The Best Ads of Q3 2024: Top creative advertising campaigns to inspire you, according to marketing experts
As marketers, we eat, sleep, and breathe creativity. Every day, we’re surrounded by ads and campaigns that push the boundaries of innovation, storytelling, and strategy. We’re always on the hunt for ads of all formats that make us say, “Wow, I wish I’d thought of that!”
Once a month, we take a step back to appreciate the ads that stood out to us the most. Our team shares their top finds from “the wild” and we all vote to determine our ultimate favorite.
Now, we’re excited to share our top picks from Q3 2024. These ads not only impressed us but inspired ideas and set the bar even higher for what’s possible in marketing.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into our selections—keep scrolling to see which ad came out on top every month, or skip to
Our Favorite Ads from July 2024
First, let’s cover some honorable mentions:
Chicken Of The Sea
As millennials, we’ll always remember the 2003 reality TV moment when Jessica Simpson mistook tuna for chicken because of the brand name “Chicken of the Sea.” Now, 21 years later, this ad humorously revisits that iconic mix-up with the help of her daughter, Maxwell.
Love Holidays
We love this ad because it cleverly combines the power of positive reviews with a fun twist on a classic saying, making it both memorable and trustworthy. It’s a smart way to show that Loveholidays is all about happy customers.
Surreal Cereal
This one stood out because it speaks directly to us as marketers, hooking us with the bold “ROI” and then delivering a cheeky, unexpected punchline about cereal. It’s a super smart and playful way to grab attention while connecting with a target audience that appreciates a bit of humor.
Best Ad Runner Up:
Marc Jacobs x Nara Smith
This one perfectly blends Nara Smith’s creative flair with Marc Jacobs’ brand, making it feel fresh, fun, and completely on-trend. Not to mention the clever concept of “baking” a tote bag from scratch is captivating, hilarious, and totally unexpected. This ad nails the TikTok vibe.
Best Ad WINNER
Skin1004 SPF
Now for our winner. This one combines the viral trust fall trend, with the “trust no man” saying. What makes it hilarious is the sound of him landing on the floor while she starts talking about why you should only trust SPF to protect you. The contrast between the physical comedy of the trust fall and the serious message about sun protection creates a memorable and amusing moment.
Our Favorite Ads from August 2024
Honorable mentions from August:
WeTransfer
We love this ad because its serious appearance and hook that catches your attention. After reading a few sentences, you realize it’s a joke, which makes you want to keep reading. This ad cleverly turns an ongoing user frustration—expired links—into an inside joke between the brand and its users. By framing the update as a satirical “break-up” post, WeTransfer makes the audience feel understood in a humorous way. It’s an attention-grabbing, relatable way to connect with users while addressing a common pain point.
Best Ad Runner Up – August: Heinz x Marvel
We love how this ad mashes up two totally unrelated things—superheroes and condiments. It’s a fun, pop culture-meets-food pairing that you can’t help but remember. The trendy ‘can’t unsee it’ line sticks in your mind, keeping Heinz top-of-mind in a clever way. Plus, this campaign coincided perfectly with the movie launch, boosting its popularity even further.
Best Ad in August WINNER
Dentistry
We love this ad because it uses silly humor to grab attention. Immediately, your focus goes to the man’s missing tooth, even though he is, in fact, missing an eyebrow too! This makes the message of how important dentistry is witty, powerful, and extremely effective
Our Favorite Ads from September 2024
Honorable mentions from September
Kitkat
This is a brilliant example of how design can enhance a message. The KitKat bar fits perfectly into the visual structure of a calendar, which is very recognizable to us as marketers! It reinforces the product’s “take a break” slogan in a clever, visually satisfying way while resonating with the target audience of overworked professionals.
Best Ad Runner Up – September
Purple Mattress
This ad uses humor and an unexpected twist to grab attention while demonstrating the product’s key selling point: irresistible comfort. The narrative of robbers and cops falling asleep on the mattress is playful, memorable, and communicates the mattress’s ability to make anyone fall asleep instantly. The ad also highlights the Purple Mattress’s unique features in a fun and engaging way, making the product seem so good that even in a high-stakes moment, sleep wins.
Best Ad (or email marketing) WINNER in September
Get Phyllo
We’re obsessed with this creative and personal email from GetPhyllo. The meme format breaks the usual cold-email monotony, making it memorable and engaging. By using humour and a personal touch, GetPhyllo makes their outreach feel human, helping to create a connection with the recipient rather than just a typical sales pitch.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the best ads from Q3 2024! Each campaign showcased here brought something unique to the table, from playful humor to inventive storytelling. Make sure to check back next month for a fresh selection of our top ads of 2024.
