Netflix, Apple, Nike Score Emmy Nominations for Best Commercial

Netflix may have been outslugged by HBO in the race for total Emmy nominations this year, but the streamer did pick up a nomination for outstanding commercial—even though HBO had the more high-profile year in advertising. 

“A Great Day In Hollywood,” a Netflix spot inspired by the famous 1958 photograph “A Great Day in Harlem,” was one of five commercials receiving Emmy nods on Tuesday. The spot was created by Portland, Ore., and Brooklyn-based agency Kamp Grizzly and aired last summer during the BET Awards telecast. 

Directed by Lacey Duke of Pretty Bird, “A Great Day In Hollywood” featured 47 black writers, showrunners, actors and producers, and came out of Netflix’s “Strong Black Lead” program, which is designed to foster an “ongoing, intentional focus to talk authentically with the black audience.”

Netflix ‘A Great Day In Hollywood’

Agency: Kamp Grizzly
Production Company: Pretty Bird

Apple, meanwhile, earned Emmy nominations for two separate spots, both created by TBWAMedia Arts Lab: “Behind the Mac – Make Something Wonderful” and “Shot on iPhone XS – Don’t Mess With Mother.” 

The former spot, which broke last October, features black-and-white still photographs of celebrities and others using Macbook computers. The latter, created for Earth Day this year, shows stunning video footage of the natural world, all shot on iPhones by a group of filmmakers from Camp4 Collective. 

Apple ‘Behind The Mac – Make Something Wonderful’

Agency: TBWAMedia Arts Lab

Apple ‘Shot On iPhone XS – Don’t Mess With Mother’

Agency: TBWAMedia Arts Lab
Production Company: Camp4 Collective

Nike’s “Dream Crazy” spot, narrated by Colin Kaepernick, earned a nomination for Wieden + Kennedy and Park Pictures (it was directed by Lance Acord). And rounding out the five nominees was the Sandy Hook Promise spot “Point of View,” created by BBDO New York and directed by Rupert Sanders of MJZ. 

Nike ‘Dream Crazy’

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Production Company: Park Pictures

Sandy Hook Promise ‘Point of View’

Agency: BBDO New York
Production Company: MJZ

Procter & Gamble’s “The Talk” won the 2018 Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, beating out spots from Amazon, Apple, Tide and Monica Lewinsky’s anti-bullying campaign.