David Reviews

 "You're not an artist, Peggy. You solve problems." Don Draper.

TOP 25 FILM PRODUCTION COMPANIES
These scores are compiled from a combination of our in-house rating system and user ratings. Only UK work from the last two years is considered.
 1. Biscuit Filmworks 89.2%  
 2. MindsEye 88.6%  
 3. Merman 88.3%  
 4. Blinkink 87.0%  
 5. Blink 86.5%  
 6. Kode 86.1%  
 7. Dark Energy 85.8%  
 8. Riff Raff Films 85.6%  
 9. Pulse Films 85.3%  
 10. Arts & Sciences 85.2%  
 11. Academy Films 85.1%  
 12. Smuggler 84.6%  
 13. MJZ 84.4%  
 14. Knucklehead 84.2%  
 15. Rogue 84.0%  
 16. Somesuch 84.0%  
 17. Stink 83.6%  
 18. Caviar 83.4%  
 19. Agile Films 83.3%  
 20. Anonymous Content 83.1%  
 21. Outsider 82.9%  
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Five Star Work
(1-25 of 25)

NRMA
"Hailstorm"
60s
4 Dec 2023
This adorable commercial for NRMA Insurance sees a dinky car take matters into its own, erm, wheels when a hail storm looms. Rather than wait for its owner to come back, it drives off to find shelter in whatever garage, alley, or underpass it can find. Other sentient cars have the same idea, which forces our hero to brave areas marked 'No Parking—Private Property'.

Tubi
"Sitcom"
30s
3 Dec 2023
This hilarious commercial for Tubi is a perfect spoof of one of the most annoying tropes of 1990s sitcoms from the United States... the wacky, scene stealing neighbour. 'Seinfeld' was a prime offender with Michael Richards, who played Kramer, only having to fling open Jerry's apartment door to win the kind of applause you'd expect for a Nobel laureate who's just announced a cure to all cancers.

Toyota
"Present from the Past"
90s
1 Dec 2023
In 2020, 'A Little Love' by Celeste became the first non-cover song to accompany the John Lewis Christmas ad (and what a year to do it in, eh?) Toyota must have liked it, as it soundtracks this ninety-second commercial from Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and director Lisa Gunning.

Drumsheds
"Big is Beautiful"
60s
29 Nov 2023
When IKEA Tottenham shut in 2022, few would have expected a 608,000-square-foot arena and cultural hub to move in. Drumsheds only opened in October this year, but they already have eyes on spring/summer 2024. This sixty-second commercial is a show of strength and a statement of intent with soul to boot.

The Brain Cancer Centre
"Lachie"
3 mins 20s
24 Nov 2023
Lachie Stephenson was nineteen years old when he was diagnosed with a form of terminal brain cancer (in his case, diffuse midline glioma). His mother, Amy, wants to share that moment with others, as well as the good times captured on home video. She entrusts Lachie's story to the Brain Cancer Centre and director Michael Hili—neither of whom let the Stephensons down.

TUI
"Livin' la Vida Loca"
60s
28 Nov 2023
Life in the North Pole is tough, so it's unsurprising when, as soon as Father Christmas has lift-off, his elves want a break from snow and ice. Thus, TUI's first Christmas ad (Ant & Dec just missed out on that honour) blends pointy hats and stripy socks with pool toys and sun loungers.

Montefiore Einstein
"There's Magic in All of Us"
4 mins 53s
28 Nov 2023
DAVID's heart falters a little when he sees a run time approaching five minutes, but there's nothing to be feared on this occasion as this fantastic commercial justifies every last second. Director Tom Hooper felt it was important to cast a child with cerebral palsy in the main role, and you can see why. The performance is unbelievably lovely, and all the more so for being so entirely genuine. It is uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time.

Royal Mail
"In Good Hands"
60s
27 Nov 2023
A few years ago, Royal Mail claimed that the future was in "safe hands". Fast forward to today, and the brand insist customers are in "good hands". Perhaps one day they'll combine the two for complete peace of mind. In the meantime, this sixty-second focuses on the hands that give and receive the post each day.

BoohooMan
"London 2040"
2 mins 20s
23 Nov 2023
Something strange is happening in a London in 2040 in this entertaining commercial from director K C Locke. Malfunctioning AI has prompted the prices at clothing retailer BoohooMan to plummet, and the result is a stampede towards their flagship shop (which is hilariously low-key, by the way).

Short Films
"Todo Es De Color"
2 mins 10s
23 Nov 2023
Released to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 'Todo Es De Color' [Everything is in Colour] uses the Lole y Manuel song of the same name to great effect. It's the soundtrack to a bloody but beautiful tale of sorority from director Mahee Lanna, whose background in production design also comes to the fore.

WealthSimple
"A Short Day At Work"
60s
22 Nov 2023
You have to admire a brand is committed to comedy as WealthSimple. How many other brands would be willing to get behind a script like this? Obviously, mainly Martin Short is sending up himself, but many clients would worry about the collateral damage along the way, as – to make the comedy work – Short has to be very dismissive of WealthSimple.

Adidas
"Superstars"
2 mins
22 Nov 2023
This is an absolute masterclass from editor Paul Watts. Director Daniel Wolfe probably deserves a little bit of credit too, but – let's be honest – this is all about the editing, and when Watts is in this kind of form, he is peerless. The ad itself is a fabulous look at the history of the advertised sportswear company, focusing, in particular, on the cultural phenomenon of its trainers with their familiar three stripes.

Yeti
"Malik"
12 mins 06s
22 Nov 2023
At one point in this gorgeous documentary for luggage brand Yeti, veteran rock climber Conrad Anker says: "We get to where we are in life through people." When Malik Martin met Anker by chance in Memphis, Tennessee, it was the start of a beautiful friendship that took Martians places he never expected to go.

Apple
"Fuzzy Feelings"
3 mins 45s
21 Nov 2023
Apple's 2023 Christmas commercial is a celebration of redemption as two characters who are completely at odds with one another unexpectedly find common ground. Ever since Charles Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol', this season has been associated with people finding a path to a better version of themselves, as Ebenezer Scrooge does after being scared half to death by a series of ghosts.

Suchard
"Grandparents"
1 min 33s
20 Nov 2023
Surely no animator would dare to try reproducing the famous sequence in 'Up!' In which we see Carl's backstory and the loss of Ellie, the love of his life, but Passion Pictures's Megacomputeur has come mighty close in this charming Spanish commercial for Suchard out of Ogilvy.

Solo
"Snoop Goes Smokeless"
30s
20 Nov 2023
This commercial represents the culmination of a quite brilliant social media campaign which began when its star Snoop Dogg announced that he was giving up 'smoke'. This led to widespread speculation that the musician was on the brink of unexpected sobriety, and that he would no longer be smoking weed, the activity for which he is most famous (apart from music, arguably).

Aldi
"The Time of My Life"
60s
20 Nov 2023
In Australia, for the last few years, Aldi's has been the most awaited Christmas commercial, with some lovely advertising along the way. This year's addition to the canon is another beauty. A low energy rendition of 'Time of My Life', a song closely associated with 1987 film 'Dirty Dancing', is performed line by line by individuals anticipating their celebrations, and the contribution they're making to them.

Geico
"Wormhole"
30s
20 Nov 2023
You know what you need when the fabric of the universe is on the brink of being ripped apart? The expertise of a Cockney lizard... obviously. That's certainly the case in this very funny piece of silliness from director Dan Opsal. Continuing a very successful ongoing relationship with Geico.

Esselunga
"The Peach"
2 mins
20 Nov 2023
There are those who feel that storylines based on a child trying to reconcile their separated parents is a little bit insensitive, as it's often better for children in these situations to come to terms with the unlikeliness of a romantic parental reunion. On the other hand, it can be such a heartfelt trope, and when done well, as it has been here, can be the basis of a really affecting piece of work.

Net on Net
"Museum"
25s
19 Nov 2023
There are those who will tell you with a certain amount of glee that it isn't possible to make commercials like this any more. Their wistful nostalgia for a bygone era when regulation was something achieved with a constipation remedy tends to include the idea that a script like this would provoke too many objections for it to see the light of day. So what better proof that this is a nonsensical perspective than this marvellous Scandinavian ad for Net on Net.

Tesco
"Become More Christmas"
2 mins 30s
18 Nov 2023
While almost every other Christmas advertiser 'pressed their buzzer' the week before last, Tesco has held their nerve and delayed the launch of their seasonal advert. Who knows whether or not this will gain them an advantage, but it's certainly a point of difference in a year when the other releases were largely compressed into a single week.

lululemon
"Pantsdemonium (Director's Cut)"
90s
17 Nov 2023
DAVID's never been able to take Lululemon's name seriously, but who cares when you release ads like this? The brand now stock a range of trousers for modern men weary of compromise. So what happens when every bloke in the city hears about it at the same time? They rip off their pants and run for the nearest branch, of course.

DoorDash
"Worker's Lament"
60s
16 Nov 2023
The employees in this sixty-second DoorDash commercial are fed up—jolly fed up. Long hours, irate customers, Mariah Carey on repeat… it's a seasonal slog for everyone on shift. The only way they can express their anger is through song (and it's not 'All I Want for Christmas is You').

Keep Britain Tidy
"Duck"
40s
16 Nov 2023
When a man throws his cigarette butt on the ground, yet puts the rest of his rubbish in the bin, he attracts some unwanted attention. Not from a fellow citizen or the police, but a duck—a mallard keen to stamp out this behaviour once and for all. The riverbank is his turf, after all.

Nike
"The Hood Machine"
1 min 46s
16 Nov 2023
This oily tie-up between Nike and luxury streetwear label Off-White introduces viewers to the Hood Machine—a veteran bodybuilder who thinks that "consistence beats resistance" and the best way to relax after a workout is with.. another workout. What follows is a clever, tongue-in-cheek power trip from director Walid Labri.

Five Star Work
(1-25 of 25)

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