#LinkedIn invited me to write an article/post about #BestAds, although in the world, and in particular, in English, there are several examples; I preferred to talk about a Colombian ad, and in Spanish.
We are so exposed to advertising that most of the time, we ignore those ads. We discount them when we press 'skip' on our screens when we cross a street or traffic light without noticing them, or when we change channels with the remote control (if you still use those!). However, some ads stick. That you are willing to continue watching, or that you want to find out more.
We keep in our minds, however, those that are memorable. Either because they are funny, or sad, sexy, or controversial, or because those ads manage to stir something inside us, making us feel nostalgic, somehow.
Growing up in Colombia, I remember a very nostalgic ad that since 1997 continues to play every December, in every Christmas season. It was produced for a Coffee Company in Colombia (Café Aguila Roja), and up until today 2021, this commercial is considered the most famous Christmas commercial of all time.
The formula was simple; a Christmas jingle in the background and a message with a kid's voice that was six years old. The video is an animation that evokes Christmas nostalgia; it is an alive and animated coffee bean with the colors of the Colombian flag (Yellow, Blue, and Red) that joins the recently born Jesus with a message of happiness, love, and that life is good.
The commercial was a hit for the radio and massive success on TV, particularly for the kids with the lovely animation. This commercial has been running since 1998, and millennials sure have not forgotten about it. In Tik Tok, for example, people have danced to it, reminding us that whole generations grew up watching and listening to and feeling this commercial every Christmas.
I think this is Colombian's #BestAds because when you look at it, you might think that this has all the ingredients for it to be a total failure. However, this happens to be a complete success, running for more than 20 years and evoking a message of unity and love. If this is not #BestAds, what is it, then I wonder?
