The 20 Best Ads of 2024

A musical trio called the Quilted Queens, dressed in white quilted jackets that read “Keep it quilted,” have a singular mission: to share the gospel of Quilted Northern’s toilet paper. Dancing throughout a grocery store, they sing a toilet paper-inspired remake of Starship’s 1985 song, “We Built This City,” that you won’t be able to get out of your head. These queens bring smiles as well as useful shopping information. Who says toilet paper advertising has to be boring? –Brittaney Kiefer

9. Dunkin’ | ‘The DunKings’ by Artists Equity

What began with a meme grew into a hilariously self-referential Super Bowl ad starring Ben Affleck and his fictional “boy band” called the DunKings. Celeb cameos abound in this instant classic, including the actor’s BFF Matt Damon, his now-ex-wife Jennifer Lopez, retired football legend Tom Brady, and rapper Jack Harlowe. The song that fuels the spot, “Don’t Dunk Away at My Heart,” later dropped as a single, as did an extended cut of the video, further hyping the chain’s new iced coffee drink and donut skewers, created in the DunKings’ honor. Related merchandise—bright track suits and bucket hats among them–sold out quickly. –T.L. Stanley

8. Liquid Death x e.l.f. Beauty | ‘Corpse Paint’ (in-house)

Seemingly odd bedfellows, Liquid Death and e.l.f. turn out to have considerable common ground, namely that they’re both social media powerhouses with die-hard followers and strong brand mashup track records. Their ghoulish stunt this past spring centered on a co-branded makeup kit—packaged in a “keepsake coffin”—that wrapped the Insta-fave beauty brand in Liquid Death’s horror-comedy sensibility. A satirical video announcing the crossover borrowed the cheery tone of old-school toy commercials and brought goth culture further into the mainstream. The campaign quickly went viral, with the product selling out in 45 minutes. –T.L. Stanley

7. Apple | ‘Flock’ by TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Imagine Hitchcock’s The Birds, updated for the surveillance era. That’s the scary but brilliant creative idea behind Apple’s Privacy on iPhone spot from earlier this year. The two-minute film, from TBWA\Media Arts Lab and directed by Ivan Zacharias, shows unsuspecting mobile device user being spotted by surveillance cameras. With some inspired animation and production from House of Parliament and Legacy Effects, the cameras sprout wings and begin to attack, everywhere from the bus stop to office elevators, fishing boats, and even in private homes. Before they’re able to reach their targets, people realize they have the power to become private from the invaders, turning on privacy features on Safari as bird bots blow up in the air. –Kyle O’Brien