Well, here we are. The traditional time to look back, reflect, and evaluate the past 12 months. Thankfully, this story isnt about food intake, exercise, or productivityits about advertising! There has been some incredible brand work created this year across many different platforms, film, experiences, and more. But this is a more targeted look at some of my favorite commercials.Ive tried to adhere to criteria that include level of difficulty, creative inventiveness, risk, and sheer entertainment. Were all confronted with gajillions of advertising images every single day. Most of it can be generously categorized as cultural wallpaper. At the very least, these select few pieces of brand work not only werent a waste of time, but in fact made me laugh, think, and, yes, maybe even shed a tear.One thing youll notice is the absence of perhaps the most discussed piece of 2024 advertising, DoorDashs DoorDash All The Ads. Ive sung the praises of this all-conquering Super Bowl campaign at various points this year, so I decided to shine some light elsewhere.And of course, Ive also saved some space for my least favorite ad of the year. Read on to find out. The Best Literary Angler Ad AwardYeti All That Is SacredOkay, so technically this debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in late 2023, but didnt become available for everyone to see in wide release until this past July. Directed by Scott Ballew, All That Is Sacred is a 34-minute portrait of Buffett and his group of friends in Key West, Florida back in the late 1960s and 70s. Featuring writers like Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Guy de la Valdne, and Richard Brautigan, it spotlights their shared obsession with fishing. Its a combination of interviews with those of the group still living, shot over the past few years, and footage from a little-seen 1973 doc called Tarpon, by de la Valdne and Christian Odasso. Yeti produced the film, and launched it for free on YouTube and across its digital channels.Back in July, I asked McGaune what he thought of the film being produced and promoted by a brand. Given that its such a lovely piece of work, I hope it isnt dismissed as a commercial, he said.No chance.The Best Brand Collab for Goth Teens AwardLiquid Death Corpse PaintIt opens on a scene straight outta 90s advertising: Two girls sit in a pink-plastered bedroom fawning over a teen magazine, except the dreamy heart throb gracing its pages looks like a lead singer for a Norwegian death metal band. This is the ad announcing Liquid Deaths collaboration with e.l.f. Cosmetics called Corpse Paint.The coffin-shaped makeup kit included the Dead Set (Matte Magic Mist & Set), the Kiss of Death (O Face Satin Lipstick in the shade All Night), Eye Die (No Budge Cream Eyeshadow in the shade Wispy Cloud), Dead Line (H2O Proof Eyeliner Pen), the Brush with Death Putty Applicator. It sold out in under 45 minutes, setting a record for e.l.f., and the campaign hit over 12 billion impressions within two weeks of its launch.The Charles Barkley Putting Personality Back In Hoops AwardAdidas No LieDespite the proliferation of signature basketball sneakers over the past few decades, theres been a dearth of memorable advertising around them. Named for Chucks 1993 Nike ad I Am Not A Role Model, this award goes to Adidas and Anthony Edwards.In the Adidas campaign for his Ant 1 shoe, created with agency Johannes Leonardo, the Minnesota Timberwolves star proved he not only has the skills to potentially be the face of the NBA, hes got a sense of humor and talks juuuust the right amount of trash to be a brand star.In No Lie, Edwards takes a lie detector test in the now-familiar peach setting of the campaign. The Celtics, Eastern Conference, MVP voters, among others catch some thinly-veiled strays. Its a perfect complement to last seasons Receipts when his pal read out receipts of people criticizing him, including real comments from legend Carmelo Anthony, and rapper Camron. Its a perfect example of the brand bringing real basketball fan culture into its ads, trash talk, hot takes, trolls, and all.The Super Bowl Shuffle Award for Excellence in Football MusicOmaha Productions Manningcast: The MusicalBefore every NFL season, brands ramp up their advertising hype in order to tap into Americas most popular sport. Beer, snacks, cars, insuranceyou name it. But ahead of this season, Omaha Productions decided to take things up a notch to promote the new season of The Manningcast, hosted by brothers and legendary QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.This was an 11-minute extravaganza of unexpected proportions. Picture a Broadway show starring NFLers, alongside cameos from Robert Downey Jr, Jimmy Kimmel, Pete Davidson, Snoop Dogg, and Disney CEO Bob Iger. Magical.Theres even a solid auditions video to go along with it. All in all, Its easily the best musical association with pro football since the 1985 Chicago Bears released The Super Bowl Shuffle.The Best Reverse Psychology Ad AwardVisit Oslo Is It Even A City?Visit Oslo is the tourism marketing board for Norways capital city, and this year it may have created one of the bestor at least, most uniquepieces of tourism advertising ever made. The spot features an Oslo resident complaining about his hometown and how it just doesnt measure up to world-class tourist destinations. Swimming in the city center, no waiting times for restaurants, it feels more like a village than a city, you can walk from one side to the other in 30 minutes, and the lines into museums are short. All things you wouldnt get in New York or Paris.Oslo tourism skillfully plays with the marketing norms of its category, surprising its audience even more, making the impact of the work that much stronger. Within a day, this thing had gone viral. And now we all know a bit more about Oslo than it being the hometown of Edvard Munch and A-ha.The Best Use of a Celebrity Award (Tie)Cerave Michael CeraveSupercell Squad Up!This is an incredibly tough category. Ryan Reynolds is an annual contender, and his work hyping Deadpool & Wolverine this year is no exception. Ben Affleck absolutely ruled the Super Bowl with his absurdly straight-faced musical career for Dunkin. And Snoop Dogg going smokeless for Solo Stove.Its a category so tough, in fact, that I couldnt pick just one ad. First up is Ceraves surreal and hilarious enlistment of Michael Cera, who just bought into this idea so completely that he was out signing bottles of moisturizer in random pharmacies. Ad agency Ogilvy missed out on the Cannes Grand Prix with this one, but it remains in the upper echelons of 2024 work. The commitment to the bit and unexpected nature of the celebrity is what impressed most with this one.In May, Supercell dropped a banger for its new mobile game Squad Busters, featuring an unlikely crew of Chris Hemsworth, Christina Ricci, Will Arnett, Ken Jeong, and Aulii Cravalho. At five minutes long, the risk here was it would quickly resemble an overcooked SNL skit. The group follows one innocent man around his day, trying to convince him to join the game. The result is a hilarious introduction to the Squad Busters universe, and Nickelbacks How You Remind Me stuck in your head.The Im Not Crying YOURE Crying AwardChevrolet The SanctuaryIt all starts at what appears to be a Thanksgiving family party, where a young man is getting peppered with questions about his post-high school plans. Hes rescued by his dad, who takes him out in the recently passed granddads 1987 Chevy truck.As I wrote the other week, what stands out here is just how quickly the story establishes the emotional stakes. Too many ads go for a big emotional pay-off without a strong enough foundation. This approach is a bit of an anomaly in auto advertising right now (hell, any advertising). And for good reason: Its incredibly difficult to do it well, and incredibly easy to be too sappy or cliche. The last time I remember another car ad coming close is Mercedes 2017 spot Be A Good Parent or a 2018 VW ad called Generationer. All examine the complex relationship between fathers, sons, and cars in their own way. And now Chevy joins them in that cryball car ad canon.The Best-Ever Ad For a Pen AwardMontblanc 100 Years of MeisterstuckSometimes you get a commercial for a brand you never really expected. Like when Werner Herzog made a feature-length doc with Netscout. Or any ad about restless leg syndrome ever. In May, luxury pen brand Montblanc enlisted award-winning director Wes Anderson, with actors Jason Schwartzman and Rupert Friend, as alpine explorers/brand ambassadors. They show us the Mont Blanc Observatory, high mountain library, and writing room atop Mont Blanc. Anderson also unveils a new Montblanc pen he designed called The Schreiberling (The Scribbler), to be released next year.The occasion is to celebrate the centenary of a pen whose name translates to Masterpiece.Anyone who could or would want to pay $500 for a pen pays attention to detail. And there may be no more detail-oriented director than Anderson. Here he brings his trademark whimsy and humor to an utterly surprising product category. Its among Andersons best commercial work, and easily the best-ever ad for pen.Commercial Least Likely to Make You Dry Heave AwardThe Last Barf Bag DramamineThere are certain product categories that are perceived by ad creatives as either a nightmare or dream come true, depending on your outlook. The creatives at FCB Chicago clearly saw Dramamine as the latter.How else do you make a 13-minute doc called The Last Barf Bag as a tribute to airplane sick bags and the effectiveness of your product? Released in April, it tells us the story of the barf bag through the perspectives of several enthusiast collectors, with the premise that Dramamine works so well, its making the barf bag obsolete.Entertaining, informative, with a extremely high degree of difficulty. Now, we just need a brand merch with the reindeer barfing ice cubes on it.And finally, last and kind of least, is my pick for the biggest missed opportunity this yearThe Cant Read The Room Award for Worst AdApple CrushFirst, a caveat: This isnt actually the worst ad of the year. In fact, its not even the worst AI-related ad of the year (Congrats, Toys R Us). But what makes this controversial Apple spot my pick for worst ad is based on just how badly one of the worlds best and most successful marketers missed the mark.In May, Apple dropped a new ad for its newest iPad Pro. We see a collection of creative tools like turntables, a piano, trumpet, cans of paint, a sculptured bust, a writing desk, camera lenses, all piled up in an industrial crusher. Then, it was all smashed into oblivion to the tune of Sonny & Chers All I Ever Need Is You.Created in-house, the aim of the spot is clearly to illustrate just how many amazing creative tools and possibilities are accessible in the new iPad. But at a time rife with concern and discussion about the increasing role of AI in creative work, here is Apple using visceral destruction to demonstrate the superiority of technology. Unlike so many of Apples ads over the yearsand even this year with spots like Flock and Heartstringsinstead of possibility and magic through technology, Crush conveys the feeling of loss. As an adan Apple adthats exactly what it was.

In the Bibles Book of Samuel, David was a shepherd and harpist in his adolescence when he managed to kill the Philistine Goliath with a sling and a stone. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance, reads 1 Samuel 17:42 in the King James translation. Michelangelo, between 1501 and 1504, interpreted these descriptions through Renaissance ideals, giving the biblical hero a lean and muscular build and creating the first-ever colossal marble statue of the modern era.In 2024, Michelangelos David became the literal face or inspiration behind several brands. There is, of course, the namesake protein bar (Humans arent perfect, but David is); Jawliners line of jawline-fitness chewing gums (featuring a version of David wearing hipster glasses, no less); and the HercuLean supplement line Vintage Muscle, clearly inspired by Davids iconic visage and muscular and lean build. He has become a signifier of Chad culture, which emphasizes and worships a so-called alpha (or simply sexually successful) male. Food and supplements serve as a gateway into this trend.[Images: David, Jawliner, HercuLean]A Chad food is something that has a lot of protein, Andrea Hernandez, who writes the Snaxshot newsletter, explained on the December 9 episode of the podcast Taste. Even Gen A has been brought into the conversation: they have the Gigachad meme, and this whole thing about mewing and perfecting your body. According to Hernandez, the Gigachad memewhich features a black-and-white photograph of a very muscular bodybuilder with a jaw thats borderline polygonal and a neck that is trapezoidalis the modern-day David.These products exist alongside the likes of Natty Ice Cream, a protein-rich ice cream that displays a swole Zeus drawn in the style of Marvel comics on its packaging; To My Ships, a personal-care line inspired by The Iliad where black-and-white digital artworks of sculptural torsos and backs by Lucas Babinet are an integral part of the branding; Coffee Mates Protein Creamer featuring six-pack airbrushed on the bottle (its satire but it comes from the official account); Flamingo Estates Bathhouse edit and their For Your Pleasure campaign; adaptogenic drink brand Human Desires Come and Get It campaign; fitness-center Equinoxs I Want It All campaign; and, of course, actor Jeremy Allen White flaunting a chiseled physique in Calvin Klein ads.[Images: To My Ships (Lucas Babinet AI artwork left, background), Calvin Klein, Natty Ice Cream]This past August, cannabis brand Pure Beauty shot a campaign featuring athletes and bodybuilders. More recently, the physique of alleged United Healthcare assassin Luigi Mangione has been at the forefront of the conversation surrounding the aftermath of the murder of Brian Thompson. In 2024, it seems, we entered the year of the [Giga]Chador at least the year of the Beefcake Glyptothequein branding across categories.Textbook Trend CyclingMen spent the last year obsessing over the Roman Empire, and Gladiator II is currently playing in theaters. The tradwife trend needed a male counterpart, and they got it in what Dielines Chloe Gordon calls Trad Masculinity. But the rise of the Chad culture has deeper roots than its pop-culture tie-ins suggest. I think critics of this trend really attach its origins to 4chan INCEL communities in the 2010s, which were obviously very obsessed with the classic ideal of beauty, says Emma Glenn Baker, writer, host of the podcast STARGIRL, and a personal trainer in NYC. While her show started off as an examination of female pop-cultural figures both niche and mainstream that stand out in their industries, over the past year, Baker has explored societys relationship with the body in her Body Series podcast spinoff. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KRISTA SUDMALIS (@sleekntears)And indeed, the aforementioned Gigachad meme did originate on 4Chan in 2017. For the uninitiated, it features a photographic rendering of a bodybuilder from the SLEEKNTEARS project by Russian-born photographer Krista Sudmalis. And while his likeness is based on bodybuilder Ernest Khalimov, the final product is the result of a composite and digital manipulation. The giga prefix just refers to the subjects size, and the fact that his appearance makes him, by 4Chan logic, superior to the regular Chad.As the Gigachad meme percolated from 4Chan, it became part of popular culture. And like all parts of culture, it has been subject to the pendulum swing of trends. Designer and writer Elizabeth Goodspeed remembers seeing buff, classicized imagery everywhere when she was in college a little over a decade ago. I remember everybody at art school at the time was really obsessed with putting these digital marble statues into things, she says. Marble generally was big and there were a lot of Adonis figures coming through: I do think there is a bit of a precedent to that, and it makes sense with the typical trend cycle where thats, you know, now about 10 years now.Backlash to 2010s ValuesThe modern usage of masculine imagery stems from a backlash against artifice, both in food and self-presentation. In a November 2024 post titled Pendulum Swung Back Hard, Snaxshots Hernandez described so-called Chad foodstallow chips, raw milk, organ smoothies, overpriced bone broth, beef tallow, and colostrum powdersas a canary in the coal mine for broader conservative politics and industry-defining foods and ingredients. It is a stark contrast to the plant-based dairy and meat alternatives that defined the 2010s.Baker sees this type of imagery as a reaction to the larger body-positivity movement. Not necessarily the actual fundamental principles of wanting to love your body and celebrate your body, whether or not you look like a model, but I think the top-down directive from culturepeople butted heads with that, she says. People felt the politics of that as a consumer. I think, just naturally, when youre constantly being told how to think and consume something, youre going to react to that and say, NO.[Image: The New Yorker]Recentering the body can also be interpreted as a backlash to the work-from-home lifestyle of the pandemics height, perfectly exemplified by a November 2020 cover of The New Yorker depicting a remote worker surrounded by a cutesy mixture of clutter and filth. I think theres a way to look at what were seeing with the recentering of body and muscularity and physique as more lighthearted and positive. [Classicized imagery in branding] is not just saying this is the beauty ideal but physical capability is hot. Its a reaction to this very older-millennial vibe, work-from-home and Uber Eats lifestyle, says Baker. Were done with the Uber Eats.The Queer Roots of Classicized ImageryBut its shortsighted to think of classicized imagery as simply reactionary. In fact, figurative hypermasculine imagery has historical roots in queer art. Illustrious precedents include Bob Mizers Physique Pictorial, the photography of George Platt Lynes and Robert Mapplethorpe, the illustrations of Tom of Finland and George Quaintance; and Michelangelo himself. The whole premise of the 2019 book Buying Gay posits that physique magazines were instrumental in building communities and advancing gay rights. Queer artists have long been associated with trends before they become mainstream, says Court Watson, a theatrical designer, figure-drawing instructor, and illustrator who published the book-length monograph Gymnasium in November 2024.An image from Gymnasium, Court Watson, 2024.Watson traces the aesthetic of these modern Chad brands to the 1980s. I think something changed in the mid-80s in gay culture, they note. During the early days of the AIDS crisis, men who looked slim and toned as Clones started to be perceived as sick if they didnt have the worked-out, post-Jane Fonda body. I think a lot of men have a tough time being perceived as anything other than strong.Goodspeed echoes this sentiment. Theres something kind of interesting to me about this idea of how the most elite and privileged thing that you can have is health in a period where we are facing food recalls and lower quality food, says Goodspeed. I think being physically fit is a marker of affluence in a way that it always has been increasingly difficult to do.And while classicized imagery is currently on trend, it also benefits from being timeless, as its periodic resurfacing throughout history demonstrates. Using it in branding can yield trend-resistant visual assets and packaging. Look no further than Skimss newly opened flagship store in New York City: designed by Rafael de Cardenas, it has a neutral-colored palette, statuary-inspired props, and a system of niches and alcoves that does look like a museums antique wing.[Screenshot: To My Ships]To My Ships is another example of a brand using sculpture-inspired imagery in a tasteful and restrained manner. To My Shipss founder Daniel Bense told me his entire team isinspired by classical Greek ideals and the endless artistic reference to and reinterpretation of these, whether by Kara Walker, Hans Josephsohn, Cecily Brown, Franois Halard, Cy Twombly, or Troy Schooneman. Bense is personally drawn to classic ideals of form, proportion, and the golden ratio, seeing them as a manifestation of timelessness. Both classicism and neoclassicism offer a refuge from the frenetic pace and sensory overload of modern life, evoking a sense of permanence and enduring beauty and the power of restraintlike the understated elegance of classical forms, Bense explains. It seems there is a growing desire for authenticity and meaning in a world saturated with fleeting trends and disposable products. Classicism offers a kind of antidote to this modern malaise.

The 2024 Design Intelligence Award (DIA) ceremony wrapped up the 2024 awards season at the China Academy of Art, Liangzhu Campus. The top honor and grand prize went to the Fourier General-Purpose Humanoid Robot GR-1. The THETA Dental Implant Surgery Robot System, Digital Central Axis: Immersive Interactive Digital Exhibition of Beijing's Central Axis, Pic Copilot, and the Ventete aH-1 Helmet (UK) all earned Gold Awards.This year's entries reflect the global diversity and cross-cultural exchange of the contemporary era, featuring work with cutting-edge applications in artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, virtual reality, new materials, and so much more. The work actively explores augmented reality and human-machine symbiosis within emerging industries - like low-altitude economy, digital cultural tourism, and humanoid robotics - promoting the reconstruction and upgrading of global supply chains, innovation chains, and value chains in Industry 4.0. Founded in 2015, the Design Intelligence Award (DIA) is the first international academy award in the field of industrial design in China. Upholding the core values of humanistic Intellect, life wisdom, industrial think tank, and science-art intelligence, DIA has run successfully for nine seasons. The DIA aims for professionalism, international participation, and perspective, making it China's most influential industrial design competition and an important global platform for discussing intelligent design and innovative wisdom.This year's competition current DIA edition has received over 8,000 entries from 47 countries and regions worldwide, adding seven new participating countries and gathering representation from 76 countries and regions for the first time. Among the entries, 360 works from 21 countries and regions were awarded, with 39 outstanding works reaching the finals. Notably, 58% of the selected works are not yet on the market, and 56% are making their global debut. The Grand Prize project Fourier General-Purpose Humanoid Robot GR-1.DIA 2024 Grand PrizeThe Jury's top prize was awarded to Shanghai Fourier Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. for the Fourier General-Purpose Humanoid Robot GR-1 (China). This is a complete humanoid framework with a robust platform customization, combining bionics with high-performance robotic technology, endowing the machine with a sense of life and immense intelligence potential. The THETA Dental Implant Surgery Robot System Industrial Equipment Gold winner.Industrial Equipment - Gold AwardHangzhou Jianjia Medical Technology Co., Ltd earned a gold in the Industrial Equipment category for their THETA Dental Implant Surgery Robot System. This is a dual-mode, multi-configuration, mobile and easy-to-operate robot for the dental surgery field. The integrated digital design enhances precision and efficiency, showcasing the promising prospects of artificial intelligence in the dental field while promoting equitable access to oral healthcare.The Pic Copilot Digital Economy Gold Winner.Digital Economy - Gold AwardAlibaba International Digital Business Group took the gold in Digital Economy for its Pic Copilot a clever and simple design with highly efficient and practical AI, integrating multicultural experiences and addressing commercial pain points, effectively covering a wide range of user demands for everyday issues. Digital Central Axis: Immersive Interactive Digital Exhibition takes Gold for Cultural Innovation.Cultural Innovation - Gold AwardTencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. earned Gold in the Cultural Innovation category for Digital Central Axis: Immersive Interactive Digital Exhibition. The largest hyper-realistic digital twin space of Beijing's Central Axis to date, marking the first global application of gaming technology in world heritage nominations. The integration of historical heritage and modern technology is profoundly significant. The Ventete aH-1 Helmet wins gold in the Life Wisdom category. Life Wisdom - Gold AwardVentete Ltd (UK) took the Gold in the Life Wisdom category for Ventete aH-1 Helmet, an inflatable, mini-foldable bicycle helmet with a patented pneumatic structure system which delivers unprecedented multifunctionality and convenience.Check out all the award-winning projects in the Design Intelligence Awards 2024 program and learn more about DIA for 2025 by visiting the official DIA website.

There are so many objects in our lives that we take for granted because of their familiarity and banality. They dont see much in the way of innovation, new features, or radically new technology, either because theyre perfect the way they are or they dont have much room for improvement anymore. Thats hardly the case, of course, and there are plenty of ways these designs can be improved that dont change their functions.User experience is defined less by a set of features and more by the way we relate to and interact with a product. Simply changing the user interface while retaining the functionality can already have a significant impact on the experience, for better or for worse. Changing a products story by simply changing the way it looks can also make it more relatable, as demonstrated by these design concepts of regular, everyday tools that poke fun at their own idiosyncrasies.Designer: Changhwi KimAlthough it was a world-changing innovation back in the early 1900s, the bread toaster, especially the pop-up kind, is hardly seen as a marvel these days. The only time you even notice its presence is when it catches you off guard, either with a bell sound or the sudden jumping of bread slices. In a way, the toaster is almost like a ticking bomb that suddenly explodes when you the timer hits zero.The ed!t Time Bomb Toaster takes that sometimes annoying design to heart, enlarging the timer and making it the focal point of the design. Rather than just a simple lever that you push down to start the process, you turn the dial as you would on some ovens and microwaves. You then watch with bated breath as the dial ticks and turns until you hear the familiar ding, announcing the arrival of freshly toasted slices. The entire process becomes a little bit more playful and less mechanical, adding a touch of delight to your mornings.Not everyone will need a hair dryer, but for those that do, its an indispensable part of their daily routine. Some might even be so dependent on it that they will invest in some portable power source to be able to use it outdoors. It becomes a sort of partner and guardian of sorts, often serving as a visual reminder that they need to dry their hair before proceeding to the next part of their day.The Watchman Dryer concept takes that role quite literally, with a folded form that looks like an iconic police cars red siren. On top of your dresser or beside table, its presence clues you in on your routine, but you can take it one step further by setting an alarm that alerts you when your scheduled hair care moment is near.Wireless charging has made it super-easy to put down a phone and pick it up over and over again. Sometimes you can even have it charging while standing up, increasing opportunities for distractions. If we cant help but reach for our phones every now and then, maybe it would be easier if the phones themselves stayed out of reach.The Hide and Seek Charger concept does exactly that but in a somewhat comical way. The conical wireless charger is supposed to roll away with your phone during a set period of time when you dont want to be disturbed. How that works is, of course, anyones guess, but it paints the picture of a smartphone accessory that wants to be helpful even if it means hiding your phone from you.The post Everyday devices re-imagined with tongue-in-cheek humor and playful designs first appeared on Yanko Design.

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Hallucinations, a bane of popular A.I. programs, turn out to be a boon for venturesome scientists eager to push back the frontiers of human knowledge.

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The older-style chips are crucial for a wide array of appliances and other machinery, including weaponry.