We asked industry experts what the last ad they watched without skipping. One that made them skip the (metaphorical) skip button to watch and engage till the end.
Whether the ad popped on TV, YouTube or any social platform, here are all the ads that industry experts find unskippable.
WoMen’s Football – Orange France
Where: YouTube
Why: If I say I don’t skip ads, I will lie to all of you. And if there’s one thing worse than a bad ad, it is an ad you cannot skip. The frustration of being held captive by an ad, unable to move on to the content you actually want to see, is a feeling we can all relate to.
Unless this ad is so great that you stick to it instead of seeing a cute husky enjoying snow for the first time or even that unnecessary tutorial you will never use in your daily routine.
We all know the theory: the best unskippable ads are those that don’t look like ads and have entertainment as the core of the idea.
The hard part? See one of those out there. Considering all this, I can’t name another campaign besides WoMen’s Football, by Orange France. It’s football. It is 2 minutes long (!). It’s a powerful message.
Most importantly, it is an advertising class on supporting, engaging, and creatively retaining attention in the digital era. When you see (and I really recommend you do so), it will be too late to skip.
– Saymon Medeiros, Creative Director, And Us
The Chase for Carrera Film – TAG Heuer
Where: TV
Why: In this ad, Tag Heuer celebrates the Carrera’s 60 year-anniversary by emphasising that the race never stops with an epic chase. Even though it’s a 5-minute ad within an ad within an ad, it’s a lot more interesting than a lot of 60-seconder TVCs.
It’s a short movie with blockbuster actors, fusing comedy with action while being very on-brand. And the hero? Not Ryan Gosling but the iconic watch. Using actors is an almost foolproof way to get views, but it’s so expensive that it needs to create brand love, sales and engagement too. This one definitely paid off.
– Rémy Abouchakra, Founder & CEO, OUI agency
Prime Video India – Jaggu Dada Mode
Where: Instagram
Why: With a stream of April Fool’s Day jokes, what truly tickled my funny bone was a collaboration between veteran Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff and Amazon Prime Video India. Jackie Shroff, also known as Jaggu Dada, performs an epic Mumbai dialect as subtitles to over 350 shows, and did it deliver a peal of power-packed laughter from my desk – absolutely.
We have curtailed the joy of dialects with our submersive subtitle-viewing culture. Jackie Shroff’s comedic mastery (and also kudos to the guy playing the part from Amazon) brought not only laughter but also nostalgia for the days of deciphering dialects, making this ad truly one of the unskippable ads!
– Raksha Uttamchandani, Founder, CommSense PR
IKEA – Proudly Second Best
Where: YouTube
Why: I couldn’t skip IKEA’s “Proudly Second Best” ad, it’s a stroke of genius for many reasons. The most important part of the ad is its subtlety and intelligence. The campaign includes three brief video clips showcasing a scene with a parent and their child, with the words “Proudly Second Best.”
Frankly, the ad caught my attention because it’s so brave. Consider it: when was the last time you saw an advertisement for a product that a company was trying to sell, which was lying on a table and not being used while people did something else entirely? The ad isn’t about the products; it’s about IKEA’s brand’s values.
– Karen Barboza, Senior Marketing Executive, BackLite Media
KFC – Kentucky Fried Turkey for Christmas?
Where: YouTube
Why: KFC once again nailed it for Christmas 2023 with their Kentucky Fried Turkey Campaign. Pushing the boundaries to grip viewers to really see if KFC would defy the odds and create a turkey burger.
But in true KFC humour, they kept the audience guessing till the end where they revealed ‘we ignored you’. It definitely kept me hooked, despite no turkey burger – what a great ad!
– Jemma Starzecki, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Al Ghurair Properties
The Best Obsess – WHOOP
Where: YouTube
Why: I recently saw the WHOOP ad on YouTube – the campaign was called ‘The Best Obsess,’ and I absolutely loved it. What made this one of the unskippable ads was three components. The first part was that it was tied to the fitness affinity which I often search for, so the media moment was spot on.
The second part was that unlike a lot of tech brands, it blended the functional, personalised data, with the emotional, lifestyle activities, hitting that midpoint in a dynamic video. Lastly, WHOOP leveraged its A-list celebrities in different fields to create a sense of aspiration and intrigue for different audiences throughout the entire film.
– Elias Karam, Strategy Director, Grey Dubai
Home Centre – Ramadan Collection
Where: YouTube
Why: The Home Centre video ad humorously fosters togetherness beyond furniture promotion, tapping into Ramadan’s essence of hospitality and community. It maintains warmth, capturing the light-hearted joy of festivities while balancing humour with heartfelt portrayals of iftar preparation.
Home Centre encourages viewers to embrace gathering and sharing, revelling in the familial feeling despite the chaos and ‘oops’ moments. Aligning with Ramadan’s cultural significance, the ad positions Home Centre not just as a retailer but as a facilitator of cherished traditions. Cleverly combining humour with emotional resonance, it creates a memorable portrayal of Ramadan’s spirit.
– Aalishaan Mahboob, Associate Business Director – Innovation & Growth, Publicis Groupe ME
