April has been full of surprises, from the one’s delivered by the Easter bunny right through to prime minister calling a general election in June.  We’ve also been pleasantly surprised by both the range and quality of content released over the past four weeks.  Here is a roundup of our favourite top five.

LUCOZADE SPORT

Not letting the past hold him back, this honest portrayal of Watford born and bred Anthony Joshua’s rise to being a British Heavy Weight champion.  Achieved through his persistence, and clearly with the love and support of his mother, the advert not only inspires, but might even make your bottom lip quiver!

LLOYDS BANK

Using the same narrative structure as the Anthony Joshua Lucozade Sport advert – time – Lloyds Bank’s iconic black horse travels at full gallop from the past into the present. In a sequence of beautiful, slow motion shots accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the equally iconic Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ track by Hannah Grace. The advert compels a second viewing immediately because, despite the slowed pace, you are enraptured to the point of feeling like you may have missed something in this whirlwind journey through Lloyds’ 250-year history.

LYNX

In a series of nine short videos titled ‘Men in Progress’ Lynx has done a complete 180 on previous marketing campaigns, moving from portraying the sexist fantasies of teenage boys to showcasing men… real men. Anthony Joshua also pops up in this campaign as it shows men talking honestly how they feel about things such as crying, body image and even what ‘masculinity’ means to them. Slightly confusing at times with the past brand positioning rattling about in your mind, it is still an engaging watch – we’ve put in the ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ episode for starters.

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY

With the aim to share the confusion and difficulty of processing information for some people with autism, The National Autistic Society launched the advert ‘Make it Stop.’ Through both shooting and editing techniques, the layering up and repeating of elements experienced by our young protagonist in the commercial, you are flooded with empathy as you quickly grasp the frustration and anxiety living with the condition can induce .

No7

No7 new ‘Restore & Renew’ Face and Neck Serum advert had us all guessing what was green screen, what was composited and what was shot on location.  We also spent some time debating what was the source and the purpose of the big pink spot light on the side of the building?