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- Triple Onions, First Hugs & BMW’s Period Piece
Triple Onions, First Hugs & BMW’s Period Piece
Fact or fake? Hugs, hoaxes, and onion armor.
Welcome back to your daily marketing swipe file. The best ads, served fresh daily, and as tasty as your favorite slice of pepperoni pizza. 🍕 Let’s dig in.

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'Fact or Fake: A Brewery's Tale' - Cerveja Rio Carioca
What’s happening: This ad from Cerveja Rio Carioca (now known as Rio Carioca) presents a Facebook post from "Therezinha do Carmo" sharing a vintage photo of her grandparents on their honeymoon. The text narrates a dramatic story about her grandfather, a salesman for the brewery, bravely resisting soldiers during the Getúlio Vargas dictatorship who tried to seize Rio Carioca boxes. The post ends with the intriguing claim that everyone "took a Rio Carioca together." A large red stamp across the bottom of the image asks, "FACT OR FAKE?"

Why it’s awesome: This ad is brilliant because it's a perfect blend of storytelling, local history, and engagement. By presenting a seemingly authentic historical anecdote and then challenging the viewer with "FACT OR FAKE?", Rio Carioca sparks curiosity and encourages interaction. It cleverly associates the brand with bravery and shared experiences, while also playing on the human desire to uncover the truth. It's a highly original way to build a brand narrative and connect with an audience, especially one interested in local heritage.
'Capturing #firsthugs' - Canon
What’s happening: This heartwarming ad from Canon features two young boys embracing in a tender hug, captured in black and white. The simple text "#firsthugs" is displayed prominently on the left, while the Canon logo in red appears on the right. The image evokes a sense of genuine connection and the significance of early, memorable moments.

Why it’s awesome: The ad brilliantly taps into universal emotions by highlighting the importance of "first hugs" – moments of pure affection and connection. By presenting it in black and white, it emphasizes the timeless and precious nature of such memories. Canon positions itself not just as a camera brand, but as the enabler of preserving these invaluable, fleeting moments, subtly suggesting that their technology helps you hold onto what truly matters. It's simple, evocative, and deeply resonant.

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What’s happening: This humorous ad from Burger King introduces the "Social Distancing Whopper," which is simply a regular Whopper but with "ONIONS x3" clearly highlighted. The tagline at the bottom reads: "THE WHOPPER WITH TRIPLE ONIONS THAT KEEPS OTHERS AWAY FROM YOU." The ad playfully suggests a way to maintain social distancing during the pandemic by ensuring people won't want to get too close due to the strong onion breath.

Why it’s awesome: This ad is a brilliant example of a brand leveraging a topical event (social distancing during a pandemic) with humor and self-awareness. Instead of a serious or preachy message, Burger King finds a lighthearted, yet effective, way to connect with its audience and remind them of their product. It's cheeky, memorable, and perfectly on-brand for Burger King's often irreverent marketing style.
'The Curve of Misinformation' - BOX
What’s happening: This visually striking ad uses a graph to illustrate the dangerous impact of downplaying a health crisis. The x-axis is labeled "Misinformation," and as it progresses, the phrase "LITTLE FLU" gradually transforms and grows in size to become "THE FLU," following an upward curve on the y-axis labeled "NUMBER OF CASES." A small text at the bottom left states: "Decreasing the situation increases the number of cases." The ad, created by BOX, uses a bright yellow background with green typography and lines for high contrast.

Why it’s awesome: The ad employs a clever and direct visual metaphor to communicate a critical message about public health. The transformation of the text mirrors the real-world consequences of minimizing a health threat, showing how dismissing it as a "little flu" can lead to a significant increase in cases. The use of a graph, a universally understood tool for representing data, adds to the ad's effectiveness and makes the message instantly clear and impactful.

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'Punctuation for your life' - BMW
What’s happening: This minimalist yet powerful ad from BMW uses simple punctuation marks to deliver a critical safety message. On the left, a period is accompanied by "When you text and drive," visually representing a definitive end. On the right, a comma is paired with "When you drive," suggesting continuity. The tagline "Your life has to experience more. Let it continue." reinforces the importance of safe driving.

Why it’s awesome: It's incredibly clever and impactful in its simplicity. By using universally understood punctuation, BMW conveys a profound message about the consequences of distracted driving without needing graphic imagery. The stark white background keeps the focus entirely on the message, making it a brilliant example of how less can truly be more in advertising.

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That’s a wrap! We hope these bold, fun, and inspiring ads gave you your daily dose of creative energy. See you soon for some more best-in-class marketing goodies!
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