Here Are the Ads That Made Creatives Jealous in 2024

Written and directed by Ally Pankiw from Partizan

Ida Gronblom, executive creative director, Anomaly NY:
Loewe’s “Decades of Confusion,” with 2.5 minutes of stylish hilarity with Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza, ticked all the boxes for me. Not only is it funny (fashion rarely is but should be!), it’s also strategic for so many reasons. The format of the spelling bee cleverly repeats the brand name over and over again and puts to rest any mispronunciations that persist in culture. It also manages to tell the heritage story of the brand in a throwback way that all generations can appreciate. And did I mention that the brand name is on screen for almost the entire time?

Hornbach, “The Square Meter” 

Agency: Heimat

Hannes Ciatti, founder and CCO, Alto:
With the cost-of-living skyrocketing and every square foot counting, Heimat and industry icon Steve Rogers made funny, beautifully crafted work that showed the endless possibilities of a square meter for German home improvement and DIY retailer Hornbach.

Paris 2024 Pictograms

Agency: Conran Design Group

Talin Baharian, svp, director of design, Deutsch:
As a designer, it’s impossible to overlook the branding for the 2024 Paris Olympics this year. The true focus—and the heart of the games—always belongs to the athletes. That’s why I found the event pictograms particularly compelling and inventive. The collection included 62 “coats of arms,” as the designers referred to them, spanning both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With a balance of symmetrical diagonal lines and a structured grid, the absence of figures created a bold, abstract backdrop prominently seen throughout the games. While they appeared fun yet challenging to create, some designs, like those for tennis and boxing, stood out for their clarity. Others, like diving, struggled with legibility, and the skateboarding skateboards resembled band-aids.

CeraVe, “Michael CeraVe”

Agency: Ogilvy NY

Greg Almeida, ecd, co-founder, Colossus:
It was perfect in so many ways. The teaser, the execution, all of it. Such a stupidly simple idea coupled with the absolute perfect spokesperson to bring it to life. Truly a work of art.