Seen and noted

BEST TV
Winner: Tide 'The Jason Alexander Hoodie'. There are so many things I love about this spot. I love how weird the premise is. And I love all of Jason's facial reactions to the abuse the hoodie is taking. But what I kinda love most is that it is an actual product benefit and an actual strategic brief and an actual insight and an actual brilliant idea in support of all of them. I know that's a lot of actuals, but all those together are actually a rarity these days. Particularly in a spot as hysterically funny as this one. Nicely done Saatchi & Saatchi/Woven Collaborate! May you reach dizzying heights on the USA Today Ad Meter.

Runner up: Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade 'Last Year's Lemons'. Something tells me that of all the "2020 Sucked" commercials we'll see this year, this one will remain my favorite. Linking apocalyptic lemon showers to the news about Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade was a stroke of genius. Not only did it make me laugh, it got me thinking about the lemony deliciousness of this particular adult beverage. Mmmm, lemon seltzer booze.

BEST PRINT
Winner: IKEA Greece 'Get The Look'. I love it when brands pounce on something in culture and use it in a cool way. Like Arby's tweet to Pharrell a few years back. And more recently Jeep's Utah desert obelisk ad. This print ad makes me like IKEA even more. And will likely become a viral sensation on top of a viral sensation.

Runner up: Emprohogar 'Door to door moving'. Maybe it's because it takes me back to my School of Visual arts portfolio class. I'm sure this one would've made it up onto the wall. And also it would've made everyone else in the class a little bit jealous. It's so elegantly simple. And wonderfully clear. It's the kind of print ad that teaches aspiring ad students how ads should be done.

BEST OUTDOOR
Winner: Nanfu Battery 'Shaolin Kungfu Monks'. This idea wins because it's not just an amazing, beautiful, and perfect idea. But it's also just so amazingly, beautifully, and perfectly crafted. It looks more like an art installation than an OOH execution. I can't imagine anyone walking past this without stopping in their tracks. And you betcha they'll be taking the selfies and doing the sharing and the posting and the snapping and the chatting.

Runner up: DNB Insurance 'Evil Shopping Carts'. This is the kind of idea that you show at the end of a deck and that everyone loves and that never gets done. "That would be so great, now getting back to the TV, we'd love it if Liam Neeson could do the AVO. But not Irish accent Liam Neeson, more like 'Taken' Liam Neeson." Anyway, this idea is as much fun to watch as it probably was to actually do.

BEST INTERACTIVE
Winner: Coors Light + Coors Seltzer 'Dream Study'. Sometimes you see an idea and you immediately know that it'll win every award out there. And maybe they'll even make up a few more awards to give it just because it's so good. What an awesomely cool way to hijack the Super Bowl. I love the idea of enticing people to watch your ad as a way of participating in a futuristic dream study. It's every creative's dream come, nope not gonna say it.

Runner up: L'Auberge des Migrants 'L'Auberge des Migrants Hacks Amazon'. I love how this idea sneaks up on you. By embedding themselves in Amazon reviews, these real- world survivors are catching shoppers unawares. And by pointing out how these mundane products will be used, i.e. tying the toothbrush to a tree in the forest, it paints a poignant picture of just how necessary these donations are. A truly novel and powerful way to get people to listen to a story that needs telling.




This week's guest judge is Wil Boudreau, founder/chief creative officer of Boudreau Advertising in New York.

Boudreau spent 30 years on Madison Avenue rising from copywriter at BBDO New York to executive creative director of one of that agency's largest groups.

Boudreau went on to helm BBDO Atlanta as chief creative officer, doubling that office's size in the two and half years I spent there.

He returned to New York City to become chief creative officer of The & Partnership NY where he built a modern creative department virtually from scratch. The agency went on to do groundbreaking work to help make the Wall Street Journal less "Male, Pale, and Yale." The & Partnership also won multiple accounts including Wynn Resorts, Chico's, Giant Eagle Supermarkets, and Captain D's Seafood.

Boudreau Advertising was born during the Covid pandemic, which Boudreau claims means "we are fierce optimists, or maybe just crazy. Maybe a bit of both."

Boudreau adds: "We're a creative agency that rejects the current preoccupation with shiny objects. We believe in advertising as a powerful motivator.

"We're out to make you believe what advertising can do."