Standout ads of 2024 according to industry leaders

Picture this: a world where a spelling bee teaches us to pronounce a luxury fashion brand, a hockey legend gets immortalised on a tribute wall, and a museum featuring sculptures of breasts mesmerises with its audio-visual splendour. Welcome to 2024, a year where advertising didn’t just sell products—it tried to outdo the creative precedence.

From the poignant to the playful, brands embraced bold storytelling, clever insights, and fresh perspectives to leave a lasting mark on our minds and hearts.

Take Zomato, for instance, which used its platform to champion environmental awareness and celebrate sporting legends, proving that advertising could have both soul and sizzle. Or BMW, which paired Christopher Walken’s eccentric charm with Usher’s smooth moves to turn a Super Bowl slot into a laugh-out-loud joyride.

And humour? It wasn’t just a punchline—it became a trend. From the tongue-in-cheek genius of CeraVe’s “Michael CeraVe” ad to Swiggy’s delightful “Chawal vs. Chawla” campaign, laughter made its grand comeback in 2024. Cannes Lions even created a humour sub-category, officially recognising what audiences already knew: ads that make you chuckle and stick with you.

But it wasn’t all jokes and jingles. There were ads that tugged at heartstrings too. Apple’s “Don’t Let Me Go” captured the universal human experience of losing something precious with a dose of exaggerated hilarity, while Nanhi Kali’s “Lessons from a Football” turned a simple game into a poignant metaphor for life’s biggest lessons.

In terms of visual storytelling, Zivame’s “The Museum of Boobs” offered a visual feast with its use of shadows and contrast and the vivacious interplay between colours and mood-defining lighting. The amalgamation of intricate set design and subtle social commentary made for a novel mise-en-scene.   

The common thread running through these campaigns? They transcended the transactional. These weren’t just ads; they were stories, moments, and movements that sparked conversations and aimed to inspire change.

As we turn 2024’s penultimate page, we asked industry luminaries to choose the ads that stood out to them in the year—both national and international.  

From heartfelt tributes to mischievous wordplay, this is a collection on how to captivate, connect, and create. After all, the best ads don’t just sell—they make us feel, think, and remember. Let’s revisit the magic that placed 2024 in contention for a noteworthy year in advertising history books.

Lishoy George, Chief Creative Officer, Creativeland Asia 

“This year, a few ads really struck a chord with me. Nationally, Nanhi Kali: Lessons from a Football was a standout. It’s such a beautifully written and shot piece, showing how sports can teach powerful life lessons—teamwork, perseverance, and resilience. It’s not just an ad; it’s a story about how football becomes a metaphor for change, and it stayed with me long after I watched it.

On a lighter note, Swiggy Instamart’s InstaSanta ad was pure fun! The way they used Sukhbir’s “Ho Ho Ho” track and gave it a festive twist was nothing short of genius. It brought a smile to my face and felt like the perfect blend of nostalgia and celebration.

Internationally, Coca-Cola’s Recycle Me campaign was brilliant. A crushed Coke can with the distorted logo and the simple message, “Recycle Me,” broke all the usual brand rules but made such a strong statement. It was bold, purposeful, and visually unforgettable.

These ads reminded me of the magic of storytelling in its many forms.”

Mitesh Kothari, Co-founder and CCO, White Rivers Media

“2024 has been a masterclass in blending creativity with technology. This year, several campaigns – national and international – have set benchmarks, reminding us why advertising is about insight as well as impact. Brands have elevated their game, moving beyond the transactional to create experiences that resonate deeply with audiences.

On the national stage, Zomato stood out with its engaging and meaningful storytelling. Whether it was the brand’s World Environment Day campaign weaving environmental consciousness into a compelling narrative through impactful DVCs, or dedicating a tribute wall to hockey legend P.R. Sreejesh, Zomato showcased a knack for marrying purpose with storytelling.

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Internationally too, brands delivered creative excellence. The CeraVe 'Michael CeraVe' Super Bowl ad, a personal favourite, was a perfect example of wit meeting relevance. By cleverly playing on the name similarity between actor Michael Cera and the skincare brand, the ad struck a chord with audiences, blending satire with a clear message about the product’s benefits.

On the other hand, BMW’s 'Talkin' Like Walken' brought together Christopher Walken and Usher in a humorous celebration of the brand’s iconic 'Ultimate Driving Machine' slogan. The interplay of celebrity appeal and sharp dialogue turned the ad into one of the most memorable moments of the Super Bowl, capturing BMW’s commitment to blending performance with personality.

These campaigns are united by their ability to evoke emotion and engagement. Whether through humour, innovation or purpose, they reflect the evolving landscape of advertising – a space where creativity and meaning coexist. 2024 reminded us that the best ads don’t just tell stories; they create moments, spark conversations and inspire action.”

Prashant Gopalakrishnan, Founding Partner, Talented

"One of the standout trends in 2024 advertising was the welcome influx of humor. For too long, brands have been taking themselves too seriously, making this shift a refreshing change. International brands like CeraVe (who partnered with Michael Cera in a clever move) and Indian brands like Swiggy (with their amusing "Chawal vs Chawla" campaign) showcased the effective use of humor in advertising. This trend was further validated by the introduction of a humor sub-category at the Cannes Lions awards. It's clear that humor in advertising is finally being taken seriously, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it."

Satbir Singh, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Thinkstr.in

“While, like every year, this year too has its fair share of brilliant advertising, for me one of the standout ones has been the Loewe Decades of Confusion ad.

Most fashion brands have names that are hard to pronounce as they are of non-English European origin. Loewe is no different. They've addressed this with a clever ad set in a Spelling Bee situation. Audrey Plaza stars in this commercial written by Dan Levy of Schitt's Creek fame. It uses a time lapse format to show Spelling Bee participants struggling with the pronunciation and spelling through years.

In the end, you know how it's done. And that it's Low-eh-way.

That's the way, Loewe!” 

Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Independent Creative Director

“The Specsavers sponsorship idents for the British soap opera Emmerdale are the standout campaign of 2024 for me. Not because they reflect some deep, meaningful brand purpose or terribly insightful strategy but because, after a long time, it was refreshing to see some genuinely funny ads.

Specsavers is an international retailer that sells glasses, hearing aids and provides other services relating to eye and hearing care. They have a history of advertising based on people seeing or hearing things incorrectly, leading to hilarious situations—with the tagline “Should have gone to Specsavers.”

Emmerdale is an iconic soap opera that has been running in the UK since the 1970s. Specsavers got award-winning comedy director Ollie Parsons to make a series of 15 sponsorship idents for the show this year. What I love about them is that they convey the Specsavers message in really short duration while retaining the brand’s trademark humour. Aptly, the idents are like mini soap operas themselves—starting out as seemingly dramatic scenarios that turn out to be laugh-inducing misunderstandings resulting from poor vision or hearing.

The ones that work best are related to poor vision—perhaps because they dovetail more effortlessly with the message inherent in the brand name Specsavers. In one of them, an angry woman storms into a restaurant where her husband is seated, picks up a drink and splashes his face with it saying, “How could you do this to me, Barry?” The only thing is, she’s got the wrong man. She realises her mistake—as do we, the viewers—when her husband calls out to her from another table. It ends with the simple message “Specsavers sponsors Emmerdale.” There’s no other copy, no clutter.

Long live such short and sweet ads!”

Swati Kapoor, Creative Director, Toaster India

“The Apple, don’t let me go film was super entertaining, simple and universally relatable. If an ad makes you feel ‘oh this is so true’, I think it’s done its job. Imagine if you find yourself in a moment like that and think of an ad. This kind of an effect is very rare, but seems possible with this commercial. Exaggerated to the right end, funny throughout and sharp about just one message. Apple advertising nails that and in fact is a benchmark for crisp, fresh storytelling even on mundane features.

In today’s time, the expectation from a creative piece is a lot - make it direct but make it buzz worthy, should get downloads but should also get shares. As a result, creatives end up trying too hard. The line between zabardast and zabardasti is a fine one and often gets blurry for a lot of creative folks. But then an ad like Supermoney - Meh rewards, just by sticking to the basic principles of advertising, ticks all boxes.

A simple insight, a fun creative device, slick execution and done!

For me, it belonged in the same league of buzz worthy ads yet broke the clutter of the loud, gimmicky ideas that now almost feel like a template.”