A great TV commercial will often be remembered for a lot longer than the product it’s trying to sell, so it’s no wonder companies spend hundreds of millions every year in pursuit of that one ad that will be a huge success. Some of the best ads we’ve seen this year come from the likes of Budweiser, P&G, Save The Children, and of course, Apple — and you’ll find them in the roundup below.
Bell’s: The Reader
https://youtu.be/VteDp3IK-60
The best ads are either heartwarming of hilarious, and Bell’s two-minute spot entitled “The Reader,” which aired on South African TV, will certainly tug at your heart strings.
Save The Children: Second a Day
Save The Children helps us better understand what life is like for children living in a war zone in this eye-opening “Second a Day” clip that reminds us “just because it isn’t happening here, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”
Apple: Your Verse
https://youtu.be/jiyIcz7wUH0
Apple’s excellent television ads are often as iconic as its products themselves. “Your Verse” demonstrates some of the ways in which people are making their dent in the universe with the help of the iPad Air, and it’s the finest ad the Cupertino company has produced since last year’s holiday spot.
John Lewis: Monty the Penguin
https://youtu.be/iccscUFY860
It isn’t Christmas in the U.K. without a touching ad from British department store John Lewis. This year’s “Monty the Penguin” ad tells the story of a young boy named Sam and his best friend, Monty the penguin, who wakes up to the perfect gift on Christmas morning.
Samsung: Wall Huggers
https://youtu.be/6-qeFszcfFo
Samsung gets a lot of criticism for its Apple-bashing TV ads — and rightly so; the vast majority of them are just awful. But “Wall Huggers” was so accurate even the iPhone users it mocked had to admire it. It’s funny and it picks on one of the biggest issues users faced with older Apple smartphones — poor battery life.
Apple responded with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the latter of which in particular delivers some of the best batter life you’ll get from a smartphone today.
P&G: Pick Them Back Up
https://youtu.be/57e4t-fhXDs
If you didn’t shed a tear for the Bell’s ad, or “Monty the Penguin, ” perhaps P&G’s “Pick Them Back” up ad will get you. Aired during the Winter Olympics as part of the company’s “Thank You, Mom” campaign, it shows how persistence and encouragement — and plenty of falling over — only makes us stronger.
Budweiser: A Hero’s Welcome
https://youtu.be/K7L5QByvXOQ
Budweiser’s “A Hero’s Welcome” commercial aired during this year’s Super Bowl and tells the story of Chuck Nadd, who returned to his hometown in Florida on January 8 after fighting for his country in Afghanistan. With the help of his loved ones and local residents, Budweiser gave Nadd a true hero’s welcome — and likely plenty of beer.
