10 Ads That Struck a Cultural Nerve in 2024

beauty elf | “so many dicks”

Known for its playful and unexpected marketing, elfa Beauty he aimed his bold tactics directly at the boardroom this year. The announcements that took over the Financial District of New York highlighted a surprising fact: there are more men named “Dick” on the boards of public companies in the United States than women or different groups. A cheeky slogan – “So many dicks, so few of everyone else” – struck a chord, and the campaign went viral. The campaign was in service of elf’s “Change the Board Game” initiative, which aims to double the rate of women and diverse members added to corporate boards by 2027. In the game of equality of gender in corporate spaces, the beauty brand has emerged as a positive, fearless and unmissable cheerleader. – Brittany Kiefer

Swehl | “Just add milk with Molly Baz”

The Internet erupted with cries of censorship afterward Swehl’s poster with cookbook author Molly Bazher pregnant belly, a rhinestone bikini, and two breastfeeding cookies was considered too spicy for the masses. Critics said out-of-home retailer Clear Channel, which flagged the ad for review, exercised a double standard by judging the representation of women’s bodies in the ad. Capitalizing on support with messaging and events, Swehl saw his website traffic jump 500%, attracting 40,000 new users. The furor that followed eventually drew in the supplement manufacturer Seed, which resurrected the banned ad in the same Times Square space, and later the formula startup Bobbie, which produced a sequel to a sort of breastfed Baz. -TL Stanley