During Advertising Week New York, the Advertising Club of New York honored the bold, boundary-pushing campaigns that redefined creativity and collaboration across the global advertising industry.
The Brave Brands ceremony
With the ad world congregating in New York this week, the Ad Club of NY, as part of the Andy Awards, held its Brave Brands event, where it celebrated campaigns that dared to be different in an era defined by caution and commercial clutter.
From fast food giants to beauty disruptors, this year’s winners proved that creativity still thrives on risk, bravery and cultural awareness.
Here we take a look at who was honored.
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NotCo Kraft Heinz and Gut’s ‘Mayo Haters’ flipped food marketing on its head with a self-aware jab at condiment cynics.
Burger King France’s ‘The Impossible Collab,’ crafted by Havas Paris and Buzzman, turned corporate rivalry into creative opportunity by teaming up with KFC.
Gaming met real-world strategy in Xbox and McCann London’s ‘The Everyday Tactician,’ which blurred the lines between play and employability.
Molson Coors’s ‘Paid Through Parents’ from Rethink tapped into generational finance with humor and heart.
Vaseline’s ‘Transition Body Lotion’ by Ogilvy Singapore championed inclusivity with a nuanced campaign for trans women.
Renault’s ‘Cars to Work’ by Publicis Conseil made mobility a social equalizer.
AnNahar Newspaper’s ‘The New President’ by Impact BBDO reaffirmed journalism’s power in political discourse.
Telefónica Movistar’s ‘This Is Not a Game’ by VML México used gaming tropes to address digital safety.
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‘In Transit,’ from Callen-Lorde, the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, and MTA with Area 23, blended art and activism across public transport.
And finally, a campaign that drove the room wild. Elf Beauty’s ‘So Many Dicks,’ by Oberland, balanced shock with satire in a feminist take on male dominance in business.
As the Andys opened Advertising Week, the message was clear: bravery pays. The campaigns that lead culture aren’t just clever – they’re the ones willing to take a stand, spark emotion and redefine what brand storytelling can be.
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