Best ads of 2017: W+K’s Sainsbury’s debut wins January

Wieden+Kennedy London says on its website that it exists to create strong and provocative relationships between good companies and their customers.

Its debut campaign for Sainsbury’s, after winning the business from long-terms incumbent AMV BBDO, has certainly proved provocative: some people hating it with a rare fury. Is it the equivalent of a middle-aged accountant wearing his baseball cap the wrong way round?

It certainly risks that response but we thought it was a bold and dramatic (and beautifully crafted) restatement of what Sainsbury’s, which was looking a bit middle-aged, could stand for and gave it 9.

For much of January it stood on its own and then came a late rush of others.

Buzzman in Paris borrowed from a venerable Cadbury ad in this neat new effort for Milka.

Then adam&eveDDB appeared with two ads for the US, appropriately enough as it’s trying to conquer America. Its Super Bowl debut for Snickers and a cheeky effort for another Mars brand, Greenies cat treats.

Another early release Super Bowl effort sneaks in as well (it’s on Sunday), Anomaly’s powerful hymn to immigrant Adolphus Busch for Budweiser. Doubt it will make Donald Trump’s day though.