What are the great Aussie ads of the 21st Century so far?
After Dumb Ways to Die was the only Australian entry on a the best ads of the century so far list Mumbrella asks what are the best Aussie ads since 2000?
Did Australia do well or badly in getting one ad among the 20 best ads of the 21st Century so far, as voted by the Gunn Report?
Given the source of the survey’s love of the big award show winning work (and the fact people were provided with just 30 pre-selected campaigns for the vote), it was probably about par for the course.
However we have to ask – is Dumb Ways to Die the best Aussie ad of the century so far? So we compiled a list of a few of our favourites, and now we’re inviting you to have your say and suggest any we’ve missed (we know there are lots – and we’ll add them in).
In no particular order here are some of the best offerings from the last 15 years from Australia:
Qantas ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ (2009):
Carlton Draught ‘The Big Ad’:
Telstra ‘Rabbits’:
Metro Trains ‘Dumb Ways to Die’:
Tourism Queensland ‘Best Job in the World’:
Yellow Pages ‘Not Happy Jan’:
Carlton Draught ‘Canoe’:
Carlton Draught ‘Beer Chase’:
Tooheys Extra Dry ‘Nocturnal Migration’:
Tourism Victoria ‘Run Rabbit Run’:
Tooheys Extra Dry ‘Tongue’:
AAMI ‘Rhonda & Ketut’:
McDonalds ‘Inner Child’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axec4MgDUz0
Lynx ‘Lynxjet’:
Virgin mobile ‘Warren’:
Virgin Mobile ‘Fair Go Bro’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAyTES9gDAU
IMHO
“not happy jan” and the carlton draught o fortuna ad are the best by miles. telstra ad comes 3rd.
a couple of the beer ads are lucky to get a look in – the “beer chase” for instance was lame and didn’t measure up to previous campaigns. the boag’s ads where the guy pushes his girlfriend into the river was better.
“¿Porque no los dos?” for old el paso/GM was shot in australia, can we claim that one? cracking ad, memorable & memeable with the tagline still in wide usage online.
i personally didn’t think dumb ways to die was such a great campaign but it won a billion awards so probably deserves its place.
not surprising that there are 0 bank ads and 0 car ads – both industries spend massively on advertising and yet will never be brave enough to make a good ad. local rollout of “bought a jeep” is probably the pick of those categories.
User ID not verified.
**addendum
i just remembered the recent Toyota Hllux Unbreakable campaign focused on “driver testing” by Saatchi&Saatchi – that is one exception to the no good car ads rule, probably not quite good enough for best of the century lists though.
User ID not verified.
5 out of 16 are beer ads – does this say something about Australian culture?
User ID not verified.
Yes Rebecca, it does say something about our culture – We make damn good beer ads.
User ID not verified.
Where’s the AIDS ad? Effectivness scale, yeah should be there…..
User ID not verified.
These are the best??? A fair reflection of how far standards have plummeted
User ID not verified.
Carlton DRAUGHT not DRY!!
User ID not verified.
If I had to choose just one it would be Boag’s ‘Pure Waters”. Brilliantly directed by Steve Rogers. It was a perfect example of how to turn a product truth into a rational and emotional benefit. It provided a brilliant ‘ownable’ platform for all Boag’s beer marketing to come. The Big Ad, as much as I like it, never did that for Carlton draught. Carlton Draught had the Big Ad. Boag’s had the big idea.
User ID not verified.
Apologies Ex DM, that’s changed now. A slip with so many beers on there.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Rabbits
User ID not verified.
I’ve never understood why so many people refer to the Carlton “Big ad” as great advertising – it lacks an idea and any advertising that has to refer to itself as advertising is mostly just speaking to people in marketing and advertising
Work that genuinely connects with consumers is what should matter and the Carlton “Big ad” doesn’t achieve that, whilst other Carlton Draught work since then has.
Most of the other work above does connect, and its worth remembering that Yellow Pages’ earlier work through George Patts (remember “Goggomobile” and “Broken Lamp”, before Patts Sydney took on Optus and Patts Melbourne had to resign Pacific Access – Yellow & White Pages – as a result?). That established the strategy and brand essence and campaign idea Clems’ benefitted from with “Not happy Jan” and other work.
“Dumb ways to die” is also questionable, as its impact was minimal at best (outside of advertising media) – with the impact of the “rhinoceros” work for Melbourne trams being far more effective.
Bah humbug!
User ID not verified.
Tab with Elle
I’ve always disliked the Toohey’s “tongue” ad. It is weird and off putting IMO. How would want to buy a beer with a tongue crawling around your house?
User ID not verified.
Barbara from Bank world / ANZ ads were pretty good.
Guys, they’re talking about ads from this century, not the last.
Although it’s hardly ‘Australian’ in its feel, Doug Pitt wins for me. Bloody funny.
User ID not verified.
Emperor Nasi Goreng and the rabbits wins for me, hands down. Closely followed by Not happy Jan.
User ID not verified.
Both Boag’s and Kekovich deserve to be on that list.
User ID not verified.