Here Are the Ads That Made Creatives Jealous in 2024

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy

Jason Miller, creative director, Siegel+Gale:
What made me most jealous—and proud to be a New Yorker—was Nike’s perfect congratulatory spot that aired immediately after the New York Liberty closed out Game 5 to win New York’s first-ever WNBA title. Super simple, and it hits deep. The slow reveal of Lady Liberty wearing a championship ring while holding her torch aloft is so immediate and massive, even before the line “Liberty has a nice ring to it” drops the mic and sails off into the sunset. Focusing on the torch—a symbol of enlightenment and lighting the way ahead—is such a strong and fitting way for Nike to not only celebrate the team’s accomplishment but also highlight a year that saw such an exciting rise of the WNBA brand and women’s sports in general.

Nike, “The Hive”

Agency: Afterhrs, directed by Ben Solomon

Omid Farhang, founder and CEO, Majority

Nike is the brand that’s influenced me most. Wu-Tang is the rap group that’s influenced me most. So how could I not seethe with jealousy at Rza playing a mystical beekeeper to mark Nike’s Wu-Tang Dunk High re-release. As too many brands today pander with Gen Z drivel, “behold the bold solider” Nike choosing iconic cultural relevance over trendy TikTok clout chasing. The writing is exquisite. The final shot of the bees turning from the Wu logo to the swoosh belongs in the Smithsonian. Damn you, Afterhrs and Ben Solomon. Bong bong. 

Liquid Death, Jet giveaway

Agency: In-house creative

Katherine Schmidt, acd, Hanson Dodge:
It was so fun to watch [Liquid Death] turn Pepsi’s infamous Harrier jet mishap—a total marketing fail—into a cheeky win decades later. Liquid Death has this unique way of pushing conventional advertising boundaries with outrageous ideas that are still totally on-brand, playing right into the anti-corporate vibe that their consumers love. They always seem to strike that rare balance of wild and strategic, and as a creative I’m inspired by their willingness to “go there” each and every time.