By now, every ad fan worth their salt will have seen the new Apple spot (above) directed by Spike Jonze. For one thing it’s extremely on-brand, as the ad that officially launched Apple – "1984", directed by Ridley Scott that same year – also showed how its products were capable of smashing through the greyness.
For another, it showcases the considerable talents of Mister Jonze. As well as feature films such as Her and Where the Wild Things Are, you will of course remember him from last year’s smash hit Kenzo ad. But I’m not going to show you that. Instead, I’m going to travel back in time and show you five Jonze-directed spots that you may not have seen (at least for a while).
One of my favourite ever spots is this one: “Hello Tomorrow”, for Adidas. As well as displaying some Jonze tropes (hidden worlds, folding landscapes and dream sequences), it features the vocal talents of Karen O.
You may have spotted a bear in that last spot, so here’s another one. A bear and a beer, in fact, as it’s an ad for Miller Lite.
When it comes to Jonze-helmed ads, they don’t come more classic than “Lamp”, for Ikea, with its beautiful little twist at the end.
The anarchist in you may respond to this ad for Gap, which is immensely watchable while also having a genuine point.
Finally, I had to delve back into the annals of time to find a terrific Levi’s spot that showcases Jonze’s ability to merge music, story and off-the-wall humour.
And that's just a personal pick. Take a stroll through the AdForum archive and you'll find a few more.
