The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity kicks off on June 18, celebrating boundless creativity in the advertising craft, while awarding the past year’s most effective campaigns.
Using data-driven insights, the latest report from iSpot sheds light on the creative aspects that drove some of the most emotionally-charged video ads since the 2022 Cannes Lions Festival.
Eliciting funny or heartfelt emotions can dictate success at Cannes, but can also inform whether advertisers are able to drive brand affinity and meaningful business results. And with humorous ads working to break through with judges in a sea of purpose-driven ads, it is valuable to understand what viewers are actually finding funny, in an attempt to stand out.
The highlights below provide a preview of some of the excellent ads and themes featured in the report.
Super (Bowl)-Sized Comedy
Planters’ “The Roast of Mr. Peanut” was the funniest ad of the Super Bowl, and also the funniest ad from the past year, according to iSpot’s Creative Assessment. Real comedians like Jeff Ross and Natasha Leggero deliver a collection of peanut-focused jokes that scored with audiences during the Big Game.
Heartfelt for the Holidays
Many of the top heartfelt ads of the year are related to corporate philanthropy, but some advertisers still managed to convey heartfelt messaging by other means. Toyota, for example, uses the holiday season to focus on how doing little things for others can have a major impact and lead to its own rewards – all while maintaining high brand recognition in its “Like No One’s Watching” spot.
Storytelling Stardom
AT&T’s March Madness storytelling this year included a focus on how Jason Preston used technology – and connectivity – to fuel his rise from unknown prospect to Ohio University and then the NBA Draft. The ad was a natural fit for college basketball programming, and effectively conveyed the brand’s ability to enable people with technology.
Dressed to Impress
Ingenious ads can be smart, clever, and sometimes provide an enjoyable twist consumers don’t see coming. That was the case for State Farm’s “What If: Tall Suit” video ad, which plays off the “what if” elements of insurance to lead to the surprising – and funny, to audiences – reveal of 7-foot-4 NBA player Boban Marjanovic being three children in a tall suit.
Want to see more of the past year’s most emotionally-charged ads? Download the report and contact iSpot today to learn more about the value of testing video ad creative.