"But as we bring 2025 to a close, I wanted to take a more targeted look at some of the best commercials of this year. I've tried to adhere to criteria that includes level of difficulty, creative inventiveness, risk, and sheer entertainment. Despite how much great work is out there, sadly, most advertising can be generously categorized as cultural wallpaper."
"If you were watching the NBA playoffs when this ad aired, you'd be excused if you thought someone snuck some 'shrooms in your beer glass. Unhinged doesn't even begin to describe how the prediction market platform Kalshi went about introducing itself to the broader American public. Hilarious, wild, and an absolute AI-generated nightmare, the spot immediately grabbed attention, but also burned the bridge of shock-and-awe AI ads behind it."
2025 produced notable brand work across platforms, film, and experiences, though most advertising remained background cultural wallpaper. A curated selection prioritized difficulty, creative inventiveness, risk, and sheer entertainment. The best commercials combined technical ambition with clear audience engagement, provoked laughter, and evoked thought. Australian Lamb's 'The Comments Section' skewered online comment culture while highlighting product taste and quality. Kalshi's 'The World's Gone Mad' used unhinged, AI-driven imagery to grab attention, presenting a hilarious but risky approach that may exhaust shock-value AI tactics despite setting a creative benchmark.
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