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GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
Guest Judge: Jake Barrow, Chief Creative Officer, VML Czechia This week's guest judge is Jake Barrow, Chief Creative Officer, VML Czechia. Winner: Save the Children 'La Fiesta'. I have the attention span of a Labrador puppy, but this 5-minute film held my attention for its entire length, even on multiple watches. READ MORE Guest Judge: Josephine Wallin Ankarstrand, CD, NORD DDB This week's guest judge is Josephine Wallin Ankarstrand, Creative Director at NORD DDB, Stockholm. Winner: Uber 'In Good Time'. What a sweet story about how important the minutes are. And they really picked up on how you always stare at how long it is until your car arrives. The film reminds us how important it is to make the most of our extra minutes in life. READ MORE Guest Judge: Justin Joshua, Global Creative Lead, The LEGO Group This week's guest judge is Justin Joshua, Global Creative Specialist/Lead at The LEGO Group, based in Denmark. Winner: Olga Basha 'New Jeans'. A cinematic slice of everyday absurdity, sharp dialogue, twisted humor, and street-smart irreverence turn gross into fashionably gorgeous. READ MORE Judges: Imogen Tazzyman + Dan Noller, ECDs, McCann Manchester This week's guest judges are Imogen Tazzyman and Dan Noller, Executive Creative Directors at McCann Manchester. Winner: Midkey 'The Quest'. It's quite weird writing a review as a pair. We'll try not to fall out. Luckily we both quite like this one. If in doubt about how interesting your product is, turn it into an epic Hollywood film. READ MORE Guest Judge: Mike Roe, CCO, Hanson Dodge, Milwaukee
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
September 29, 2025 17:39 (Edited: September 30, 2025 03:39)
 This week's guest judge is Mike Roe, Chief Creative Officer at Hanson Dodge in Milwaukee. Winner: Spark New Zealand 'Split'. With social audio rapidly becoming optional these days, visually-arresting stories are critical. This spot had my attention at the car splitting apart and I enjoyed seeing where the journey, and her phone network, would take her before the vehicle zipped back together. Charming. Smart. Underplayed. I leaned in. READ MORE Guest Judge: Klaartje Galle, Chief Creative Officer, VML Belgium
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
September 22, 2025 15:31 (Edited: September 23, 2025 01:31)
 This week's guest judge is Klaartje Galle, Chief Creative Officer, VML Belgium. Winner: Hornbach "DIY Odyssey". I'll be honest, I didn't think a DIY ad could ever make me feel like I was at the opera. A 30-member choir, handmade sets, and a Wagnerian sense of drama about home improvement? Beautiful! READ MORE Guest Judge: Mark Elwood, Chief Creative Officer, Leo UK
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
September 15, 2025 21:24 (Edited: September 16, 2025 07:24)
 This week's guest judge is Mark Elwood, Chief Creative Officer at Leo UK. Winner: Nike 'Why Do It?'. Nike spots can be totally brilliant, or dare I say it, a little predictable. This feels oddly somewhere in-between. Asking the question of 'Why Do It?' though feels like there's new ground being broken, which I enjoyed. READ MORE Guest Judge: Helen Rhodes, CCO, Grey, London
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
September 08, 2025 20:40 (Edited: September 09, 2025 06:40)
 This week's guest judge is Helen Rhodes, Chief Creative Officer, Grey, London. Winner: John Lewis 'Tableau'. This ad went all in on the 100 thing. A 100 second ad, shot at 100 frames per second, featuring 100 actors, 100 products, and 100 moments, to celebrate 100 years of Britain's favourite Department Store. READ MORE Guest Judge: Neil Walker-Wells, CCO, not so secret, Toronto
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
September 01, 2025 09:00 (Edited: September 02, 2025 09:00)
 This week's guest judge is Neil Walker-Wells, Chief Creative Officer at not so secret in Toronto. Winner: Apple 'No Frame Missed'. We're used to Apple demonstrating the benefit or utility of a single feature with exceptional creativity, and traditionally that's been with a very contemporary, arty, energetic or humorous tone and execution. This piece is distinctly different, and I honestly didn't think I'd see them take such an emotional, issue-based approach to showing off their camera stabilisation. READ MORE Guest Judge: Shruthi Subramaniam, ECD, BBDO India This week's guest judge is Shruthi Subramaniam, Executive Creative Director at BBDO India. Winner: Forest Road 'Just A Normal Beer'. Can I begin a sentence with LOL? Ok, I am. LOL! Everything about this ad is hilarious. From Wazaaaa to Beer-Kakee to Bosh - you can see how much fun the creators have had. READ MORE Guest Judge: LP Gatti, ECD + Head of Entertainment, White Rabbit This week's guest judge is Luis Paulo Gatti, Executive Creative Director and Head of Entertainment at White Rabbit, Budapest. Favourite: Channel 4 'The Inheritance'. This idea has several positive aspects. From the insight to the way the text managed to wrap up the film so simply. Of course, I have to mention the production - I really liked the acting, art direction, directing, and editing. Very nice! READ MORE Guest Judge: Nayaab Rais, ECD, FP7 McCann, Dubai
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
August 12, 2025 14:57 (Edited: August 17, 2025 12:28)
 This week's guest judge is Nayaab Rais, Executive Creative Director at FP7 McCann, Dubai.Winner: Columbia Sportswear 'Engineered for whatever'. This feels like it escaped the formula factory, because it doesn't follow the tropes commercials usually do. In a world of low cognitive load, it's self-aware, unpretentious and still has some visual novelty that makes it an easy, fun watch. Which in turn makes you like the brand more, because it isn't trying too hard to sell you something. READ MORE Guest Judge: Nayaab Rais, ECD, FP7 McCann, Dubai This week's guest judge is Nayaab Rais, Executive Creative Director at FP7 McCann, Dubai. Winner: Columbia Sportswear 'Engineered for whatever'. This feels like it escaped the formula factory, because it doesn't follow the tropes commercials usually do. In a world of low cognitive load, it's self-aware, unpretentious and still has some visual novelty that makes it an easy, fun watch. READ MORE Guest Judge: Theo Gibson, ECD, JOAN, New York.jpg "https://bestadsontv.com/news/upload/THEO_GIBSON_ECD (2).jpg") This week's guest judge is Theo Gibson, Executive Creative Director at JOAN, New York. Winner: Deutsche Telekom 'Can't Catch Me'. A PSA done with taste, avoiding the typical industry techniques used to teach people the problems they ignore. The action gets weirder in the best way and turns into a great watch that leads to a microsite that's actually fun to dig into. READ MORE Guest Judge: Elena Knox, Executive Creative Director, New York This week's guest judge is Elena Knox, an Executive Creative Director based in New York. This work has been making the rounds and for good reason. 7-Eleven's Tongue-toos takes it this week. It's a great example of how you can be attention grabbing without being outlandish, loud or obnoxious. READ MORE Guest Judge: Hunter Fine, Group CD, Mischief, New York This week's guest judge is Hunter Fine, Group Creative Director, Mischief, New York. Winner: DiDi 'Yes, I DiDi'. Well seems like this client just gave the creative team keys to the affordable car and let them run wild. Sure I think it could have been much shorter and the main actor could have rehearsed his dialogue more, but well hot damn, they sure went for it and I applaud that. READ MORE Guest Judge: Samira Ansari, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, NY This week's guest judge is Samira Ansari, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy New York. Winner: Canal Plus 'R0_B0 '. We are seeing so much commentary on and about AI. In true Canal Plus fashion, they hit the nail on the head: "I saw so many things I could not have imagined." READ MORE Guest Judge: Jason Xenopoulos, Regional CCO, VML North America This week's guest judge is Jason Xenopoulos, Regional Chief Creative Officer for VML North America and the Global Chief Creative Officer for WPP Ford. Winner: Motrio 'The Ranch'. I was a little disappointed by the quality of the ideas in all five categories. I saw several really good, well-crafted executions, but the concepts themselves were not as fresh or as clear as I would've hoped. Motrio's "The Ranch" was a clear exception. READ MORE Guest Judge: Fee Millist, Creative Director, Anomaly, New York This week's guest judge is Fee Millist, Creative Director at Anomaly, New York. Winner: Frazzled 'Small Talk'. What fun. Diabolically relatable. Script writing and casting are spot on, painfully so. READ MORE Guest Judge: Charles Baylis, ECD, ATime&Place, Melbourne This week's guest judge is Charles Baylis, Executive Creative Director at ATime&Place in Melbourne. Winner: KFC 'Let There Be Cake'. KFC Thailand's "Let There Be Cake" stands out for its smart blend of humour, strategy and craft. Reframing chicken as a celebratory food is a clever move, especially for a brand marking their 40th. READ MORE Guest Judge: Marcella Coad, VP, Group CD, Innocean, USA This week's guest judge is Marcella Coad, VP, Group Creative Director at Innocean USA.Winner: Lipton Ice Tea Benelux 'Ice Tea Insurance'. I love this because of the bigger idea over the TV execution specifically. The "tea insurance" for non-Lipton ("fake ass tea") is a fun idea that feels ownable. READ MORE Guest Judge: Sam Stuchbury, Founder/ECD, Motion Sickness, NZ This week's guest judge is Sam Stuchbury, Founder and Executive Creative Director at Motion Sickness, Auckland. Winner: Campari 'The Bartender'. A simple script that lets Mads Mikkelsen do what he does best. Shot on location during the Cannes Film Festival, it's sophisticated with that slightly sinister edge Mads is known for. And, it kinda made me want to drink a Campari - which I think might be the point. READ MORE Guest Judge: Lucia Orlandi, ECD, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, LA This week's guest judge is Lucia Orlandi, Executive Creative Director of TBWA Media Arts Lab, Los Angeles, leading global campaigns for iPhone, Mac and iPad. Winner: Toblerone 'Chocolate Like Nobody's Watching'. A little bit silly, and visually striking - this one made me smile. Taking a key product visual, Toblerone's triangle shape and using that as the backbone for a fresh take on how chocolate should be enjoyed, executed with a dry wit. READ MORE Guest Judge: Derek Green, CCO, TBWA\RAAD, Middle East This week's guest judge is Derek Green, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA RAAD, Middle East. To all the self-proclaimed advertising Nostradamuses out there, declaring TV is dead, sorry to break it you. You're wrong. Again. READ MORE Guest Judge: Diana Samper, Global CCO, McDonald's at tms This week's guest judge is Diana Samper, Global Chief Creative Officer, McDonald's at tms. Winner: Life360 'I Think of You (Dying)'. Taps into a very powerful insight of moms freaking out about teens risks with independence. And it is illustrated in a very real way. Any mom can relate to that anxiety of having a teen. Love the payoff when the daughter offers mom the solution. READ MORE Guest Judge: Till Diestel, CCO, Serviceplan Germany![https://bestadsontv.com/news/upload/Till_Diestel_v1[291864].jpg](https://bestadsontv.com/news/upload/Till_Diestel_v1[291864].jpg "https://bestadsontv.com/news/upload/Till_Diestel_v1[291864].jpg") This week's guest judge is Till Diestel, Chief Creative Officer, Serviceplan Germany. Winner: Heineken 'Social Off Socials'. Really love this new piece by Heineken. It truly captures the Zeitgeist, and it's beautifully crafted. READ MORE Guest Judge: Katy Hopkins, ECD, Iris London This week's guest judge is Katy Hopkins, Executive Creative Director at Iris London. Winner: Xbox 'Wake Up'. Intriguing, unusual, and well-crafted. A piece of narrative storytelling that drew me in and twisted the usual rather lazy convention of seeing gaming as a waste of time for stoners. It shows the ultimate escape from the rat race, shot by the perfect choice of director for a dark and psychologically intense story exploring human nature. READ MORE Guest Judge: Scott Zuliani, Freelance Creative Director, London This week's guest judge is Scott Zuliani, award-winning art director turned copywriter turned creative director turned freelancer, based in London. I usually judge work (privately) by how jealous I am of it and how much I wish I had made it. So, the film work I'm most jealous of this week is... Winner: Penguins International 'Protest March of the Penguins'. That juxtaposition of absurd policy (tariffs on penguin-inhabited islands) with heartfelt conservation action is actually kind of brilliant. READ MORE Judge: Kaleeta McDade VML Global Chief Experience Design Officer This week's guest judge is Kaleeta McDade, Global Chief Experience Design Officer at VML. Winner: Twix 'Harmoniser'. This commercial is pure magic - the kind of offbeat, duet that makes you stop mid-scroll and grin like it's 1984 all over again. A copywriter gained their wings on this one, a perfect mix of sass and soul feels like the comeback we didn't know we needed. READ MORE Guest Judge: Gui Borchert, ECD, Innocean USA This week's guest judge is Gui Borchert, Executive Creative Director, INNOCEAN USA. Winner: RONA, Half Ass. Look, I'm a sucker for really dumb ideas that are actually really smart. And in this day and age where brands have to compete for attention with hundreds of other interesting things bombarding everyone at all times, I gotta give it to a brand that goes there and makes work that's hard to ignore. READ MORE Guest Judge: Kirsten Rutherford, ECD, TBWA\Chiat\Day\Los Angeles This week's guest judge is Kirsten Rutherford, Executive Creative Director, TBWA Chiat Day, Los Angeles. The TV category was definitely a bit weirder than I expected on a Monday evening. Sugar hating cupids, a Wipeout-esque floating inflatable star, parents in birthday suits...of all the oddities, I really appreciated the doubly weird chase film from Twix. READ MORE Guest Judge: Pedro Americo, ECD, Fraser, Berlin This week's guest judge is Pedro Americo, Executive Creative Director at Fraser, Berlin. Winner: PETA 'It's The Toy That Toys With Life'. What a great take on animal protection, using an unexpected aesthetic and storytelling. I love the sarcasm and the parody. Really well produced and captivating ad. An unusual style and approach for such a cause. Well done. READ MORE Guest Judge: Rosie Bardales, CCO, VML, New York This week's guest judge is Rosie Bardales, Chief Creative Officer at VML, New York. Winner: KFC 'All Hail Gravy'. It's brave. Using the Cult Classic movie genre to make an ad about another cult classic...their gravy! READ MORE Guest Judge: Nick Doring, ACD, Publicis, Dublin This week's guest judge is Nick Doring, Associate Creative Director at Public Dublin. Winner: Axe 'Long Lasting'. Two ads about long-lasting deodorant went head-to-head, but Axe edged it. They say the most important thing in comedy is... jokes... but, the other secret is timing. This film let its own awkwardness breathe, stretching the discomfort just enough to land a genuine chuckle. READ MORE Guest Judge: Pathida Akkarajindanon, ECD, Wolf BKK This week's guest judge is Pathida (Jern) Akkarajindanon, Executive Creative Director, Wolf BKK, Bangkok. Winner: Tesco Clubcard '30 Years'. This film is a delightful and entertaining way to celebrate 30 years of the Tesco Clubcard. Rather than focusing solely on a linear narrative, this film taps into a common insight of 'can't be bothered' to enroll in such loyalty programs, which effectively builds up to showcasing the brand's unwavering dedication to rewarding customers throughout the years. READ MORE Guest Judge: Tom Murphy, CCO, VML North America
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
February 24, 2025 19:29 (Edited: February 25, 2025 06:29)
 This week's guest judge is Tom Murphy, chief creative officer, VML North America. Winner: Dunkin' 'Battle of the Coffee Brand Bands'. Last Super Bowl, the DunKings came out of nowhere and stole the show. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon poked fun at themselves as members of a wannabe Boston boy band. This year's sequel does not quite live up, but it's still a lot of fun. The wardrobe is even more garish, and Jeremy Strong is hilarious as he goes 'full method' in a vat of Dunkin' coffee. READ MORE Guest Judge: Carmen Love, independent ECD and writer, Paris
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
February 17, 2025 16:18 (Edited: February 18, 2025 03:18)
 This week's guest judge is Carmen Love, an independent executive creative director and writer based in Paris. Winner: Axe 'Baby'. I like this spot for its simplicity, its unhinged humor, and its authenticity to the soul of the brand. It's funny, it's memorable, and puts an unexpected twist on a construct we've come to recognize. It's clear the team also considered how this would be received, mashed up, and shared by the internet. It's a spot that, at face value, is a silly piece of content but is probably working hard to keep the brand fresh for a younger audience. READ MORE Guest Judge: Jen Speirs, Chief Creative Officer, Droga5, Dublin
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
February 10, 2025 12:32 (Edited: February 10, 2025 23:32)
 This week's guest judge is Jen Speirs, chief creative officer, Droga5, part of Accenture Song, Dublin. Well this is a bit lucky - getting to judge Bestads in Super Bowl week. Righto... Winner: Coors Light 'Case of the Mondays'. The sloths have it for me. Funny because, well, sloths. Nay, human-sized sloths. But also the craft is so good - just watching it makes me literally feel lethargic, in the absolute best way. The slow speed chase is a classic. But then the dropped catch at the end... chef's kiss. READ MORE Guest Judge: Hope Nardini, Global ECD, Grey
GUEST JUDGE /BEST AD OF THE WEEK
WORLDWIDE
February 03, 2025 11:53 (Edited: February 03, 2025 22:53)
 This week's guest judge is Hope Nardini, global executive creative director at Grey and creative lead for Coca-Cola at WPP OpenX. Winner: Uber Eats 'Take me back to the 80s'. Seeing Cher in anything wins automatic brownie points, but when we hear "If I Could Turn Back Time" and see her emerge from an opulent dressing room/bedroom, we already know the spot is going to take us to interesting places. READ MORE Guest Judge: Adam Bodfish, ECD, McCann Birmingham This week's guest judge is Adam Bodfish, executive creative director, McCann Birmingham. Winner: KIA Australia 'Zombie Proof'. "Urghhhhhhhhhhh." It's easy to assume this is my reaction to the vast majority of automotive advertising out there. However, in this instance, it's actually my best celebratory zombie impression. I really enjoyed watching this spot. READ MORE |
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