From Asics to DoorDash, these are the best ads of 2024, according to top agency creatives

As the year winds down, The Drum asked agency leaders to name their favorite ads of 2024 (excluding their own). Their picks span from Marmite’s cheeky smuggling campaign to Nike’s bold ode to ambition, showcasing the best of creativity and craft this year.

1. CeraVe: Michael CeraVe by Ogilvy

Dan Lucey, co-chief executive officer and chief creative officer, Havas New York: “‘Michael CeraVe’ from CeraVe … This makes me super jealous. It is the dumbest smart use of a celebrity to date, an incredible use of social listening to inspire a fun idea, with tons of fresh social and digital content and it even had a Super Bowl spot. It hits on all the essentials of modern, effective work.”

2. Sydney Opera House: Play it Safe by The Monkeys

Thiago Cruz, chief creative officer, Grey New York: “There’s one piece I simply can’t stop thinking about: ‘Play it Safe,’ the video celebrating 50 years of the Sydney Opera House, created by The Monkeys and directed by the always spectacular Kim Gehrig. I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time while judging the Andy’s earlier this year and I’ve watched it dozens of times since. To me, it has been a constant reminder of the power of craft and how inspiring it is to get to see so many very deliberate decisions, big and small, working together brilliantly to make the audience feel something. That outfit change at 2:50 kills me every time. And around 3:14, something somehow always gets into my eyes. This thing makes me want to be creative.”

3. Asics: Desk Break by Golin

Laura Esteves, vice-president of creative, DM9 Brazil: “As a writer, runner and Brian Cox fan, my pick is the Asics ‘Desk Break’ campaign. It brings a fresh perspective on mental health and wellness as more businesses pull staff back into office.”

4. WWF International: In Hot Water by Nomint

Paul Ostryzniuk, executive creative director, AKQA: “‘In Hot Water’ by Nomint is a razor-sharp expression of a sobering message, crafted with meticulous care. The ambition to create this visual poem is one thing. The skill, tenacity and heart to deliver in an analog form is quite another.”

5. Pizza Pizza: Bipartisan Wings by Zulu Alpha Kilo

Rob Gendron, vice-president and executive creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi: “The lead-up to the US election was anything but fun but, once again, Pizza Pizza found a way to bring some much-needed humor when we all desperately needed it. So simple, so smart, so perfectly in tune with all the political rhetoric of the moment – and it’s all about the product! I loved everything about these two spots. Oddly enough, it even makes me look forward to the next election to see what it’ll do next.”

6. DoorDash: All the Ads by Wieden+Kennedy Portland

Zeynep Orbay, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam: “I love the DoorDash ‘All the Ads’ campaign as it is simply a product demo at its core, but done in the most creative, impactful and entertaining way. It is so well tailored to the moment and the giveaway element makes it super engaging.”

7. Marmite: Smugglers by Adam&EveDDB

Ryan Paulson, chief creative officer, Dentsu Creative, NY: “Marmite recruiting smugglers (from Adam&Eve DDB) was an awesome activation. It felt like a fresh approach to showing people’s passion for their product – the perfect mix of ‘that’s bizarre’ and ‘I bet people will actually do that.’”

8. Every Man Jack: Still Smell Good by Partyland

Ryan Lehr, co-chief creative officer, Deutsch: “As someone who strongly believes in comedy being one of advertising bestest tools , I loved Partyland’s ‘Still Smell Good’ campaign for Every Man Jack. The humor lands perfectly. I’m a sucker for a great jingle and this jam is an absolute earworm. It’s hilarious and sticks with you in all the right ways. And the mid-spot break is a perfectly timed seven seconds of comedic tension which ends with a rousing reprise of the said jingle. Plus hornets.”

9. Nike: Winning Isn’t For Everyone by Wieden+Kennedy Portland

Ben Purcell, chief creative officer, David&Goliath: “For me, my favorite, most jealousy-inducing piece of creative work over the past year was the Nike campaign ‘Winning Isn’t For Everyone’ that aired during the Olympics. It’s refreshing to see such a strong point of view. In a time when everyone is expected to please everyone, you have Nike unapologetically tapping into what it takes to compete at the highest level with copy that reads, ‘I’m deceptive. I’m selfish. I have no empathy.’ Visually, it’s not an overly produced CG world. It’s pretty much just existing footage of athletes. But when coupled with the message delivered by the ‘villainous’ Willem Dafoe, it’s brave. It cuts through and works beautifully.”

10. Honda: Unstoppable Dreams by RPA

Sarah Block, executive vice-president and creative director, Leo Burnett: “The ad that stood out the most to me in 2024 was Honda’s ‘Unstoppable Dreams’ reverse poem. It demands a double take by, literally, turning failure back into the fuel to keep going. You both felt it and had to think about it. And then rewatch it a few more times. The first time I saw it was when my son said, ‘You have to see this.’ Like most kids, ads are just an annoying tax he’s forced to ‘pay’ to get to the content he wants to see. For a spot about unstoppable dreams, it managed to stop a teenager in his tracks.”