As we see 2015 come to a close, what better way to end the year than to look back on the most influential advertisements? This year produced a laundry list of gender equality, gender identity and environment focused events to say the very least. And how the marketing industry took these events, they were able to shape 2015’s most creative advertisements.
Empowering Women
Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey showed us what it means to be strong in 2015. Gatorade’s “Win From Within” ad featuring Serena showed how a woman, who comes from nothing, could be successful and that, in order to be successful, it comes from within. In the Carl’s Jr. “Knockout Breakfast” ad, they cut between Ronda Rousey eating the Carl’s Jr. Cinnamon Swirl French Toast breakfast sandwich and kicking some serious butt in the sparring ring.
Earlier this year, Ram Trucks shared their “Courage is Already Inside” commercial where they reaffirm that you do in fact have enough energy left in the tank to accomplish your goals. The commercial includes all women athletes and adventurers that have guts and glory.
The Always “Like a Girl” Campaign interviewed girls to see if they were being limited in today’s society. After interviewing, Always found that 72% of girls DO feel society limits them – especially during puberty – a time when their confidence totally plummets. Now, the Always mission is to empower girls everywhere by encouraging them to smash limitations and be Unstoppable #LikeAGirl.
Mainstreaming LGBT
Campbell’s and Wells Fargo made big moves this year to showcase high-profile ads with gay couples. Campbell’s says that their soups are made for real, real life. Wells Fargo shows how a couple learns a new language to welcome a new addition to their family highlighting life’s biggest moments.
Gender Identity
Leave it to Google to bravely join the gender issue conversation and share a story of someone who had the courage to show us why he was never comfortable living in his body until today. Here is the story of Jacob and City Gym.
Saving the Planet
Climate change continues to be a dividing issue around the world. In 2015, environmental awareness shined bright during M&C Saatchi Stockholm, Pentagram, DDB Stockhold, and Biocoop’s commercials. M&C Saatchi Stockholm created an interactive site for SPP to a slider to toggle between clean and polluted versions of the year 2045. You can find their website HERE. Pentagram designed climate change posters completely out of emojis. Find Pentagram’s posters HERE. DDB Stockholm’s Rag Bags turned shopping bags into recycling containers. And Fred & Farid embodied client Biocoop’s mission by rethinking every element of its ad production process to be as green as possible.
