Filtering out the best from the torrent of worldwide commercial advertising is a definite slog but ultimately worthwhile because hidden in that relentless flow of mediocrity you will find gems worth snatching and savoring.

All these films were published in The Stash Permanent Collection during 2023 and are listed here in chronological order by the issue of publication.
 

(Above)
BMW “XMINDED”
Issue: STASH 158

EASYdoesit director Chehad Abdallah and the Ambassadors VFX/CG team in Amsterdam build a dramatic fantasy world to house BMW’s XM hybrid SUV and jazz trumpeter Christian Scott (aka Chief Adjuah) who also supplies the track and VO.

Ambassadors ECD Justin Blyth: “All visual symbols such as the throne of trumpets, piano tied by balloons, clouds, lightning, crown and breaking mirror were designed and created by the Ambassadors design, animation, VFX & 3D teams. I particularly love the crown, which was built by unfolding and rearranging parts of the BMW rim.”
 
 
 

NIKE “BUNNY RUN”
Issue: STASH 158

Cory Philpott, senior producer at Giant Ant in Vancouver: “W+K Shanghai and Nike tasked us with creating a short and fast-paced video celebrating Chinese New Year, featuring Olympic sprinter Su Bing Tian.

“When Su Bing Tian was a child, he chased rabbits around his town, inspiring his love for running, and this was at the heart of what our client wanted to show.”
 
 
 

“ONEPLUS 11 | LIQUID”
Issue: STASH 159

Somei Sun, CD at Somei Design in Singapore: “OnePlus approached us this time to create a concept video for their brand new concept phone. The core selling point of this phone is its truly advanced liquid cooling system.

“We were very excited when we saw this brief because it’s the world’s first liquid-cooled smartphone. You can see some water cooling pipes on the back of the phone, with liquid constantly flowing inside.”
 
 
 

NIKE “JORDAN REBORN” (Spec)
Issue: STASH 159

To honor Michael Jordon’s impact on basketball and mark his 60th birthday, Stance Studio in Miami crafts a weighty in-house CG tribute film featuring artist Matthew Senna’s solid-gold Air Jordan 10 OVO’s.

Director and CG artist Blvckstance (Alexander Protsyuk): “The film aims to showcase Michael Jordan’s journey to perfection through his most significant victories, using the iconic monologue from his 2014 Nike ad, ‘Maybe it’s my fault’.”
 
 
 

MERCEDES-BENZ “GLC RELAUNCH”
Issue: STASH 161

Aiming to “evoke a feeling of growth and rebirth”, director Shane Griffin and the team at Tendril merge live-action, CG, and virtual production into an opulent relaunch film for the Mercedes-Benz GLC thru Merkley+Partners.

Shane Griffin: “When we were approached by Merkely about this spot, the pitch deadline was aggressive, so my initial instinct was: let’s figure out a unique palette, and ground the car in a realistic environment. From there, we can dive in tighter and this palette and world can inform all our macro CG elements.”
 
 
 

CASTROL “HYSPEC”
Issue: STASH 161

Working with the luxury of full creative freedom, CDs Oriol Puig and Fabio Medrano lead the Trizz crew into a CG world of electric color in this film for Castrol’s hybrid motor oil produced by Partizan thru The Brooklyn Brothers.

Oriol Puig: “Working with the Brooklyn Brothers on this project has been an absolute pleasure. Right from the start, they gave us an incredible amount of freedom to explore the visual possibilities of this captivating world that comes to life with light.”
 
 
 

ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH UK “CHANGE THE ENDING”
Issue: STASH 162

Passion Pictures directors againstallodds channel a classic Disney animation style for this emotional fairy-tale-gone-wrong raising awareness of dementia’s heartbreak for Alzheimer’s Research UK thru agency Above+Beyond with a voice-over by Oscar-winner Olivia Colman.

From Passion Pictures: “This impactful film brings home the importance of Alzheimer Research UK’s mission to find a cure and urges the British public to stand with them and support their revolutionary research. The campaign is the first under their new platform ‘For A Cure’.”
 
 
Watch all the Best of Stash 2023 Collections.