Celebrating 2023 by Celebrating Each Other

As the year comes to an end, LBB would like to celebrate all the wonderful work that has come out during 2023.

We asked creatives from all over Australia and New Zealand - why do they believe craft is worth celebrating?  

The only caveat was they couldn’t discuss work that they had produced. LBB’s Casey Martin asked them a myriad of questions in order to gain the best possible overview on why craft is the one thing that makes this industry unique. 

Below are responses from ECD’s, creative directors, copywriters and more. 

Paul Meates, executive creative director - CHEP Network 

This year I found myself being quite jealous of this goose-based animation titled "Honk". In the advertising industry, we are rarely, if ever, afforded the luxury or given the permission to be this absurd. And even if we were, I'm not sure any of us could manage it - now too well-trained to solve problems or complete complex jigsaw puzzles. 

This animation grabs you and won't let go, (despite taking you to places you'll wish you hadn't been taken to.)

Your eyes will either thank me or your eyes will rue the day Little Black Book ever asked for people like me to submit their opinion. It can only go one of two ways.

Oscar Godsell, copywriter - INNOCEAN

I don’t need ads to remind me to eat chocolate. However, every now and then, I do need a reminder that kindness doesn’t cost a thing — and that maybe my roommate’s nocturnal nose whistling isn’t a good enough reason to throw his clothes off the balcony.

Cadbury’s “Glass and a Half in Everyone” campaign is always a touching reminder that random acts of kindness can go a long way. Much farther than I can throw a washing basket. The campaign has been going on for a little while, but this year’s rendition featured a cheeky little lad waiting in line to get a signature from Wallabies Scrumhalf, Nick White. The boy then decides to forfeit the moment so he can gift his hero some chocolate. In a year when the Wallabies got absolutely roasted — by the media, their opponents, their fans — it was the perfect half-time reminder that it’s better to be kind than to scream in your living room.

Cadbury didn’t make watching the rugby all about eating chocolate. There’s no velvety chocolate pour, no loud music, no bombastic claims about Cadbury’s superiority. Instead, it’s a celebration of generosity and our ability to make strangers smile if only for a moment.

This choice makes you feel good watching the ad and I think that goodwill sticks to the brand when you’re in the confectionary aisle.

The campaign is really just an ad for selflessness, which is the reminder I truly need. And now I also feel compelled to buy an extra block for my nose-whistling roommate. It’s a devious tactic by Cadbury, but genius.

Genevieve Hoey, creative lead - 72andSunny

It takes a bit to get my attention. But then to actually hold it - good luck. This film from CHEP for Michael Hill came at me quietly. No big brand fanfare. Just a fresh, surprising breadcrumb trail I wanted to follow. Beautifully crafted, cinematic storytelling from Noah Marshall, it built character and substance for a brand I've previously thought pretty benign. Congrats to the client for investing in this, it’ll do more for the brand long term than a year of black friday doorbuster sales. And hell, you held my attention, that absolutely deserves some kind of recognition.

Greg Fyson, co-managing Director - The Sweetshop  

As a freshman of 2000s advertising, I've always had a fondness for impactful beer commercials. The recent resurgence in this category has been a welcome sight, and among the standout ads, "Drylandia" for Carlton Dry is my personal favourite. 

I want to acknowledge the excellent work in casting and post-production, which played pivotal roles in making this commercial shine. Given the potential challenges in bringing such a concept to life, the expertise displayed in the execution is commendable. "Drylandia" manages to distinguish itself in a landscape crowded with half cooked executions and I extend my applause to everyone involved in its creation.

Harry Stanford, creative director - BMF 

When you know how much blood, sweat and tears (let’s be honest it’s mostly tears) goes into crafting even average work, anything that makes you laugh or cry (more tears dammit) just makes you appreciate the labour of love that has gone into every minute detail even more. 

A bit of work that pushed my brain buttons this year was deceptively simple, did something genuinely good without being worthy, and repackaged a familiar message in a truly original way. It’s innovation where no one imagined innovation was possible, or even needed. Oh yeah, and it wasn't just a scammy, jury pandering case study, which is nice. 

FitChix from Honest Eggs, by VMLY&R breathed new meaning into the word ‘freerange’ - a well worn, poultry platitude. And like the roaming hens, each step of the campaign linked perfectly to the next.

They didn’t just create fitbits for their chickens, they printed the average step count on their eggs, and created OOH & films for a truly integrated idea that led directly from conception to consumers. They said ‘freerange eggs’ in an undeniably unique, yet easily accessible way. 

In an ad landscape where data is everything, it’s sometimes forgotten that data alone won’t change people’s minds. But when it’s presented in such a joyful yet informative way, it turns into something really special. 

I love the silliness of the idea. I love the seriousness of the message. I love that I can keep eating eggs from cheerful chooks. And most importantly, I wish I’d done it myself.

Ian Williamson, creative director - Bear Meets Eagle on Fire

Judging awards this year one piece of work really stood out for me above the rest, Partners Life - The Last Performance from Special NZ. From the top of my head I can’t think of another advertising idea that’s integrated itself so seamlessly into a piece of mainstream content. It's clever on so many levels, not the least of which being you'd probably watch it, thinking it was part of the show, rather than skipping to the next thing. And that's in part thanks to the production values matching the look and feel of the original show, which the agency achieved by using the same production crew. But the best part is, they're genuinely entertaining spots. Funny and dark, my favourite combination. I wish I'd done it.