Ads Worth Spreading

Ads Worth Spreading is TED’s initiative to recognize and reward innovation, ingenuity and intelligence in advertising — the ads that people want to see, and share with their friends.

These are the 10 winners of our second Ads Worth Spreading challenge. The dream behind this initiative is to find ads that communicate ideas with consumers in the same way that TED wants to communicate with its audience. Learn more about the thinking behind these selections and how audiences responded to them by downloading the Ads Worth Spreading report »

On TED.com, the ads run after the talks, not before. This means they can run longer — a lot longer than the TV-standard 30 seconds. We think if you have enough time to really tell a story — share an idea — you can make an authentic human connection, and become unforgettable.

Learn more about Ads Worth Spreading here »

ADS WORTH SPREADING

L'Oréal Paris

Aimee Mullins

In 2012, L'Oréal Paris chose Aimee Mullins as their spokesperson -- an athlete, model, actor and an activist for women and the next generation of prosthetics. In this intimate talk created especially for Ads Worth Spreading, Amy explains why the brand's iconic tagline, "Because you're worth it," has always held great meaning for her.
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Chipotle

Back to the Start

In flawlessly creative animation, witness the story of a small farmer who slowly converted his family farm to an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways, and discovering a more sustainable future. The soundtrack is stellar -- country music legend Willie Nelson performs Coldplay's haunting classic "The Scientist."
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Engagement Citoyen

The Return of Ben Ali

In this radical voting campaign, Tunisian NGO Engagement Citoyen erected an enormous poster of ex-dictator Ben Ali in the capital of La Goulette, inspiring shock and anger in passersby. Citizens came together to tear the image down -- only to discover the message, "Beware, dictatorship can return. On Oct 23, VOTE."
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Sharpie

Start with Sharpie

This beautiful ad explores the inspiration and journey of a young illustrator who uses Sharpies to turn disposable coffee cups into works of art. It's an authentic story that might inspire all of us to pick up a tool and create.
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Rethink Breast Cancer

Your Man Reminder

A brilliantly funny approach to a serious issue -- Rethink Breast Cancer uses hot guys to remind women to check their breasts. The campaign encourages women to download the mobile app and choose their favorite man, receiving a pleasant monthly reminder of a possibly life-saving exercise.
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Prudential

Day One: Linda

A chapter in a documentary-style series created by Prudential about Americans' first day of retirement, this spot captures Linda Gutherie's first thoughts on retiring early. Linda’s touching story shares how she confronts and learns from loss, in order to embrace every moment of retirement in happiness.
ADS WORTH SPREADING

CANAL+

The Bear

In this offbeat witty ad, a bear plays the part of a passionate director -- complete with tantrums, moods and drama. A delightfully clever ending twist reveals the source of his passion and illustrates the brand tagline: The more you watch CANAL+ the more you love cinema..
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Microsoft Xbox

The Kinect Effect

When people took the Xbox Kinect technology and ran with it, dreaming up new things Microsoft hadn't even imagined, they didn't shut them down -- they celebrated them.
ADS WORTH SPREADING

Mazda

Defy Convention

Masahiro Moro, one of Mazda's executives, gives a heartfelt talk about a secret that the city of Hiroshima and his company share -- following conventional wisdom does not guarantee success. In fact, for a small company or a city facing incredible hardship, success comes from to defying popular opinion and following your vision without giving up.
ADS WORTH SPREADING

NTT Docomo

Xylophone

To advertise the new "Touch Wood" mobile phone, Drill Inc. built a 144 foot xylophone in the middle of the forest, using only sustainably harvested wood. The sheer beauty and scale of the instrument is represented with perfect creative execution.