Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The commercial
illustrates the comforts available to make a plane journey better than ever
before. They are still the world’s favourite airline today, will be tomorrow and
for some time to come on this evidence.
2. Comparethemeerkat.com (Fat Sergei)
Runner-Up
this year goes to Aleksandr and the hilarious meerkats who have starred in
adverts this year with Gary Barlow and become new sponsors of ITV soap opera
Coronation Street. This is my favourite though as it sees Aleksandr’s Meerkat
assistant Sergei putting on quite a bit of weight. It means he looks completely
out of sync in comparison to his Meerkat toy and will require an intense
fitness programme to get back into shape. Fat Sergei though does the work required to his normal size before the advert ends. This is another tremendous
advert in the collection. Simples!
1. Three (The Dancing Pony)
The number
one advert of 2013 is one by the mobile phone company Three. Often put in the
shade by rivals EE, O2 and Vodafone, they’ve come up with this catchy
commercial which sees a pony pulling off some exceptional dance moves that
wouldn’t look out of place on Strictly Come Dancing. You simply have to love
this advert, even though there isn’t much reference to what Three actually
sells. I guess the moral is never to underestimate anyone, as people or
creatures can be capable of the strangest talents possible.
So,
congratulations to Three and their Dancing Pony, voted as Viewing Perspectives’
Advert of the Year for 2013.
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