This is the first anti-smoking campaign we’ve ever seen that doesn’t say it’s bad for your health. Instead it very craftfully points the smoker to the costs of smoking through what looks like an installation made out of almost 7,000 cigarettes – it is really made through a CG modeling tool, custom made by Magic. So this is what you’re missing out on; a shelf full of designer bags and shoes by Jimmy Choo. iris Amsterdam also created a motor bike and a trip around the world with the pyramids of Giza. All for the anti-smoking body Stivoro. So if you’re not quiting for your health, do it for your wallet. Tom Ormes, creative director at iris Amsterdam: “talking to the Dutch, we figured let’s hit them where it hurts most – their wallets!” Haha, inspired by the Dutch’ stingyness. We almost can’t imagine this hasn’t been done before. But then again, as we all know that is what you always think when coming across a brillant idea.

This is breathtaking. Everyting about it. The concept by Selmore, the distinctive song by Niki Reiser, the direction by Bram van Alpen (Caviar), the shoot by Carli Hermes, the CG by The Ambassadors, and last but not least the perfect creation by nature, Doutzen Kroes. What is special about this project is that it was shot by photographer Carli Hermès. An analogue eye turned into a digital experience, so to say. All of them worked on this project for free, for they understood the copy; “Nature, that’s you.” On WNF’s website you can find out how we can “Pass on the earth” in different ways. Let’s start by spreading this lovely film.

To fully appreciate this it helps if you have seen the commercial ‘The Date’ – in which a man takes his date on a spectacular night out. ‘The Serenade’ is a Valentine’s Day inspired follow up. It comes with a Facebook app that allows you to create a Valentine serenade to be performed by the same band that plays the catchy song Jaan Pehechaan Ho in the original commercial – in a personalized way as you can see here. The climax is this Wednesday – on the 9th of Feb. – when Heineken will host ‘Serenade Live’, an 8-hour YouTube event during which you get the chance to ask someone out on a date in an unforgetable way; performed by the ‘Serenade Band’. On top of that the performers will react live to the online audience. Created by Wieden+Kennedy.

There’s a somewhat strange trend going on in the Netherlands. Ambulance personnel is being harrased quite regularly whilst trying to do their job. You wonder how ambulance personnel could possibly evoke any aggression. And when you see this SIRE commercial, with the pay-off “If we respect our medical care providers in wartime, why not in peacetime”, it becomes even weirder to think about it. You can sign the petition ‘Hands Off’ here. Strong one, by Selmore and director Rogier Hesp (Caviar).

Wow, what a great print ad (click pic = full ad) to explain that you sell “extra strong garlic sauce”. It instantly shows how Heinz’ new sauce scares away all the personal ads in the newspaper: no date guaranteed! Though when you think about it; is the repllent quality of garlic an attribute you’d want to blow up? Mmm. Probably not. Then again, if we’re talking about single mindedly conveying a message loud and clear, this ad is a winner! Created by N=5.

TEDxAmsterdam has a special ethos; ‘Ideas worth doing’ – instead of ‘Ideas worth spreading’. It inspired We Are Pi to create this living brain – using the pay-off ‘Ideas United’ – together with choreographer Ernst Meisner, the National Ballet and Nova Dance College. The striking version of the Hokey Cokey was performed by Rutger Hauer together with Pigeon Horse Sex Tennis, the band from We Are Pi creatives Rick Chant and Barney Hobson. So that’s what you get when ideas get united; what a beaut of a film! Here’s the poster distilled from the film and the making of. The film was directed by Bill Tanaka (328 Stories) and Dance2Film.

Beginning of this month we wrote about a viral – if we may – for the Amsterdam Maritime (‘Scheepvaart’) museum; “No Facebook without the Dutch” it was dubbed. Apparently – and wisely – all of the museum’s budget goes towards online, cause last week we encountered yet another great piece of digital advertising; a site take-over – again a collaboration between One Big Agency, CCCP, and SuperHeroes. When you pull the plug to let the water run away, the Netherlands all of a sudden has become part of Spain and the Dutch news site ‘Nu’ changes into ‘Ahora’. History changes and the news accordingly; queen Beatrix is merely a sculptor now, Dutch brand Philips is called Philips II (after the ruler of Spain in the 16th century), a separatist organization claims to stick to Dutch (a cameo for CCCP’s copywriter and art director); Wesley Sneijder (“Esnaider”) scores for Spain, and Jan Smit (“Juan Smit”) with mustache releases a new album. This time the message is: “Without shipping no Orange” (the royal colour) and again the Scheepvaart museum teaches us how important the maritime history has been for the Netherlands. Usually we ignore banners or – when they obscure a site – search for the ‘delete’ button straight away, but not with this banner that entertained us for almost 10 minutes. It could be a lesson for those advertisers who think that buying banner positions is the same as making an impact – it is not.

Though we’re always a bit wary of ‘commercials’ that show how the consumer is impressed by seeing an ad – it’s usually (art) directed – we very much like the idea of Triodos boldly using Nasdaq and Thomson Reuters’ tickertape on Times Square – probably the most expensive billboard in the world – to communicate that the stock market is about greed, instead of happiness. Quite a change from last year’s  ‘Follow your heart, Use your head‘ ad – about which we said it wasn’t aggressive enough. What we like best about this ad is that it ironically shows that money makes the world go round; everything is for sale. Created by Dawn.

What a killer concept; a last minute billboard, becomes a last-minute billboard! The copy underneath the offer: “Our offers are so last minute that we could only create this ad last minute”. It proves once more that brilliance and simplicity go hand in hand in advertising. Created by N=5.

This ‘Job Hustle’ case film by Bas van der Poel and Daan van Dam (Wonder Years) speaks for itself. They wanted a job and got one; at Boondoggle – by using Twitter in an unorthodox way. It’s on target, inventive, and effective. This is the kind of people that we can use in advertising. They use technology to get a message across, not just to show they are geeks. Well done, guys.