June Campaigns of the Month.

It’s the end of June, which can only mean one thing – a fresh new Campaigns of the Month for you to enjoy. We’ve got a real mixed bag of ads this month but as it’s June, there’s an underlying theme of football fever, election expectancy and of course, Cannes Lions laudation. Let’s get to it.

Empire State Building x HBO – ‘Dragon Takeover’

What do you do when you have a TV show about dragons to promote? You wrap one around the top of the Empire State Building of course. To launch the much-anticipated second season of HBO’s hit show, ‘House of the Dragon’, and a new immersive experience for fans of the show, the network teamed up with New York’s iconic skyscraper to erect a giant inflatable dragon on top. Now, we’ve been loving all the fake CGI outdoor activations lately but it’s great to see a real one for a change. It’s especially impressive at night when the skyscraper was lit up green.

Orange France – ‘WoMen’s Football’

We couldn’t publish a Campaigns of the Month edition for June and not cover off the Cannes Lions. This annual festival is like the Oscars for advertising and celebrates the best advertising work from all around the world. We thought we’d give a shout out to a campaign that we covered when it first appeared but definitely warrants another nod after picking up two Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions this month and racking up more than 5 million views on YouTube since it first appeared. We won’t spoil it if you haven’t seen it before but it’s a very clever ad that has an important message at its heart.

Adidas – ‘Hey Jude’

If you’re an England fan getting hyped for the Euros then this incredible film from Adidas is sure to put the fire in your belly and a lump in your throat. Soundtracked by a stripped back version of The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ sung by Paul McCartney, and the chant that England fans conveniently use for super star midfielder Jude Bellingham, the ad depicts different groups of fans in desperation and disappointment after another England loss at a major tournament, before ending with Bellingham changing our fortunes. Featuring some other famous faces such as David Beckham and Frank Lampard, the ad perfectly encapsulates Euros fever.

British Heart Foundation – ‘England ‘Til I Died’

Ahead of the launch of the Euros, Saatchi & Saatchi partnered with British Heart Foundation to celebrate the lives and passion for football of 12 young fans who sadly lost their lives to heart disease. Created by Pete Ioulianou and Ollie Agius, the campaign plays on the famous chant of supporters – “England ‘Til I Die” – and is made up of 12 hand-painted murals around the UK depicting young football fans who sadly died early from heart disease. What’s not to love about this important campaign? Beautifully simple and brilliantly executed.

Ben Golik – ‘He Left Them on the Beaches’

We don’t usually feature mock-up ads, but this is an exception. On the back of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s fateful decision to leave a major international ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings, a ceremony in which most of the world’s major leaders were in attendance, Uncommon’s Creative Director Ben Golik quickly pulled this clever political ad together. No matter which way you lean politically, there’s no doubting it’s power and some are even describing it as the most memorable British political ad since Saatchi & Saatchi’s ‘Labour Isn’t Working’ poster from 1978 (another favourite of ours).

Which was your favourite campaign in June? Was it the football one, the football one or the other football one? But if football’s not your thing, fear not. We’ll have more creative work to inspire you next month.

And don’t forget, if you’re looking for an advertising agency to help your brand be featured in a round-up like this one day, then let’s have a natter.