Brian Murray’s favorite campaigns

Zulu Alpha Kilo

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Toronto, Canada

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When it comes to advertising, creativity is the driving force behind every memorable campaign. But what truly makes an ad stand out in the cluttered marketplace? To get an insider’s perspective, AdForum sat down with Brian Murray, Chief Creative Officer at Zulu Alpha Kilo, to talk about his favorite campaigns, the creative strategies behind them, and how they’ve influenced his own work.

Brian, whose agency was recently named one of Ad Age’s 2024 A-List Agencies and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2024, shares his thoughts on what makes a campaign truly unforgettable. From memorable punchlines to innovative product demos, here are the top five campaigns that have left a lasting impression on him.

1) Combos: “What Your Mom Would Feed You If Your Mom Were a Man”

Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day New York
A good tagline should capture the essence of an idea—simple, succinct, and memorable. But what happens when the tagline is anything but simple? TBWA\Chiat\Day’s quirky campaign for Combos does just that.

Brian explains: Agencies are often tasked with coming up with taglines. Usually, the best approach is to distill a big idea down to a pithy tagline like “Just do it”. Alternatively, this Combos campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day New York proves it can be equally viable to create a tagline so clunky and cumbersome that it is instantly unignorable and unforgettable.

^{Combos Man/Mom campaign}

2) Volkswagen: “Lamp Post”

Agency: DDB London
Volkswagen’s Lamp Post commercial is a masterclass in timing and restraint. Brian notes that the key here is knowing when to let the audience fill in the blanks. It shows that sometimes, breaking the rules (like not featuring the brand upfront) can make for an unforgettable experience.

Sometimes it can be tricky deciding when to cut away during a punchline. I think this Volkswagen commercial by DDB London does a great job of letting the viewer connect the dots. Also, it shows that there are exceptions to the “best practice” rule of having your branding in the first frame.

3) Starburst: “Factory”

A campaign that Brian believes helped establish a comedic tone now synonymous with Skittles, Starburst’s “Factory” spot took absurdity to new heights. The campaign represents a creative shift in how humor was used to drive a product message.

I don’t think Starburst gets enough credit for helping establish the absurdist comedic tone that is now almost exclusively attributed to Skittles. Also, I like to believe that there’s a director’s cut of this ad somewhere where the guy sticks his head in at the end.

4) Kayak: “Brain Surgeon” & “Roommates”

Agency: Barton F. Graf
Brian admires the straightforwardness of these Kayak ads. Unlike the typical sneaky advertising that tries to trick consumers into engaging, these spots embrace the fact that they are ads, yet still manage to keep viewers entertained.

^{Kayak Brain Surgeon}

He adds: Most ads are totally ignored so we assume that people don’t like ads, which leads us to make sneaky advertising that tries to pretend it’s not advertising. Well, I like ads that aren’t ashamed they’re ads, like this Kayak campaign by Barton F. Graf. Here are two entertaining commercials that I can watch again and again and are wall-to-wall product.

^{Kayak Roommates}

5) BMW: “Mouse” & “Land Speed Record”

Sometimes a great ad is simply about showcasing what a product can do. BMW’s Mouse and Land Speed Record ads stand out for their clever use of product demos, especially in an age where emotional branding has taken over.

^{BMW Mouse}

These days, products seldom have a compelling USP over their competition. And if they do, their “fast follow” competition will neutralize the advantage in a few months anyway. So, as branding experts, we tend to build brands on emotional benefits and brand values. But every now and then, when we do get to work on a product that has something interesting to say about the actual product, I like to pull up these BMW ads from South Africa as a reminder of how great a product demo ad can be.

^{BMW Land Speed Record}

Honorable Mention: Counterfeit Minis

Agency: CPB
The Counterfeit Minis campaign for Mini is a perfect example of how attention to detail can elevate a campaign. The campaign’s humorous approach to “knockoff” cars never loses sight of the brand's personality while poking fun at its competition.

Brian expands: This old Mini campaign from CPB shows that a lot of thought and care should go into the small details even when you’re trying to make something look awful. Plus, it’s super funny and I feel like there have been a lot of counterfeit versions of this campaign since it launched. And it’s a demo ad. And it’s not ashamed it’s an ad. This one ticks a lot of boxes.

^{BMW Mini Counterfeit campaign}