Creatively designed ads from around the world

Ads come and go. Most are basic and barely worth remembering but there are some that are so creatively designed that they’re worth remembering. Here are ten such ads from around the world.

 

IBM Ad – Smart Ideas for Smarter Cities

Traditional static billboards are everywhere these days and all of them serve no practical purpose other than displaying a message. IBM plans to change that with a campaign that leads by example. The Smart Ideas for Smarter Cities campaign features static designs that can be interacted with in a practical way. Some of the billboards flop over to become shelters from weather, while others double up as public benches. IBM believes city planners should come up with functional designs that help citizens, and this campaign illustrates just how that can be done.

 

Reykjavik Metropolitan Police – Choose Who Will Drive You Home

Drunk driving is a huge problem everywhere in the world, the consequences of which this ad from Iceland tries to illustrate. How will you go home? Will it be with a taxi, a police officer, an EMT, or a funeral director?

 

WWF – Horrifying/More Horrifying

With Shark Week coming up soon it’s only appropriate to feature this shark ad from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Contrary to what many people believe, sharks are not the man-eating monsters movies like Jaws make them out to be. In fact, the average number of human deaths caused by unprovoked shark attacks between 2001 and 2006 is only 4.3. On the other hand, humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks every year and if the those numbers don’t go down over the next few decades then sharks will be fished to extinction. Now that’s horrifying.

 

DHL – Fed Up?

Who are DHL’s largest competitors? You guessed it — Fed Ex and UPS. This clever ad does a great job of mocking the competition while making DHL seem like a superior service. Simple, minimal, and golden.

 

Tabasco – Popcorn

Hot sauce so hot it pops corn kernels right off the cob. This genius ad from Tabasco needs no words.

 

Norwegian Airlines – Showing Destinations

You’ve probably noticed that many national flags share colors and sometimes even designs. Norwegian Airlines decided to take advantage of these similarities to create an ad featuring the Norwegian flag, with small sections outlined to show the flags and rates to fly to the Netherlands, France, Thailand, Poland, and Finland.

 

Thai Health – Anti-sleepy Driving Ad

Driving while sleepy is just as dangerous as driving under the influence. This ad from Thai Health perfectly illustrates the consequences of getting behind the wheel when what you really need to do is sleep, not drive and put lives at risk.

 

Nikon – Face Detect

Face detection technology has advanced in many ways over the past decade and through this ad, Nikon wants to show consumers that its face detection technology is the best on the market.

 

Bic – Pen and Shaving Blade

Ever wondered why Bic went from selling pens to shaving blades and gas lighters? You’re not alone and you probably won’t find a reasonable answer anywhere on the Internet. This ad by Bic serves a dual purpose to perfectly advertise Bic’s pens and shaving blades.

 

Hellenic Association of Blood Donors – be a Superhero

A lot of people are put off by the idea of donating blood. The process seems difficult and even painful, but it is necessary and very important. To show the true value of donating, the Hellenic Association of Blood Donors decided to use this ad to remind donors that they are superheroes saving lives just like Spiderman, but in a different way.