Best Global Video Campaigns of 2018

By Nick Erskine-Shaw On Jan 17, 2019

As 2018 comes to a close, our team at 90 Seconds has been discussing our favorite video ad campaigns of the year. Naturally, opinions flew thick and fast, but ultimately, few clear winners emerged.

Because we work in the video world, we sometimes find ourselves focused more on the cinematography and direction, two very important aspects of a successful campaign. The way an ad is filmed contributes to the storytelling, and as we looked back on the year, we identified five campaigns whose camera work, direction, and editing contributed in not just communicating the messages of the campaigns, but in making them as visually effective as possible.

These are our top picks for the best video campaigns of 2018.

“Doing Nothing Does Harm” by Our Watch

Using a savvy, clever digital video campaign titled “Doing Nothing Does Harm,” Australian non-profit Our Watch by Thinkerbell tackled the issue of casual sexism.

Through a series of interactive videos, the campaign depicts a group of friends in a casual setting having a conversation. When one of them makes a sexist remark, a prompt on the screen asks the audience what they would do in response — if you choose to speak up, you’re taken to a video where one of the other friends rebukes the man; but if you choose to ignore, the campaign retargets you until you choose to speak up.

The campaign highlights the ways in which a quality digital video product paired with a creative use of digital marketing can work together to create a powerful and impressive video campaign.

“One In A Million #TouchofCare” by Vicks India

Continuing their #TouchofCare campaign, Vicks India released an ad titled “One In A Million” that featured a young woman with ichthyosis, a genetic skin disorder. The short film chronicles the true story of her life, and how she came to be adopted by her parents.

Poignant and emotional, it’s a wonderful addition to the Vicks India #TouchofCare campaign, which chronicles not just how families love and care for each other, but sheds light on the redefinition of family in today’s world. It’s a fantastic series of video storytelling.

I Touch Myself Project

An Australian breast health awareness campaign, the video for the I Touch Myself Project featured tennis superstar Serena Williams – a brand ambassador for Berlei, which released a bra to support the campaign – singing the chorus of the provocative female empowerment song “I Touch Myself” by Divinyls, whose lead singer passed away in 2014 from breast cancer.

With the slower take on the song and the imagery of the camera slowly panning from a tight shot on Williams’ face to a wider angle that showcased her topless and covering her breasts with her hands — very literally touching herself — helped to reframe the song in a new context. This time, the lyrics are driven by the visuals to be interpreted to highlight the important message that women should be aware of their bodies and to notice any differences that could lead to early breast cancer detection.

#WeHaveToSeeMoreOfEachOther by Ruavieja

A surprising ad to come from an alcohol brand, #WeHaveToSeeMoreOfEachOther begins by featuring several pairs of people discussing how much they mean to each other and how often they are able to see each other. As they are all introduced, the audience sees text on the screen explaining how much time people generally spend consuming social media and other forms of screen-based entertainment, positing the idea that we’re choosing to spend more time interacting with technology than with the people who matter most to us.

Based on information such as age and the frequency with which the pairs see each other, a team of scientists informs each pair how much time they have left to spend together in their lives — in all cases, it’s a matter of days, not years. The text then encourages the audience to consider how they’re spending their time and includes a call to action to visit a website to find out how much time they have left with their loved ones. Gripping and sobering, the ad effectively drives home its message, and subtly promotes the brand as a great way to spend time with others.

“Dream Crazy” by Nike

For the 30th anniversary of Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” campaign, the sports brand chose Colin Kaepernick as their spokesperson and released “Dream Crazy.” Continuing their theme of overcoming odds to excel at sport, this ad features narration by Kaepernick that highlights athletes who have overcome incredible odds, from physical to socio-economic to race.

The video ad combines inspirational footage of athletes excelling at their respective sport while Kaepernick tells their stories — as well as his own — and encourages others to not just dream big, but dream crazy.