A blog about advertising, copywriting, creativity &c.
Ads I Wish I’d Made: Visual Solve edition
Advertising IRL | Oversharing

Ads I Wish I’d Made: Visual Solve edition

Advertising IRL | Oversharing

As a non-art director, I’ve always been a fan of visual solves. I mean, I kind of hate them, because I’m a copywriter and they don’t have copy on them and that means these great ads are happening and I don’t get to play. But as a person who appreciates cleverness and creativity, I have to also respect where I’m not needed. And that’s one reason my “Ads I Wish I’d Made” collection is chock full of ads I could never have made — because some of y’all are just that talented and creative. (And because I’m mind-blind. But mostly the creativity.)

If commentary seems pretty light on this one, it’s because what’s there to say? It’s right there. The reason they’re great is that they say everything without needing any words. So take this opportunity to sit back and enjoy the pretty (smart, compelling, creative) pictures.

FedEx (DDB Brazil)

This campaign promoting FedEx’s international delivery won a Cannes Lion in 2010 for DDB Brazil. And that’s one extra-cool thing about ads like this: No words mean nothing to translate/transcreate when you run the campaign all over the world.

A 2010 award-winning FedEx ad by agency DDB Brazil. The image, which is advertising FedEx’s international delivery shows a huge wall, like the side of the building, with beige and tan plaster forming a rough world map showing North and South America. The wall has two open windows with open shutters — one in the U.S. area of the map, and one in the Brazil area. A man in a white t-shirt leans out of the “U.S.” window, handing a white FedEx package down to a woman in a black tank top who’s reaching out of the “Brazil” window to receive it. The FedEx logo is in the lower right-hand corner.
A 2010 award-winning FedEx ad by agency DDB Brazil. The image, which is advertising FedEx’s international delivery shows a huge wall, like the side of the building, with beige and tan plaster forming a rough world map showing North and South America. The wall has two open windows with open shutters — one in the U.S. area of the map, and one in the Brazil area. A man in a white t-shirt leans out of the “U.S.” window, handing a white FedEx package down to a woman in a black tank top who’s reaching out of the “Brazil” window to receive it. The FedEx logo is in the lower right-hand corner.

Lego (Jung von Matt)

This print campaign — “Create,” it’s called — ran in German in 2014, and it’s perfect. Also, I just found out Lego has its own in-house creative agency, and while I love my current gig, they should be aware that I’d defect in TWO SECONDS should the opportunity arise.

A 2014 Lego ad by agency Jung von Matt. Against a cream-colored background, a white man’s hand reaches out of the upper right-hand corner, one finger extended like Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam.” But the hand reaching up from the lower left-hand corner to touch it is a yellow plastic Lego figurine hand in a blue plastic shirtsleeve. In the upper left-hand corner is the Lego logo and the word “create.”

(Lego has had some real winners in the text-free arena — also check out this 2013 Grey ad inspired by the voyage of the Curiosity rover, and this Advance ad featuring a “construction site” all the way back in 2006.)

Hot Wheels (Ogilvy & Mather)

This outdoor execution appeared in Colombia in 2011, and if you were a Hot Wheels kid… I mean, if you know, you know.

A photo of a highway overpass showing a 2011 outdoor board in Colombia for Hot Wheels by agency Ogilvy & Mather. In the background, we can see that the day is gray and foggy, as cars drive on a six-lane highway with a grassy, tree-lined median in the center. A steel and concrete overpass spans the highway, but right above the median is a big loop, making the overpass look like a life-sized version of the kind of looping track you might have played with your Hot Wheels toy on when you were a kid. To the right of the loop is the Hot Wheels logo in white and yellow letters on a red flame background. It’s badass.

Volkswagen (DDB Tribal Berlin)

If one brand were to be named King of the Visual Solve, it would have to be Volkswagen, which means I have plenty of options to choose from. Why did I finally land on this 2012 one specifically?

I mean, lookit. Him’s just a li’l spiny baby.

A 2012 Volkswagen ad by agency DDB Tribal Berlin, advertising the car company’s Parking Assist. On a white-gray concrete tabletop sits a row of three goldfish, each in their own clear plastic bag full of water, knotted at the top. But between the second and third fish sits a cute little baby porcupine, cream-colored with a brown pointy muzzle, little brow feet, and a profusion of brown-and-white spines that definitely could have punctured the bags if the porcupette (that’s really what they’re called — porcupettes) hadn’t parked so precisely. In the lower right-hand corner are the Volkswagen logo and the words “Precision parking. Park Assist by Volkswagen.”

(But there’s also this one from Causa, and this one from DDB Milan, okay I did this one for my college portfolio but this is my blog and I say it counts.)

Durex (Espirala DP)

Honestly, I think Durex could put up a sandwich board in front of any Chuck E. Cheese and see some excellent ROI, but if you’re going to go with print, you have to love this 2009 one.

A 2009 Durex ad by agency Espirala DP. The background is a seamless light blue-gray. Against it, we see a brightly colored yellow and purple and teal and red packable playpen with happy cartoon animals on the side. A blue price tag is attached to the playpen: $420. Centered at the bottom of the ad is the Durex logo with its own blue price tag: $2.50. I know which one I’d choose.

(And whatever the opposite of a visual solve is…)

Would you look at that.

Again, much jealousy of all my art director friends who are able to have this much fun without me. But much love, too. Keep on doing what you’re doing, and I’ll keep on shaking my head in wonder and pinning it to my (now virtual) bulletin board.

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