Thinkbox
Jack Croft and Stacey Bird have worked at Wonderhood Studio for seven years since its inception. They have been behind some of Wonderhood Studio’s biggest work including Three, Starling Bank and Waitrose Christmas. Before that they worked for five years at 4creative where they created award winning campaigns including launching The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.
Sakeru Gummy: “Long Long Man”
“Sakeru Gummy vs. Long Sakeru Gummy”, commonly known as the “Long Long Man” series, is a Japanese television advertising campaign created to promote its tear-apart short and longer version candy.
The campaign spans 11 short adverts that together tell an over-the-top romantic drama: a happy couple, Chi-chan and Tooru-san, bond over the candy until a mysterious, suave stranger appears, sparking Chi-chan’s fascination and causing turmoil in their relationship. The narrative unfolds with twists and soap-opera style moments before a final surprise ending revealing Long Long Man’s true feelings.
This inventive storytelling won several industry awards, including a Silver Lion at the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and multiple Japanese advertising honours.
- Agency: Hakuhodo
- Production company: Tohokushinsha Film Corporation
- Director: Mitsuaki Imura
Energy Savings Trust: “Bad boiler”
This darkly humorous TV ad used a bad boiler to promote energy efficiency and encourage people to consider replacing old, inefficient boilers with more modern, energy-saving models.
The advert personifies a boiler as a very mean character who is horrible to everyone. Feeling like a bit of a gritty British drama, it brings home the importance of being energy efficient.
- Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R
- Client: COI/Energy Saving Trust
- Production company: Harry Nash
- Director: Fredrik Bond
Apple “A critter carol”
Apple’s 2025 holiday advert “A critter carol” is a two-minute festive film that blends whimsical storytelling with a showcase of the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera capabilities.
Set in a snowy forest, the story follows a group of handmade woodland puppets who discover a lost iPhone and spontaneously transform it into the centrepiece of their own joyful music video.
- Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab
- Production company: Smuggler
- Director: Mark Molloy