Best Leo Burnett Campaigns of All Time
Leo Burnett spent decades proving that if you put a giant bowl of apples in the lobby and a bit of "HumanKind" in the copy, people might actually stop hating commercials. They have this peculiar, persistent habit of making the mundane feel like a grand cinematic event - whether it is selling a hatchback or making a washing machine bearable. It is advertising that actually likes people. Have a look at the work below.
75 campaigns
McDonald's: The Maestro
McDonald's orchestrated a live, hidden orchestra and choir to dramatically score an unsuspecting customer's every move, turning a mundane fast-food meal into an epic, cinematic experience to highlight the unexpected joy in everyday moments.
McDonald's: We Are Awake
McDonald's celebrated the diverse lives of people awake during the night and early morning, positioning itself as a constant, comforting presence that understands and caters to their unique, often solitary, schedules, fostering a sense of shared community.
NSPCC: Nobody is Normal
The campaign used stop-motion animation to depict a boy feeling like a 'weirdo' among blank-faced peers, only for everyone to reveal their unique, fantastical true selves. This powerfully illustrated that feeling different is a shared human experience, fostering acceptance and reducing isolation by showing nobody is truly 'normal'.
Samsung - Galaxy Time
Samsung collaborated with ESA to create "Galaxy Time" watch faces for Galaxy Watch, translating complex planetary data into accessible time formats for all eight planets, tapping into the global space exploration boom and offering users a unique cosmic perspective on time.
McDonald's: The Filet-O-Fish Facebook Society of 2012
McDonald's embraced the social stigma surrounding the Filet-O-Fish by reviving a dormant 2012 Facebook group, using brand power to turn a forgotten, embarrassing niche interest into a nationwide celebration and a permanent menu expansion.
Vaseline: The Real Nigerian Prince
Vaseline partnered with a real Nigerian prince to subvert the infamous 'Nigerian Prince' email scam trope, using his cultural authority to educate consumers on identifying counterfeit products through a simple, effective QR code verification system.
McDonald's: Camera Rolls
McDonald's turned real, unedited fan camera rolls into a campaign, proving that no matter how a night out begins, the universal final chapter is always a trip to the Golden Arches, validating the brand's role in late-night culture.
Suncorp: Haven
Suncorp transformed its proprietary natural peril data into a personalized digital platform where homeowners hear their own house describe its specific weather vulnerabilities, turning abstract climate risk into an actionable, empathetic, and cinematic home maintenance plan.
Acko: Tailor Test
Acko transformed neighborhood tailors into informal health diagnostic centers by using their measurement data to calculate waist - to - hip ratios, turning routine clothing fittings into life - saving heart risk screenings for millions of Indians who avoid formal checkups.
Skoda: Redditor Edit
Skoda embraced the cult-like obsession of the r/CarTalkUK subreddit by letting the community vote on every feature of a real Octavia, transforming an organic meme into the world's first car co-created by its most vocal online fans.
Saudia Airlines - ProtecTasbih
Saudia Airlines created ProtecTasbih, the world's first sanitizing prayer beads infused with alcohol-free tea tree oil, to combat 'Hajj Cough' by transferring antibacterial agents to pilgrims' hands during prayer, offering a culturally sensitive and practical hygiene solution.
FAAAC - The Last March of an Ad Creative
A darkly comic short film brutally exposed the advertising industry's ageism, using visceral imagery and cynical narration to reveal the painful truth of a creative career and its premature end, forcing a confrontation with an uncomfortable reality.
ALDI USA - Win the Holidays (2024 Christmas Ad)
ALDI's "Win the Holidays" campaign humorously dramatized the universal stress and financial pressure of holiday hosting, positioning the brand as the budget-friendly, quality solution to "Swindle Season" by acknowledging shoppers' real struggles for an authentic connection.
Gatorade - Turf Finder
Gatorade created the Turf Finder, a technology using Google Maps data to identify temporary empty urban spaces in Mumbai that could be transformed into safe sports grounds. By leveraging real-time and historical traffic data, the brand aimed to provide accessible playing areas for young people in congested city environments, promoting an active lifestyle and sports participation.
Tottus - The Gift Card of Life
Tottus leveraged its supermarket infrastructure to sell affordable mammogram vouchers, directly addressing a critical healthcare access gap and cutting through superficial breast cancer awareness campaigns with tangible, life-saving utility.
Change the Ref: The Lost Class
By tricking pro-gun advocates into delivering commencement speeches to 3,044 empty chairs representing students killed by firearms, the campaign used the industry's own - background check - failure to visualize the lethal consequences of their political influence and spark national outrage.
Suncorp Group: One House To Save Many
Suncorp shifted from reactive insurer to proactive protector by building the world's first disaster-resilient home, using scientific innovation to prove that prevention is possible and providing open-source blueprints to help all Australians safeguard their future.
Wingstop: Thighstop
Wingstop launched Thighstop, a virtual brand that used a "brand hack" aesthetic with green tape to redirect fans toward chicken thighs during a massive wing shortage, successfully turning a business threat into a viral, high-hustle cultural phenomenon.
Kloop: Koshogo
Kloop transformed the koshogo - a traditional white curtain symbolizing a bride's forced consent - into a medium for protest by printing rejected police reports onto them and hanging them at kidnapping sites to expose systemic negligence.
Country Time: Legal-Ade
Country Time defended the childhood tradition of lemonade stands by creating a legal defense fund that paid for kids' fines and permits, turning a bureaucratic absurdity into a brand-led movement for legislative change.
Ruavieja: The Time We Have Left Together
Ruavieja calculated the remaining time people had with loved ones based on survey data, presenting this sobering number to encourage them to spend more quality time together, thus making a liqueur brand a catalyst for meaningful human connection.
Jeep: Anti-Manifesto
Jeep created an anti-manifesto ad that deliberately mocks typical grandiose car commercial tropes by stripping away all the pompous storytelling and pretentious voiceovers. The campaign's core creative idea was to be brutally simple and self-aware, calling out the cliché marketing techniques used by car brands while simultaneously delivering their message in a refreshingly direct and honest manner.
Ikea: Cook This Page
Ikea simplified complex cooking by creating parchment paper recipes with life-sized ingredient outlines. By turning recipes into a "fill-in-the-blanks" exercise using food-safe ink, they applied their iconic flat-pack assembly logic to the kitchen, making gourmet cooking foolproof.
Samsung: Ostrich
Samsung used a CGI ostrich that learns to fly via a VR headset to personify the brand's 'Do What You Can't' philosophy, turning a technical product into an emotional symbol of overcoming impossible barriers and defying expectations.
Kafa: Legally Bride
Kafa staged a shocking social experiment on the Beirut Corniche, featuring an elderly man and a child bride posing for photos to provoke public outrage and expose the legal reality of child marriage, forcing a hidden issue into the public spotlight.
Samsung: Brainband
Samsung developed a wearable sensor headband that tracked head impacts in real-time during contact sports, using LED alerts to signal when players needed medical assessment, effectively turning invisible concussive forces into actionable data to protect athlete safety.
Elle's Imagine'nt: Je Ne Supporte Pas Les Blues
During Euro 2016, the ELA magine Association hijacked national team support by revealing 'Les Bleus' also means 'bruises', turning a popular football chant into a powerful statement against domestic violence and driving donations through a viral social and offline campaign.
Art Institute Chicago & AirBnB: Van Gogh's Bedroom
AirBnB and the Art Institute of Chicago created a unique campaign where they recreated Van Gogh's famous "Bedroom" painting as an actual Airbnb rental, allowing fans to literally stay inside the iconic artwork. The campaign aimed to make art more accessible and experiential by transforming a museum exhibit into a livable space that people could book and experience, bridging the gap between art appreciation and personal interaction.
Bajaj Motorcycles: Vikrant
Bajaj Motorcycles created a unique marketing campaign by turning parts of the decommissioned naval ship INS Vikrant into limited-edition products, allowing people to own a piece of national history and commemorate the ship's legendary legacy while creating an emotional connection with the brand.
Samsung: Voices of Life
Samsung's "Voices of Life" technology allowed mothers to record their voices and heartbeats, "wombifying" them for premature babies in NICU incubators. This innovative solution virtually connected mothers with their infants, providing essential maternal sounds for healthy brain development and easing feelings of helplessness.