David Reviews

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

TOP 25 DIRECTORS
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. Andreas Nilsson 90.6%  
 2. James Rouse 88.9%  
 3. Sam Brown 88.9%  
 4. Molly Burdett 87.8%  
 5. Ben Strebel 87.6%  
 6. Ian Pons Jewell 87.3%  
 7. Megaforce 87.2%  
 8. Jeff Low 86.7%  
 9. The Bobbsey Twins From Homicide 86.5%  
 10. Nick Ball 86.5%  
 11. Sam Pilling 86.2%  
 12. Rich Hall 86.1%  
 13. Traktor 85.9%  
 14. Tom Kuntz 85.7%  
 15. Brad Lubin 84.9%  
 16. Billy Boyd Cape 84.7%  
 17. Si&Ad 84.3%  
 18. Mark Molloy 84.0%  
 19. Max Fisher 83.8%  
 20. Tim Godsall 83.8%  
 21. Noah Harris 83.7%  
 22. Dominic O'Riordan 83.2%  
 23. Nicolas Jack Davies 83.0%  
 24. Tom Hooper 82.8%  
 25. Gary Freedman 82.8%  
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Five Star Work
(1-25 of 25)

Burger King
"We Give Up"
60s
6 Jun 2023
Forget your mouldy burger nonsense, here's a piece of advertising designed to appeal to the public rather than awards juries, and it's great. It also manages to poke fun at advertising itself, but in a relatable way rather than in an archly clever way. The commercial focuses on a young man representing Burger King's customers over the years.

Fiverr
"I Was in the Room"
30s
5 Jun 2023
This mockumentary style commercial for an online resource which connects freelancers with work opportunities has been expertly directed by Arts and Sciences newcomer Frank Atlantic. The premise is simple... the full timers want to take the credit for the work of freelancers (hard to imagine how anyone in advertising came up with this crazy conceit!)

National Lottery
"Pockets"
90s
5 Jun 2023
It's extraordinary to have to say this in 2023, but this commercial charting a gay romance over the three decades of the National Lottery is pretty brave. The backlash against gay rights may be part of the 'war on woke' according to the bigots, but it's very obvious who is being targeted. Commercials featuring people of colour or hinting at equality between the sexes are now routinely targeted online alongside films like this which are positive about LGBT+ rights.

Cadbury
"Speakerphone"
60s
4 Jun 2023
A touching father-son relationship is gently unveiled in this sweet commercial for Cadbury. Building on the brand's current focus on small moments of human connection, director Steve Rogers painstakingly teases out the tenderness between parent and child throughout the spot, as the son phones his dad to see how the first day at a new job went.

Heinz
"Has To Be"
60s
1 Jun 2023
This nifty piece of work for Heinz charts just some of the outlandish things fans of the brand have done to show their appreciation. Milquetoast pop star Ed Sheeran famously has a tattoo of the iconic red sauce, and several other body art appreciators join him throughout the course of the 60" spot.

Road Safety Germany
"No Answer"
2 mins 22s
30 May 2023
The drama people attach to not answering their phone instantly is effectively satirised in this slick piece of work. Produced to promote awareness of not texting while driving, the piece sees an entire missing person investigation mobilised when a young woman fails to answer her father's message because she's behind the wheel. It's an intriguing concept, pulled off with just the right hyper-serious tone by director François Rousselet.

LinkedIn
"Laundromat"
83s
30 May 2023
The world of work may not feel particularly magical once you're in it, but LinkedIn promise youngsters a hopeful introduction with this enthralling commercial. Part of a new campaign encouraging young people to seek out advice about potential careers via the advertised network, the film takes place in an atmospherically lit laundromat.

The Booker Prize
"Time Shelter"
1 min 57s
31 May 2023
Bulgaria's Georgi Gospodinov won the 2023 International Booker Prize with 'Time Shelter', a novel about a memory clinic intended for Alzheimer's patients, but also attracts those keen to escape modern life. Actor Toby Stephens reads a choice passage from a book which hints at Gaustine's plan for "a bomb shelter for the present".

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
"Talk Away the Dark"
2 mins 12s
25 May 2023
Vincent René-Lortie directs this slow-burning ad for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, as deaths from suicide rise again in the country. The man at risk is a middle-aged father who, despite his daughter's best efforts, refuses to open up.

Staropramen
"Prague Expert"
75s
28 May 2023
In this entertaining commercial for Staropramen, actor Orlando Bloom says he has filmed in Prague so often that he considers himself an expert when it comes to the Czechia capital. Every day is a school day though, and Bloom has decided that he needs to know more about the city, and thus begins an investigation.

Amazon Prime
"Separation"
60s
28 May 2023
Another sweet offering from Amazon takes a look at a couple who are going through a rough patch, which leads to a separation. Arguably serving as a warning that we need to digitally cleanse when a relationship is over, the two protagonists begin to taunt one another using the common ground of their shared Amazon prime account.

Apple iPhone
"The Waiting Room"
38s
24 May 2023
A waiting room full of people have their deepest secrets exposed in this amusing commercial from Apple. Highlighting the iPhone's Health app and its ability to add an extra layer of security to medical data, the characters will wish they'd known about it sooner when an omniscient voiceover begins sharing their business with all and sundry.

American Express
"When Inspiration Hits With Issa Rae"
60s
24 May 2023
Comedy writer/ performer Issa Rae is 'inspired' by American Express when she goes out to dinner, drawing ideas from the interactions of the people around her. Director Rohan Blair-Mangat coaxes fantastic performances from the 'actors' in the drama Rae is constructing, and imbues the whole film with a great deal of charm.

Hounslow Council
"Glimpses"
4 mins 50s
22 May 2023
The insidious realities of living with a loved one who has dementia are explored in this deeply poignant short film. Created for the Capture Minds charity during The Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Action Week, it follows the journey of a mother and son as their roles slowly swap places.

Fennel
"Behind Closed Doors"
2 mins 35s
22 May 2023
This unsettling short film from investment app Fennel depicts a mock meeting created from real data about a major fast food chain (the identity of which is heavily implied throughout the film). The callous attitudes of the executives may be dramatized, but the numbers don't lie about their purposeful obfuscation of environmental data.

Burger King
"A Little More Confusing"
80s
24 Nov 2022
In the latest instalment of this ongoing campaign, a number of mysteries are highlighted in a series of vignettes. The idea leads towards the mystery of vegan alternative to the popular chicken sandwich at the advertised restaurant, which is puzzling a man as his son looks on. It's an excellent way of making the point as well as being very entertaining along the way.

Starbucks
"It Starts with a Name"
2 mins 04s
17 May 2023
Starbucks India has bravely decided to allow YouTube comments to be added beneath this video, and the toxicity of many of them demonstrate how important it is for brands to support trans rights. The most intolerant and offensive bigots in our society have been given a green light by high profile hysteria from an array of commentators who are, at the very least, unconcerned by the possibility that their words are contributing to discrimination against transgender people.

IKEA
"Proudly Second Best"
70s
17 May 2023
This trio of highly effective IKEA commercials out of the UAE are so simple that they feel like posters which have been brought to life. In each, the proposition is the same... the Swedish furniture retailer's offerings are second-best compared with the intimacy between parent and child.

West Coast University
"Nurses"
2 mins
17 May 2023
This West Coast University ad chucks viewers in at the deep end. The protagonist, a head nurse who lives and breathes hospital life, must think on her feet at all times. When she does slow down, it's to reassure patients, comfort stressed colleagues, and defuse the odd confrontation with relatives.

Hans Anders
"The First Time"
60s
16 May 2023
If Specsavers tickle the funny bone, then Dutch opticians Hans Anders pull on the heartstrings. This lovely ad from agency Vengean and director Juul Op den Kamp centres on a girl who’d rather stay in bed than go to school. Who can blame her, eh? Mum then tells her to put on her new glasses – the absolute last thing she wants her classmates to see.

Pluto TV
"Drew Barrymore"
30s
15 May 2023
Actor, chat show host, and rain dance enthusiast Drew Barrymore stars in this breathless ad for Pluto TV. Viewers get three Barrymores for the price of one: a cop who shoves people out of the way; a rom-com heroine who "drops things adorably"; and, erm, a woman who falls through the sky. Now that’s how you stretch an appearance fee.

Samsung Galaxy
"Underwater Love"
71s
11 May 2023
Prince and the Revolution provide the soundtrack to this nimble Samsung commercial. Scored by 1986 megahit 'Kiss', the ad sees a woman walk into a restaurant with her Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone. Said device catches the eye of a fish in the restaurant’s aquarium, and it would give up all the fish food in the world for a chance to touch it.

Pairi Daeza
"My Iran"
2 mins 13s
12 May 2023
Italian-Iranian fashion label Pairi Daeza tap into the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement with this poetic short film. As Iranian authorities use security cameras to identify unveiled women, twelve artists have made twelve hijabs inspired by the recent protests. They flutter in the wind like satin flags, with Kevin Koch's sound design on point.

Dave
"We Also Wrote a Song"
2 mins 31s
9 May 2023
Dave tries to get in on the Eurovision fun with this super film by Paul Quinn featuring peerless duo Jazz Emu and Rachel Parris. The comic song appealing for Dave to be allowed to enter the contest follows a similar bid from New Zealand which does at least meet the basic qualification of being a country.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
"The Passenger"
1 min 50s
11 May 2023
Almost six years after the release of 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild', its sequel, 'Tears of the Kingdom', is upon us. It's come at the right time for the bloke in this bittersweet commercial, as he's lost the bounce from his metaphorical bungee.

Five Star Work
(1-25 of 25)

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