While the bulk of advertising produced each year may induce yawns or irritation, if you look long and hard enough you will find exceptional work that combines creative and technical innovation to deliver emotional engagement.

Take the time to watch these eight projects and see if you don’t agree that despite pandemic restrictions, shrinking budgets, and condensed timelines the heart and craft of commercial production are both flourishing.

All films were published in The Stash Permanent Collection during 2021 and are listed here in chronological order by the date of publication.
 

(above)
TOYOTA “UPSTREAM”
STASH 146

Many tears flowed during Super Bowl LV thanks to this powerful work for Toyota from Radical Media director Tarsem Singh and the Framestore VFX crew recounting the incredible journey of Jessica Long from orphan amputee to Paralympic swimming champion.
 
 
 

FENDER “AMERICAN ACOUSTASONIC JAZZMASTER”
STASH 147

Mike Sharpe, creative director at ManvsMachine in London: “Global guitar masters, Fender approached us with the task of introducing their new guitar, The American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster.

“The mission was to create a film that both educated and excited the audiences as to the versatility and sonic possibilities of this incredible new instrument.”
 
 
 

GLOBAL WOMEN “CAREER-LIMITING MOVE”
STASH 147

The quirky stop-motion charm of Passion Animation director Anna Mantzaris energizes the dry comedy of this spot marking International Women’s Day for Global Women thru Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand.

Anna Mantzaris: “I just fell in love with this project as soon as Saatchi & Saatchi got in touch with us. It is the most rewarding thing to be able to combine my creativity with a subject that is really close to my heart.”
 
 
 

GREENPEACE “WASTEMINSTER”
STASH 148

Executive producer Tan Wen Hao at Method & Madness in Singapore: “We partnered with European agencies, Studio Birthplace and Park Village, and Greenpeace to highlight the scale of plastic waste dumping conducted by the United Kingdom.

“The message of this ad also speaks to the consequences of plastic waste dumping in Southeast Asia – where once-thriving regions have been transformed into literal dumpsites.”
 
 
 

FRANCE TELEVISION “SUMO”
STASH 148

Joelle Moorghen Cleworth, head of marketing at Mikros MPC in Paris: “France Television wanted an ident film that would promote its programs for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

“From an artistic standpoint, the key challenge was to respect the traditional codes of 18th-century Japanese prints, both from a narrative and an aesthetic perspective.”
 
 
 

TACO BELL FRY FORCE “NACHO FRIES”
STASH 149

The latest in Deutsch LA’s series of spots for Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries wrangles classic anime action and dialogue into a beat-perfect parody courtesy of Psyop directors Luca Vitale, Kylie Matulick, and Japanese studios Yapiko and Echelle Animation.

Luca Vitale: “For this specific piece, we really wanted to play to the tropes. There was the mandate to be dramatic and classic, but it’s about Nacho Fries. There is drama juxtaposed to the silliness.”
 
 
 

“THE OFFICIAL TENNIS OF SIPSMITH GIN”
STASH 149

The master puppet team of maker Andy Ghent and animator Andy Biddle join Biscuit director Jeff Low and Gramercy Park Studio to reprise the stop-motion charm of Mr. Swan and his undentable ego for Ogilvy and Sipsmith Gin’s partnership with Wimbledon.
 
 
 

PORSCHE “NO SMALL DREAMS”
STASH 150

Vincenzo Lodigiani, director at Dress Code in New York: “The client was looking for someone that could develop a series of films with a fresh and sophisticated aesthetic. An approach that would combine minimalism and graphic compositions with a cinematic twist, given by the use of cameras and clever transitions.

“With the unconventional choice of using animation, Porsche was aiming to enhance its own identity and to appeal to a younger demographic, with particular attention to the female audience.”