2023 is almost over! Can you believe it?! Neither can we. Time flies when you’re trying to work, eat well, exercise, manage your mental health, maintain a social life, fit in family time, cook, clean, and look cute af – all while running an empire! Wooof. We are exhausted! Luckily, there is a little thing called TV to break up all of those activities. And, we’re not talking about watching your favorite TV show that you have probably seen 100 times; we’re talking about advertisements, commercials, or adverts for our UK peeps. Don’t get it twisted; we love our shows, but honey, we LOVE a good ad! Now, sit back and grab your popcorn while we break down our top 5 favorite TV ads of 2023 so far!
IMMEDIATE. GOOSEBUMPS. Listen, you don’t have to be a little kid or even a Disney adult to love this ad. The Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and graced us with this beautifully done and truly inspiring ad as a tribute to its imaginative creators, storytellers, and fans. It features all your favorite iconic characters throughout the years, from Mickey Mouse to Mary Poppins. The nostalgia this ad brings is immeasurable, and you can’t help but have a smile on your face while watching. Is it just us, or can you also not help but tear up when you hear “When You Wish Upon A Star?” It only takes a few magical notes. Anyways, the ad brings all the feels, immediately sparks joy, and floods you with memories of the most magical place on Earth. There’s a reason why Disney has a special place in the hearts of millions of people across the globe.
2. Dunkin’ ‘Drive Thru’ Starring Ben
We don’t know about you, but this is the collaboration we have been waiting for! If you have ever seen literally any paparazzi picture of Ben Affleck, you know he always has a cup of Dunkin’ coffee in his hands. Apparently, he drinks Dunkin’ every day; read the interview for yourself if you don’t believe us! I guess you can take the man out of New England, but you can’t take the fahking New England out of the man. Anywho, the perfect blend of Ben Affleck, his humor, the element of surprise, and J-Lo’s cameo at the end (do you actually think she eats donuts?) has us craving Ben…ehhhmmm, we mean Dunkin’ after watching! Maybe they should change their tagline to “America Runs On Affleck? No? Probably not, because if you’re like us, you automatically think of the Aflac Duck. Maybe “America Runs On Ben?” Eek. Either way, the ad is now a fan favorite. Did we mention he’s attractive? I mean, have you ever seen Good Will Hunting? We can’t even. So hot. Boston accent and all. Ok, let’s move on!
3. Taco Bell x Paris Hilton – The Volcano Menu Is Back
Calling all of our precious Y2K babies! If you missed it, Taco Bell partnered with the Y2K queen herself, Paris Hilton, to promote their Volcano Menu, a special menu featuring its extra spicy items. This genius campaign engages audiences with Paris answering phone calls from a Taco Bell “Hot” Line at 1-844-THTS-HOT. She answers several calls on her flip phone… hello bedazzled Motorola Razr flip phone circa 2004. I mean, c’mon! What’s not to love?! Taco Bell (arguably the greatest drunk food ever) and Paris Hilton, the queen of What’s Hot, equals the spiciest ad of the year. This collaboration is deliciously nostalgic, and the way she shuts her flip phone brings us back to the good ol’ days. Seriously, this new generation will never know how satisfying it was to hang up a flip phone! Taco Bell certainly turns up the heat with this one! To make this ad even better, fans could call the hotline and engage with six pre-recorded messages about their Volcano Menu offers. Now that’s hot.
Do you have your tissues ready? Cool. We’re telling you right now this one is a tear-jerker. This Farmer’s Dog ad tugs on the viewers heartstrings by featuring a dog’s lifetime with its family, all from its own perspective. Everyone unconditionally loves their pets, and this ad expertly takes us through each chapter of a dog’s life as it grows up with its owner. It’s cute, sweet, and makes you want to squeeze your pup, then run to the store to get this dang pet food! Sometimes, the most simple, heart-warming ads are the most effective and we’re here for it *sniffle*.
5. Walmart Black Friday Deals, Jingle Bell Rockin’
We’re sorry, but if you missed this recent Mean Girls ad, then you can’t sit with us! If we could give an Oscar for best commercial of the year, this would be it because it is so fetch! Ok, we’re done with the movie quotes…for now. Walmart released the most epic holiday ad promoting its Black Friday Deals with some of the most iconic actors from the most ICONIC movie of our time: Mean Girls. It does not get any better than this! Two words: Lindsay. Lohan. Need we say more?! Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabart team up to reprise their roles and reenact some of our favorite scenes, but this time as adults. It’s total genius, and if Regina George is going to Walmart (Rachel Mcadams, we missed you in this girl), we are going to Walmart, PERIOD. Bravo Walmart. BRA-VO! We need more.
Ok, we know this is technically an online ad campaign and wasn’t featured on TV, but we don’t care. Apple teamed up with Oscar-winning actor Octavia Spencer, who portrays a skeptic ‘Mother Nature’ grilling Apple execs on their efforts to make all Apple products entirely carbon neutral by 2030. The ad expertly balances humor and the seriousness of the situation and touches on topics like clean energy, materials, and transportation. Some people called it cringy and awkward, but we couldn’t disagree more! The storytelling here was… a chef’s kiss! Also, how dare you disrespect Octavia like that! Yes, we are on a first-name basis. Whether you liked it or could live without it, you can’t deny that the campaign was incredibly effective, and Apple is clearly ahead of the game of pretty much every tech company out there.
Woo! What a journey. Thank you for joining us on that FETCH, little travel moment. Although the year is almost up, we are hoping for a few more gems to drop this Holiday season! Looking for more fun tidbits into the marketing, creative, and advertising industry? Follow @BKNCreative on social for more, plus glimpses into our whimsical, wild, and creative world!
