01. International Women’s Day – ‘Imagine a world’
A public service campaign by CPB London was launched on International Women’s Day’s (IWD) in 2022 to celebrate its theme #BreakTheBias. The campaign’s power comes from its stark layouts with purposely vague commands that require you to rely on memory and personal biases to fill in the details. Almost simultaneously, the subhead asks you to identify the protagonist of your memory. The media placements and prompts strongly suggest that you had imagined a stereotype, revealing your gender bias… to yourself. And, even if you hadn’t, the ads nonetheless deliver the provocative point that gender stereotypes are still pervasive.
"One of my graduate students, Amina Hassan, praised these as revealing ‘how deeply ingrained our gender biases remain in our collective thinking… it’s exactly this kind of creative, thought-provoking content that starts necessary conversations about gender roles and expectations.’ These ads are especially effective because viewers must first reckon with their own preconceived notions in the privacy of their heads, triggering true introspection before conversation."
02. UK Election 2024 – ‘Just vote’
This next one first grabbed my attention when I saw it on the back of a long-drop loo door at Glastonbury Festival last year. The naughty series of posters aimed to encourage young people to register and vote in the general election last year. It’s based on research commissioned for the campaign, which found that 40% of 18-24 year-olds think people who vote regularly are more attractive. Over half of the respondents also said voting makes people look more intelligent and a third said more trustworthy.
"Saatchi and Saatchi’s 2024 campaign to reach the younger generation to encourage them to vote uses heavily graphic layouts, a high contrasting colour palette, and playful imagery to stand out to its target audience,"
03. Specsavers – ‘Should have gone to Specsavers’ 20th anniversary
To celebrate 20 years of ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’, in 2022 Specsavers launched a guerrilla-style marketing campaign that cleverly conveys their instantly recognisable slogan in an understated way. "It has been effective in using humour to continue the running gag to display a paired back and distinctive billboard poster plastered incorrectly over frames on the sides of buildings, over pipes, ladders etc,"
04. Apple – ‘Shot on iPhone’
The shot on iPhone campaign really caught my attention, especially with its billboards in tube stations. I remember being drawn to the 2020 photo competition Apple hosted, where they invited photographers to submit their best images taken with the iPhone 11 and 12. "The minimal branding and lack of heavy text keeps the design clean, letting the content speak for itself. Apple allowed the images and videos to work without distracting overlays or filters, just raw beautiful visuals that highlight the devices’ capabilities."
05. British Airways – ‘Windows’
This series of 11 billboard posters, each showing a passenger looking out of a window on a BA flight not only plays on the idea of people taking images from inside a cabin, out of the window, but also acknowledges that great ads often mean saying less – or almost nothing at all. "This campaign is paving the way for a new direction in recognition branding,"
06. Brook – ‘Stop cyber flashing’
"Flashers are often seen as cowards and bullies. They need to understand that their actions are not only illegal but also harmful," says Laura Jordan Bambach, founder and chief creative officer at agency Uncharted, former president of D&AD, author, lecturer and multi-titled creative. "Working with Brook gave us an opportunity to educate and garner support to help get cyber-flashing added to the online harms bill."
07. Pepsi – ‘Better with Pepsi’
The best ads are so simple, you can’t believe someone hadn’t thought of them sooner," says Mike Perry, founder and creative director of New York-based creative agency Tavern. This ad, from 2021, was the result of Pepsi aiming to better understand consumer preferences, by commissioning third-party blind taste tests and a consumer survey to discover how burgers from Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s paired with different beverages.
08. Prada
Prada’s A/W 2023 campaign is a print ad that really stands out to me. I first spotted it in Vogue and it immediately caught my attention in a way that other print ads didn’t. There’s something about the contrast between the clothes and the way Willy Vanderperre captured the imagery that really speaks to me.
09. Telstra – ‘Wherever we go’
Paper artist Kyle Bean, illustrator Ben Hasler and photographer Carl Kleiner worked together to create the graphics for these layered papercraft images. The out-of-home ads were created for a range of sizes and locations at almost 3000 sites in Australia, including special builds and painted wall murals.
10. Heinz – ‘Draw ketchup’
Participants from 18 countries were asked (anonymously) to draw a simple sketch of ketchup simply. The quality of the drawings ranged, but there was a clear common theme among most, with 97% drawing Heinz.
11. River Action – ‘Pooster’
This next print ad from 2024 aimed to highlight the gross reality of water companies making billions while polluting the UK’s rivers, created by agency Uncharted for charity River Action.
12. And a bonus final thought on Banksy
"Ad agencies can’t do good ads anymore, because the people who work in ad agencies are all scared to and the primary agenda is to keep the client rather than do bold work," says Dave Buonaguidi, ad expert, author of Blah! Blah! Blah!: Memories and advice from one of British advertising’s mavericks, and printmaker known as Real Hackney Dave. "But we have artists, who have powerful brands, they are their own clients, their own production companies and they are bold and move at speed. No rules, no marketing department full of blockers, no fearful employees with Moleskine pads and lists of reasons not to do things. This is very powerful work. No logo needed, we all know who did it. Very small budget. Big idea."
Conclusion
Print ads continue to evolve, push boundaries, and captivate audiences. From bold photography to playful use of form, these 12 ads demonstrate the power of creativity and the importance of effective communication. As we look to the future, it’s clear that print will remain a vital medium for brands seeking to connect with their audiences.
FAQs
Q: What makes these ads stand out?
A: Their bold use of photography, playful use of form, and ability to evoke emotions and spark conversations.
Q: What is the common thread among these ads?
A: A focus on creativity, simplicity, and effective communication.
Q: How do these ads use humor?
A: Through playful imagery, clever layouts, and unexpected juxtapositions.
Q: What is the significance of the Heinz ad?
A: It highlights the power of user-generated content and the importance of authenticity in advertising.
Q: What is the goal of the River Action ad?
A: To raise awareness about the impact of pollution on the UK’s rivers and to encourage action.
