The Thinkboxes Winner - March/April 2013

Pure TV Brilliance From Three
Mobile network Three has triumphed in the March/ April Thinkboxes with their moonwalking Shetland Pony. Brand building TV ads have long been a source of successful viral videos and this campaign is a great example, having been extensively shared across social networks. Their strapline ‘Silly stuff. It matters.’ is perfectly demonstrated by some pretty impressive equine moves to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’. Academy member Laurence Green said “Three has suddenly found its place and its voice. Creating content that goes viral to brand and internet–friendly networks is a good thinking. The execution is hard not to like and the ‘big shove’ of TV is the catalyst for it all.” Second place went to Somersby Cider’s ‘The Somersby Store’ while Lurpak’s ‘Weave your magic’ came third. You can watch the winning TV ad along with the runners up right here.

Previous Winners

  • Pure TV brilliance from Kerry Foods
    Wall’s ‘Garage’ was voted winner of the Thinkboxes for May/ June 2011. The amusing and compelling ad from Saatchi and Saatchi, directed by Andy McLeod, targeted British men who struggle to show their feelings. The ad features a man who wants to thank a garage assistant for the delicious Wall’s Sausage Roll he’s eating. Unable to express his emotions on the subject, he recruits a miniature keyboard playing dog called Alan to do the deed for him. The Thinkboxes creative academy thought the ad was a great example of ‘bloke kultcha’ and loved the insight into the male psyche. Evian’s Baby Inside was in second place and Gu’s ‘Give in to the Gu’ bagged the third spot.
  • Pure TV brilliance from Heineken
    Heineken’s ‘The Entrance’ was voted winner of the Thinkboxes for March/ April 2011. Directed by Fredrik Bond, this richly imagined and beautifully choreographed piece from Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam throws the spotlight on a young cosmopolitan man making the ultimate party entrance. Witty and quirky, this is the first execution in their “be a man of the world” brand campaign. The Thinkbox Creative Academy chose Walkers’ ‘Groovy kind of love’ as runner up, whilst third place went to Warburtons’ ‘Celebration’.
  • Pure TV brilliance from Cravendale
    Hot on the heels of their “crazy, sensible”, ‘Cow, pirate, cyclist’ campaign, Arla Foods and its ad agency, Wieden & Kennedy, turned to cats and their love for milk to position Cravendale as a preferable alternative to supermarket own-label products. They were conscious that if the creative was not up to scratch, it would be swallowed up by all the cat-related content already out there. The creative team did a great job, and the quirky, comedic ‘Cats with Thumbs was voted by The Thinkbox Creative Academy of ad industry experts winner of the Thinkboxes for ads broadcast in January/ February. Lurpak’s beautifully filmed ‘Kitchen odyssey’ finished second, while third place was awarded to Aviva’s emotionally charged ‘Holiday preparations’.
  • Pure TV brilliance from Skoda
    The Thinkbox Creative Academy voted Skoda the Thinkboxes winner for November/December 2010, for their ‘Made of Meaner Stuff’ spot. The ad from Fallon, followed up on their iconic “cake” ad, but this time the brief was to introduce us to the Fabia vRS and the ‘darker side of happiness’. Thinkbox Creative Academy member, and Publicis MD, Will Arnold-Baker called it “a formidable return to form for Skoda advertising”. Runner-up was ‘Bang Bang’, a charming piece looking at unconventional and inventive ways to approach the classic Terry’s Chocolate Orange ritual. Volkswagen Polo’s mesmerising ‘Last Tango in Compton’ clinched third place. You can find out who made these great ads, and watch them again and again, right here.
  • Pure TV brilliance from Virgin Atlantic
    Virgin Atlantic had a tough task in following up its acclaimed 2009 'Still red hot' campaign celebrating 25 years of the brand. However, the airline struck gold again with "Feeling good" - its first global TV push - and picked up a coveted Thinkboxes award for September/ October 2010. This eye-catching, confident and amusing piece from RKCR/Y&R and Traktor's Ole & Pontis really delivers against Virgin's objective of a TV ad bringing to life the "it" that makes Virgin Atlantic such a special and unique airline. The Thinkbox Creative Academy also awarded second place to Yeo Valley's highly entertaining 'Rap' – with its shiny Massey and Daisy the "proper cow" - whilst IKEA's beautifully shot 'Wembley Cats' clinched third spot. You can find out who made these great ads, and watch them again and again, right here.
1 2 3 4 5 6

The Thinkboxes

the thinkboxes mini logoThe thinkboxes are the first awards to celebrate the UK's world-beating TV ad creativity, in all its forms, at regular way-points throughout the year. Created in association with Haymarket Brand Media (Campaign, Marketing and Brand Republic), these bi-monthly awards are judged by the Thinkbox Creative Academy; made up of over 200 advertising luminaries with Craig Inglis, Marketing Director of John Lewis and Nick Gill, Executive Creative Director of BBH as joint Academy Presidents.

Associated content

Just Volkswagen
VW and its ad agency DDB have worked together for over 40 years. It's a unique relationship, not just for its longevity but also for its consistency. Whether it's Paula Hamilton throwing her jewels down the drain; a Jack Russell singing "I'm a man", or Gene Kelly doing a bit of break dancing in the rain, we've all got our favourites. So here's a "Just VW" gallery for you, to pique the memory and cast a spotlight on just a few compelling and effective TV ads from an extraordinary canon of work. Congratulations to both VW and DDB and thanks for all the great telly.

App Context Banner