Cutest Goth Ad Ever? It's Super Bleak, but You'll Be Smiling by the End

Ad agency Heimat in Berlin has made the cutest teenage goth ad since Kodak film taught my generation that cheerleaders and dudes in fishnet shirts could be friends.

In this spot for German home improvement brand Hornbach, a gloomy-but-not-sour goth girl is soundly rejected by everyone in her community, who all wear pastels. The direction and camerawork make the contrast more subtle than it sounds. And let’s also acknowledge that hers is a totally understandable response to life in that town. If everyone in my neighborhood dressed like extras from an Aaron Spelling sitcom, I’d start listening to Spahn Ranch and moping through gym class, too.

Fortunately, the girl’s dad is much less of a douche than everyone else, and his obvious desire to relate to her comes through in the end. Yes, it’s corny and tugs at the small (or large) piece of us that feels misunderstood and adrift. But it also highlights the too-often-overlooked moment when someone realizes his or her parents are also kind of weird.

For another great goth spot, take a look back at this vulgar yet ultimately sweet ad from Denmark, which was one of 2013’s best candy commercials.

Via Co.Create.



Home-Improvement Chain Makes Delightful Billboards by Fixing Up Small Parts of Buildings

Here's some more great out-of-home work.

German home-improvement chain OBI is advertising its renovation products by actually renovating homes. Well, parts of them. Ad agency Jung von Matt/Elbe measured out billboard-size sections of run-down buildings and fixed them up—creating visually delightful billboards that really show the difference between before and after on an improvement project.

Germany has something of a tradition of doing inventive ads for home-improvement stores, as seen in the rich, weird and often epic marketing done by OBI rival Hornbach.

Credits for the OBI work below.

CREDITS
Client: OBI
Advertising Agency: Jung von Matt/Elbe
Chief Creative Officers: Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, Jan Rexhausen
Creative Directors: Felix Fenz, Alexander Norvilas
Art Directors: Michael Wilde, Max Pilwat, Michael Hess
Copywriter: Felix Fenz
Creative Team: Michael Wilde, Max Pilwat