It’s that time of year again. That magical time when we all look back over the previous year of our lives and wonder, “what were the best commercial and video ads?”
Well, maybe that’s just what we do at Stevenson Advertising. You don’t have to think about it, because we’ve compiled a list of our favorites for your viewing pleasure. In no particular order, here are our five favorite video ads of 2013.
1. Every Pitch
Sports ads tend to be pretty much all the same – a lot of slow motion and sweaty people. This ad for Dick’s Sporting Goods does something different by putting you in the middle of a realistic baseball game. The camera acts as the eyes of a player would – scanning from teammate to teammate, always on the move – as you’re surrounded by the field chatter that you don’t hear when you’re watching the game on TV.
2. Farmer
[cvg-video videoId=’34’ width=’700′ height=’394′ mode=’playlist’ /]In this 2013 Super Bowl ad, RAM foregoes talking about their trucks and instead takes the time to offer a tribute to their main demographic: farmers. It’s a simple and touching ad that consists of a slideshow of still photos depicting beautiful scenery, proud farmers, and their families, with a voice-over of Paul Harvey’s “God Made a Farmer” speech.
3. Ship My Pants
[cvg-video videoId=’36’ width=’700′ height=’394′ mode=’playlist’ /]This is on a lot of “most shared” lists for 2013 ads. Funny how a little bit of wordplay can make an otherwise standard commercial go viral.
4. Skip Ad
See the video here.
This ad combines both innovation and some serious heartstring-tugging. After a couple seconds, the classic “skip ad” icon appears. If you click this, the ad will seem to restart, except that the man speaking to the camera seems disappointed and shaken. Click the skip icon again and he becomes desperate, begging you to give him a chance. It turns out to be a PSA about how easy it is for hiring companies to dismiss former convicts. The clever trick as well as superb acting forces you to pay attention.
5. Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video
[cvg-video videoId=’35’ width=’700′ height=’394′ mode=’playlist’ /]Following the announcement that the new Xbox console, the Xbox One, will include restrictions that will make playing borrowed or used games impossible, Sony had plenty of opportunity to capitalize on the resulting outrage of video game fans. In this hilariously simple 21-second ad, Sony presents an official guide to sharing video games on the PlayStation 4. Microsoft has since changed their tune on their anti-sharing policies.
We mentioned last week how ads longer than 15 seconds are probably going to be on the decline in 2014, and that shorter ads are better. However, don’t forget that there are always exceptions to the rule – four out of five ads on this list are longer than 30 seconds. If you have a touching story to tell or an innovative idea, don’t be afraid to try longer videos. Just make sure it’s worth it.
What were your favorite video ads of the year? Let us know in the comments!