President’s Playlist: Prerna Mehrotra, Media Lions

Soft drink brand Guaraná Antarctica turned overlooked space into a new media channel that delivered a message to millions of people, sparking a movement that spread beyond its efforts. It has – and will have – a game-changing impact on women’s football in Brazil for years to come. It was brilliantly simple and brilliantly executed.

You have to do something original and bold to win at the Super Bowl. Streaming platform Tubi did just that with this cheeky prank that took guts, incredible skill and planning to boot. It had newscasters, influencers and everyone on social media talking about the brand while still feeling like they were talking about their own Super Bowl experience.

Rather than pushing ads onto already cluttered screens, tech giant Samsung showed how to pull people in when promoting its new handset. By flipping an audience insight and creating a digital treasure hunt, it immersed one of the most cynical, hard-to-reach audiences into a two-way conversation. It leveraged the algorithm to deliver more for its brand while getting more insight back.

This execution took time, patience and a long-term view. Going beyond the actual planting of reef stars, it used digital media to make the initiative accessible and even participative for people globally. It’s now being scaled around the world to have a greater impact for generations to come.

Piggybacking a significant cultural moment using existing UX to further engage consumers with your core offering – what’s not to love? This clever activation by the delivery app will be recounted by many Argentineans whenever they think about one of the best summers of their lives, delivering brand love and recall without spending a single dollar.

Putting the business resources of telco Telenor to work for social good is a simple idea with far-reaching impact. It would not have been easy to deliver and undoubtedly took courage and conviction. It will change the lives of millions in Pakistan forever and could be scaled into other markets with similar challenges. It truly demonstrates how our industry can help effect change in society.

This truly connected with Dove’s brand values and built a deeper connection with consumers in an incredibly competitive category. It went beyond education to empower women and girls to be comfortable in their bodies, delivering a positive impact for years to come. In a time of filters, AI and ‘smart’ photography, this reminder is timely and necessary.