1. The Pilion Trust, ‘fuck the poor’
The Pilion Trust charity launched a multi-award-winning campaign in which a man attempted to shock people into donating by walking around London wearing a sign reading: "Fuck the poor." The man was filmed inciting anger among Londoners for his offensive sandwich board but then being ignored when it later reads: "Help the poor." The initiative won silver and bronze Cannes Lions in the Direct category and gold at the Clio Awards in the Engagement category.
Agency: Publicis London
Writer: Steve Moss
Art director: Jolyon Finch
2. Always, ‘#LikeAGirl’
Always created an engaging campaign featuring children doing things "like a girl" to highlight the negativity that is sometimes associated with the expression. The ad was viewed more than 75 million times across 150 countries and won multiple awards. Celebrities such as Chelsea Clinton, Sarah Silverman, Gloria Steinem and George Takei were among thousands who Tweeted their support.
Agencies: Leo Burnett London, Toronto and Chicago; Holler
Writers: AJ Hassan, Angel Capobianco
Art directors: Hmi Hmi Gibbs, Nick Bygraves
3. Ryman, ‘eco font’
Grey London created a font to reduce the environmental impact of printing by saving ink and energy. With Ryman’s backing, it was made available to businesses, designers and typographers and was downloaded 25,000 times in three weeks.
Agency: Grey London
Writer: Henrik Ridderheim
Art director: Nick Rowland
Type design: Dan Rhatigan, Monotype
4. Land Rover, ‘Discovery Sport’
To enable customers to view the Land Rover Discovery Sport model before it launches next year, Lida used Durovis Dive technology to showcase the car in 3D. A hologram of the car was created to appear in Land Rover dealerships, allowing potential customers to see the car before ordering.
Agency: Lida
Writer: Mike Poole
Art director: Alan Mackie
5. Check One Two, ‘#feelingnuts’
The testicular cancer awareness charity launched an integrated campaign asking people to share pictures on social media of themselves grabbing their crotch using the hashtag #feelingnuts. Activity included a TV programme, hosted by the comedian Jack Whitehall, in partnership with Channel 4. The campaign went viral, with celebrities including Ricky Gervais, Hugh Jackman and Jamie Oliver sharing pictures. The initiative has engaged nearly 760 million people globally.
Agency: Jam
Creative: Ian Gambier
6. Kit Kat, ‘#bendgate’
Kit Kat’s tactical ad on Twitter mocking the bendiness of Apple’s iPhone 6 was a social media sensation and has been retweeted more than 28,000 times. Using the hashtag #bendgate, the Nestlé brand posted a picture of a Kit Kat finger breaking in two with the caption: "We don’t bend, we break."
Agency: JWT London
Writer: Matthew Watkins
Art director: Joseph Kibria
7. ADT, ‘take no more’
To underline its role in protecting people from burglaries and the effect they can have on people, the security company ADT launched its "take no more" campaign. The Red Brick Road brokered a partnership with the crime charity Victim Support to champion victims’ desire for justice and the PR campaign lobbied for increased sentences for burglars. It has reached more than 63 million people and received the support of the justice minister, Damian Green.
Agency: The Red Brick Road
Writer: Tom Hopkins
Art director: Marcus Smith
8. RNLI, ‘beach smart’
The charity hit UK beaches to engage a young audience in a bid to reach the next generation of RNLI fundraisers. The campaign got kids excited about guarded beaches by highlighting the role of RNLI lifeguards and gave away "snapbands" on which parents could write a contact number. Families could claim their Beach Smart pack and snapband via text or online. The campaign nearly tripled its target of reaching 15,000 families in four weeks.
Agency: Proximity
Writer: Alex Buchanan-Dunlop
Art director: Neil Williamson
9. Harvey Nichols, ‘could I be any clearer’
Echoing its 2013 Christmas work, Harvey Nichols took a cynical look at present-buying (and receiving) this year. The campaign, by Adam & Eve/DDB, allows people to design Christmas cards through a website and app. The cards appear conventional but the writing is amusingly aggressive, such as: "Season’s Greetings… will be very awkward if you don’t get me a pair of Charlotte Olympia silver Octavia sandals."
Agency: Adam & Eve/DDB
Writer: Jon Farley
Art director: Alex Luca
10. The Sun, ‘dream team’
The Sun ran an integrated campaign to increase registrations for its fantasy football league and downloads of the Sun Goals app. It used messages such as "It’s not cheating when it’s your dream team" and "If you can’t play, manage". In addition, print, direct mail, digital and social media activity asked fans to confess their "dream team sins". In three weeks, the campaign achieved four million impressions on Facebook and more than 12 million on Twitter. In total, 630,000 registered.
Agency: Wunderman
Writer: Billy Bernhardt
Art director: Milan Desai