As ad campaigns expand and blur across a growing number of platforms, the most coveted bragging rights (and budgets) most often remain with work intended for television and cinema screens. So let’s kick off the Best of Stash 2016 with 10 stand out commercials everyone needs to see.

These spots showcase the vast range of techniques and emotional gambits it takes to punch out of the hyper-saturated media landscape and connect with an audience.

NAMES OF NOTE IN 2016:
On the creative side, MPC tops our list credited in three spots with Blink director Dougal Wilson, prodco Patrizan, and The Mill appearing twice. On the brand side, Nike and Audi both count two spots a piece.

Congrats to everyone involved in all the spots and thanks for making 2016 a smidge more bearable.

Listed in chronological order from the date of publication in the Stash Permanent Collection.

 
HORNBACH “YOU’RE ALIVE. DO YOU REMEMBER?”
TVC: 60
Berlin creative production duo TED+FLO (VFX super + CD) help Partizan director Tom Noakes realize his curious/hilarious vision of a large man falling down a steep mountain and enjoying every last sensual second.
Credits

 
PEDIGREE “14 YEARS”
Stink director Marcio Leitão (a.k.a Squarehead) tranforms the simplest of sketches by illustrator Daniel Semanas and a smooth VO from English actor Nick Brimble into one of the most minimal yet emotional animated TV spots we’ve seen this decade.
Credits

 
AUDI “DUEL”
One bright spot in the otherwise cringe-inducing first presidential debate of 2016, was the launch of another man vs woman “Duel” in the form of this :90 blast of action for Audi from Rattling Stick director Ringan Ledwidge with invisible VFX from The Mill.
Credits

 
AUDI “THE COMEBACK”
Florian Zachau, Head of VFX at Sehsucht in Hamburg: “The biggest challenge was to make the dinosaur look depressed. A T-Rex is a rather stiff character and there is not a lot of variety of expression and gestures the animators could use in order to bring out the sadness.
Credits

 
NIKE “UNLIMITED YOU”
What’s the secret to punching out of the Rio Olympics ad barrage? Start with a killer script from W+K Portland calling for A-list sports celebs, hire Prettybird directing duo DANIELS to shoot it, hand the footage to editor Angus Wall at Rock Paper Scissors, then let The Mill handle VFX and grade. Easy really.
Credits

 
CHANNEL 4 “WE’RE THE SUPERHUMANS”
Blink director Dougal Wilson crafts a perilous brief into an uplifting and emotional joy with his fearless musical treatment of Channel 4’s campaign for the 2016 Rio Paralympics with MPC providing VFX across 144 shots, including extensive crowd replication and creation of the new Rio stadium in CG.

The spot features over 140 disabled cast members from around the planet and is powered by The Sammy Davis Jr track “Yes I Can” re-recorded by a band of disabled musicians assembled for the occasion.
Credits

 
CRICKET WIRELESS “THE NO-DUH-UH-HUH OBVIOUS CALL”
The feel-good retail spot of the year showcases the character and comedy skills of the Psyop crew all driven by clever lyrics and the happiest/bounciest track we’ve heard in a long time from LA music house Barking Owl for Cricket Wireless through SF agency Argonaut.
Credits

 
NIKE “AIR MAX 2017”
ManvsMachine calls their latest abstract CG opus for Nike “a metaphorical exploration of air and the negative space it occupies.” Has footwear ever felt lighter, cushier, or more comfortable? Probably not.
Credits

 
WWF “TIGER IN SUBURBIA”
Saving endangered tigers, like all donation-powered ventures, requires a powerful emotional connection between those with the means to donate and those needing help. Mission accomplished in this spot from Partizan director Martin Stirling, the MPC CG feline team, and JWT London for The World Wildlife Fund.
Credits

 
JOHN LEWIS “BUSTER THE BOXER”
The team behind the emotional 2015 John Lewis holiday spot “Monty’s Christmas” (Blink director Dougal Wilson, MPC and agency adam&eveDDB) are back and while the tear-jerking factor is lower in “Buster The Boxer,” the story telling and VFX work remain exceptional.
Credits