The best ads of 2022 so far, as voted by top marketing experts

The best ads of the year so far are those that created gripping, immersive and emotional connections with the audience. Netflix decided to premiere Blood Red Sky by literally recreating a plane hijack, so they took the top prize. Joint second were Pfizer’s in-game vaccination campaign and Apple’s emotional display of how their new watch could help you in a worst-case scenario.

Here are the ads that marketing experts liked the most in the first three months of this year:

Netflix Blood Red Sky Premiere - score 4.66 from 5

This ad combined real-life immersive experiences with the metaverse, in a film premiere that put together social media influencers and Twitch users and let the unpredictable human reactions unfold. Netflix chose to recreate a plane hijack for the premiere of its film Blood Red Sky, which played out on an actual plane. As Lee-Ann Johnstone put it, “it’s every marketer’s dream: 150 influencers, no fees and 3 million people watch your content.”

This amazing ad from Netflix got a score of 4.66 from Tim Hole (Innovation Coach at Sky UK), Lee-Ann Johnstone (CEO and Founder of AffiliateINSIDER) and Cicero Hennemann (Head of Digital Hub in Western Europe for Reckitt).

Pfizer’s In-Game Booster - score 4.33 from 5

Pfizer’s in-game activation was well received, as players of Cidade Alta who’d got a vaccine booster in real life would receive a boost in the game, too. Ogilvy Brasil joined forces with tech company Druid to create this ad, which captured the spirit of the times all too well.

This ad was scored 4.33 out of 5 by Cordelia Linacre (Media & Content Director at Mars Wrigley UK), Ian Crocombe (Global Strategy Director at Deft), and Justin Carbonella (Director, Human Insights, The Coca-Cola Company).

Apple Watch Series 7 - score 4.33 from 5

Emotional content was also found to resonate well for the Apple Watch Series 7 ad. This was very much focused on the worst-case scenario where accidents take place and the watch is able to save people from those situations. It’s the unusual and gripping rendering of these situations that catches the attention of those who view the ad, and our guests all agreed that this made a big impact. After all, who doesn’t fear being stuck under a rolled-over car, for example?

It’s another 4.33 average score for Apple, from Emma Roffey (VP Marketing EMEAR at Cisco), Julia Linehan (Founder and Managing Director, The Digital Voice) and Jerry Daykin (in between two global media jobs).

These ads were all shown on Advertisers Watching Ads, a show where we talk about brands’ ads and marketing strategy after we review the clips chosen weekly by our partners Contagious. We also ask guests to rate the ads on a scale of 0 to 5 at the end of every show, so we’re able to create a league. The scores above represent averages from every show.

So, what’s the summary of 2022 so far? Just because it plays in between the metaverse and the real world, blurring the lines between the two, doesn’t mean an ad will be successful. Other brands, like Miller Lite and Burger King, tried to create immersive or participatory experiences, but the execution failed them. Will this trend of mixed media for digital marketing continue in the next quarter, and which brands will come out victorious? Subscribe to the Advertisers Watching Ads channel to see all our next ads!

And here are all the ads we watched in Q1, in order of their scores:

Finally, check out the top ads of 2021 as voted by our marketing expert guests here.

 
Automated Creative