<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa121638b622db14175025_651d3d52afac41e63f95b74b_629f2d981dea220aef3548b6_Best%252520ads%252520of%252520May%252520small.png" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Growth</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Ones to Watch: 8 of the Most Impactful Ad Campaigns of May 2022</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>7 June 2022</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>7 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <p class="gn-lede gn-reveal">From the UK coming second at Eurovision to Prince Louis stealing the show at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, with so much going on, you might have missed some cracking ad campaigns that have been released in the past month. Fear not though, we've got you covered.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Grab yourself a marmalade sandwich, and enjoy the most impactful ad campaigns of May...</p> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#01</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Wild Natural Deodorant: Dirty Talk</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Wild Natural Deodorant</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> BBH</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> TV, YouTube, Social</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">What happens when you put a seven-foot stuffed polar bear with someone who is h-word for bad ecological behaviour? You get BBH's first campaign for cosmetic brand Wild.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">BBH's mission is to convince doubters of the effectiveness of natural deodorant. Most of us are used to the spraying stuff in a can. This, however, is a refillable 'stick,' with the naturally made and plastic-free refills purchased on a subscription basis.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">They attempt to win audiences over through a three-minute video hero film in which Thorvald, a stuffed polar-bear, finds out that his girlfriend Sarah has a kink for climate change (in a bad way). Throvald walks in on Sarah "enjoying" a video about the melting ice caps. Turns out that she gets off on things are bad for the planet, including leaving the tap running while cleaning her teeth and eating out-of-season strawberries.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76dewvl8aNY"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/76dewvl8aNY" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal">Throvald indulges this for a while, but puts his paw down when Sarah asks him to spray her with single-use plastic aerosol deodorant.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Cue an educational video from the bear educating Sarah on why she should switch to Wild deodorant, an ecologically friendly alternative with scents such as Jasmin and Mandarin Blossom.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"With our ambitions you need a partner that not only understands our goals but also our voice."<cite>Charlie Bowes-Lyon · Co-Founder and CMO, Wild</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal">Co-Founder and CMO of Wild, Charlie Bowes-Lyon, said that it is 'perhaps the "Wildest" thing we've done to date,' and explains that Wild are 'also supporting Polar Bears International and giving £1 for every sale that uses the code at the end of the video. It's a really exciting partnership for us, especially given all the hard work they do to protect not only Polar Bears but also their habitat.'</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The campaign went live on the last day of the month (narrowly making it into our roundup) and is going to run across TV, YouTube paid advertising and social channels, running for a total of a year.</p> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#02</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Gymshark: Gymshark Market</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Gymshark</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> Experiential</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Forget one pound fish or The Apprentice contestants flogging overpriced food items to the unsuspecting public, in May it was Gymshark's turn at the market stall experience. On Friday 1st May, Londoner's were surprised to see a pop-up stall at the Lower Marshes market near Waterloo manned by Gymshark CEO Ben Francis. He was there selling his sportswear products for a bargain £5.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa121638b622db14175019_629f2e481b8153583ddbcb1a_Gymshark%2520Market.jpeg" alt="Gymshark CEO Ben Francis surprised shoppers at London's Lower Marshes market with a pop up Gymshark stall selling discount items"></div> <figcaption>Gymshark CEO Ben Francis at the Lower Marshes market pop-up, selling sportswear for £5.</figcaption> </figure> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"We've always called ourselves a community brand, and lately lots of other brands seemed to have followed suit. But you can't just say the word community and make it true, you have to be out here, with them."<cite>Noel Mack · Chief Brand Officer, Gymshark</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal">It comes before Gymshark is set to open its first physical store in the capital later this summer. Situated on Regent Street, the new site will host events, "community hangouts" and workout studios.</p> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#03</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Netflix: Stranger Things Surfer Boy Pizza Pop up</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Netflix</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> BBH</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> Experiential</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Here's another one from BBH, and this time it's an experiential campaign focussed around one of my favourite shows: Stranger Things. Unfortunately for me, it was only those local to Shoreditch who got to experience this campaign in all its glory when posters advertising fictional products and services from Hawkins mysteriously appeared.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa121638b622db1417501d_629f2e39cfb1c8138d952a21_Stranger%2520Things.jpeg" alt="An experiential Stranger Things campaign was launched by BBH in London to celebrate the release of the Netflix hit's fourth season"></div> <figcaption>BBH's experiential Stranger Things campaign in Shoreditch, London, ahead of the show's fourth season.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal">Over a period of days, hazmat-clad workers set up a tent to cover up the posters, urging passers-by to step back. Taking to Twitter, the official Netflix UK and Ireland account said that there was 'nothing to see here.'</p> <p class="gn-reveal">It soon became apparent why members of the public were being asked to step away: a portal to the Upside Down appeared. Growing bigger by the day, the mystery was finally solved when fans were invited to step through it on Friday 2nd May. Instead of coming face-to-face with Vecna, event-goers got to experience the taste, smell and feel of Stranger Things, complete with Demogorgon inspired pizza. As the great Ginny Lemon says, "fancy a slice?" If it's Demogorgon shaped: probably not!</p> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#04</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Volkswagen UK: Electrifying Movies</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Volkswagen UK</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> adam&eveDDB</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> TV, Sponsorship</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">To mark the renewal of their ITV Movie sponsorship for another two-year period, Volkswagen UK have teamed up with adam&eveDDB to create a series of films inspired by some of Hollywood's most recognised moments.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJSW11VQ5eE"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nJSW11VQ5eE" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal">These moments are connected by a theme: they have all relied on electricity. In each skit, the power in the scene is cut out by Volkswagen owners who need to charge the new Volkswagen Pure Electric and Plug-In Hybrid range. For example, in one video, it is the power for an electric fence encasing a monster. In another, it is for surveillance equipment just before gathering crucial evidence.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The campaign involves 16 executions in total and began on Saturday 2 May, running through to December 2023.</p> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#05</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">BrewDog: Lost Lager, Real Lager</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> BrewDog</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> Media.Monks</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> Integrated</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">BrewDog is known for being disruptive and provocative in their field, and it's no exception in their latest campaign for one of their signature products: Lost Lager.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Created by the brand's strategic and creative partner, Media.Monks, the integrated campaign 'Real Larger' goes up against indifference about choices made when it comes to lager. The film, directed by Taz Tron Delix, features commentary based around how different lagers are glamorously marketed and how they don't apply to the average person.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9HpAMoG4Yg"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X9HpAMoG4Yg" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> </figure> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"With our ambitions you need a partner that not only understands our goals but also our voice. With Media.Monks we found a fearless collaborator, who can provide solid data and brand strategy to support high quality and daring creative work. This campaign is a testament of that."<cite>Lauren Carrol · Brand and Marketing Director, BrewDog</cite></blockquote> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"This constant expectation to live up to the polished lives and lifestyles of more successful, more beautiful, more well curated people than yourself, is frankly just exhausting. Why should you have to buy into that?"<cite>Jimmy Blom · Global Executive Strategy Director, Media.Monks</cite></blockquote> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#06</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Tyrrells Crisps: Splendid News</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Tyrrells Crisps</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> St Luke's</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> Video on Demand, Social</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Owned by snack giant KP Snacks, premium crisp brand Tyrrells has launched a 20-second ad called 'Splendid News,' that will appear on video-on-demand and social media.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXX3wPz-TPg"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JXX3wPz-TPg" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal">Sticking to the signature old-fashioned Tyrrells style, the ad features black and white Pathé footage of the public holding and admiring giant colourful versions of the snack both in and out of the packet.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The humorous spot is the work of creative agency St Luke's and will run until August.</p> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#07</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Vets4Pets: Thank You</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Vets4Pets</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> The&Partnership</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> Digital, Social, OOH, PR</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Vets4Pets, part of the Pets at Home Group, and The&Partnership, have launched a national 'thank you' to the veterinary industry.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Like many others, the industry faced new and challenging obstacles during the coronavirus pandemic. A rise in pet ownership and ongoing recruitment issues has seen continuing pressure being placed on veterinary professionals across the country.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4GjRCzJ40U"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h4GjRCzJ40U" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal">The campaign targets pet owners and seeks to champion those working in the veterinary industry by showcasing the dedication, passion and commitment that united them all. It centres around a film shot by Tom Green from Stink Films. It shows real operations, emotions and interactions at Vets4Pets Practices.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The film makes up part of a larger campaign that runs across digital, social, OOH and PR, and went live on the 17 May.</p> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#08</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Ocado: Summer's Biggest Line-Up</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Ocado</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Agency:</strong> St Luke's</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Medium:</strong> Integrated</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Last but not least in our roundup for May is Ocado's summer campaign "Summer's Biggest Line-Up." Ocado is the world's largest dedicated online grocery retailer and its integrated summer campaign will run between 19th May to the 31st August.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div class="w-richtext-figure-type-video w-richtext-align-fullwidth" style="padding-bottom:56.206088992974244%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.206088992974244%" data-rt-dimensions="854:480" data-page-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l735BbtjPTE"><div><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l735BbtjPTE" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> </figure> <p class="gn-reveal">The advert features an Ocado van pulling a carnival float decorated with dolphins, a giant sandcastle and other beach items. The float opens up, revealing different products perfect for the summer season including sun cream, drinks, BBQ items and of course, the classic rocket ice lolly.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The campaign was created by St Luke's alongside Ocado's in-house creative team with a voiceover from Spice Girl Mel C.</p> </div> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>If you're looking to boost your marketing efforts for the second half of 2022, GO! can connect you with an agency who can help. Tell us the requirements and we'll start the search.</strong> <a href="http://www.thegonetwork.com/get-in-touch"><strong>Get in touch</strong></a> <strong>to get started…</strong></p> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/ones-to-watch-most-impactful-campaigns-of-december" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Ones to Watch - Most Impactful Campaigns of December</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Creative, Digital and OOH highlights from the final month of 2022, including Auto Trader&#39;s Matchmaker and the UK ad market&#39;s strongest year-</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/ones-to-watch-8-of-the-most-impactful-ad-campaigns-of-june-2022" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Ones to Watch: 8 of the Most Impactful Ad Campaigns of June 2022</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">From Ribena&#39;s £7m &quot;Chin Up&quot; TV push to a $75,000 whisky, these 8 standout creative executions show what separated bold agency work from the </span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/ones-to-watch-8-of-the-most-impactful-ad-campaigns-of-february-best-ads-this-month" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Ones To Watch: 8 Of The Most Impactful Ad Campaigns Of February</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Tesco Mobile, McDonald&#39;s Thailand, and more: see the creative strategies and brand pivots shaping the best agency work of February 2022.</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/ones-to-watch-8-of-the-most-impactful-ad-campaigns-of-august-2022" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Ones to Watch - 8 of The Most Impactful Ad Campaigns of August 2022</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Starbucks, TK Maxx, Specsavers and more made waves as UK ad spend rose 20% YoY. 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