Production-free Ads That Work

Examples of Production-Free Ads That Work

When productions were canceled or pushed back in 2020, agencies were forced to develop something they could create with resources at hand. They learned you don’t need a massive production to tell a compelling story. You need a message and a creative way to deliver it.?

Enter production-free ads. Creatives used archival footage, licensed footage, and animation to turn lemons into lemonade. And inspiration. And awards. And change.?

We’ve picked out a few to prove just how powerful this strategy can be.

Nike Commercial - Never Too Far Down (Motivation)

1. Nike | Never Too Far Down

Nike’s recent campaigns have epitomized working smarter, not harder. No matter how fun it may be to assemble big shoots with actors, sets, and effects, Nike sits on one of the most valuable creative resources—archival footage. Their brand has been ubiquitous in sports for decades, which means they have all of the drama, perseverance, hardship, and inspiration they could ever want. In “Never Too Far Down” they lean into it, proving that no amount of production can compensate for the emotion packed into these iconic moments.

Chipotle - The Scarecrow

2. Chipotle | The Scarecrow

Sometimes a production-free approach can provide even more creative opportunities. In Chipotle’s animated spots, like “Back to the Start” and “A Love Story,” they used this as an opportunity to make fanciful yet highly emotional narratives that never would’ve been possible in-camera or on-set. We think “The Scarecrow” may be the best example of these spots, building a sad and terrifying future and sprinkling it with a glimmer of hope. It’s a brilliantly constructed narrative with everything you could ask for in a story and more—even the incredible cover of?“Pure Imagination” by Fiona Apple?has a story arc.

Forever Young | Made Possible by Hosts | Airbnb

3. Airbnb | Made Possible by Hosts

This production-free approach to advertising is one of the simplest forms of storytelling: photo slideshows. In their series?Made Possible by Hosts,?Airbnb invited photographers to take trips with their family and friends, shoot photos of their stay, and send the photos back to the brand. They then edited the photos with familiar songs, communicating the unique experiences Airbnb provides while beautifully capturing the emotion of traveling with the ones you love. Beyond the text added to the piece, the entire commercial is generated by Airbnb’s users. It’s a great reminder to lean into your brand’s strength and focus on your customer’s value.

Read more on the Filmsupply blog: https://flmsp.ly/3JLpXjV