5 Things That Caught our Eye This Week

Now that summer 2020 is officially over, here at We Are Star, we’re excited to see what autumn brings; no doubt more creativity, inspirational advertising and fantastic marketing campaigns. With back-to-school, after a longer break than we could ever have anticipated, starting this week, we’ve lined up some brilliant stories; from Karmarama’s heart-warming story of a little girl’s first day, to Skepta’s BoxPark takeover. Here’s what caught our eye this week…  

1. Stepping Up with Brita and McGarryBowen

McGarryBowen have created a super simplistic video that launched last week for their client Brita. In the 20 second film, imagery of a little girl stepping over plastic bottles of water in order to reach a Brita filter instead creates a visually impactful narrative about climate change. In the advert, it tells us that “every day, we have a choice to keep our old habits or start new ones.” It tells the audience that by using a Brita filter instead of drinking bottled water, you can replace up to 1,800 bottles a year.  

2. Havana Cuban X Skepta takes over BoxPark

Strolling past BoxPark Shoreditch this week, it’s hard to miss the Skepta X Havana Club branding across the whole facade of the venue. Pernod Ricard and Skepta’s creative production house, Metallic Inc, have collaborated to create a campaign which links Cuban and Nigerian heritage in a limited edition bottle. The message is that we come from different countries, neighbourhoods and cultures but we are all linked by a universal spirit. Not only is the campaign a really cool display of creativity and talent, it was also an attempt to support local businesses during Covid-19, as the limited edition Havana Club 7 bottle was first made available exclusively at corner shops around the UK.  

3. Karmarama and Guide Dogs: The Story of Nell’s First Day

In a touching 30 second advertisement for the charity Guide Dogs UK, Karmarama has brought a little girl’s story to life as she prepares for her first day at school. Running across TV and online, Guide Dogs promote how they help people with sight-loss from the day they are born. Coinciding with back-to-school, especially after such a challenging period, it raises awareness of how much harder it is for visually impaired children and how Guide Dogs are there to help.  

4. Buying Time with Ikea and Ogilvy

This week, Ogilvy has reposted its incredible creation; the concept of “buying time” with Ikea Dubai. In an effort to appreciate how their customers often have to travel to the outskirts of a city to reach them, the campaign allows customers to pay with the time it took them to get to the store. At the till, you can show the cashier your Google Maps Timeline, which records your past trips and the cashier will convert your time on the road into money. This conversion rate was according to the average income levels in the UAE. So roughly, a two hour drive to Ikea would buy you a bookcase. Even a five minute drive could earn customers a veggie hotdog. Right now, the “Buy With Your Time” program is only available in the UAE but it is a fantastic example of clever and thoughtful marketing to show their customers that they are appreciated.  

5. Back to School with Kelloggs and K1

Publicis “Power of One” team K1 (created for Kellogg’s and comprising expertise from Leo Burnett and Digitas) have created a lively and unique television advert for their client Kellogg’s which was rolled out this week. Documenting a little boy’s experience of lockdown, from home-schooling to Zoom calling, the 30 second film uses animation and film to showcase “the longest break ever!”