They Are the Champions: Cadbury Channels Freddie Mercury to Top Our 5 Ads of the Week

Plus: Doritos, Apple, Hatch and The Ordinary

Here’s a look at the week’s most compelling work…

Cadbury Reinvents Freddie Mercury and Queen as Chocolate Candy

VCCP, its content studio Girl&Bear and stop-motion director Anthony Farquar-Smith get so superbly silly casting Cadbury Heroes bars at the members of Queen. A crazy little thing of boffo beauty, complete with candy crowd-surfing.

Skincare Brand The Ordinary Delivers a Dystopian Vision

Uncommon channels Brazil, Orwell and THX 1138 for this visually engaging trip into absurdity. Directed by Smuggler’s Olivia De Camps, this one lampoons ridiculous beauty rituals with a very straight (and silvery) face.

Doritos Are “So Crunchy, So Dangerous” in the Upside Down

Here’s a Stranger Thing: Created by PS21 and director Juan Piczman, the ad takes place in a convenience store. Teens are hiding from a demogorgon when one opens a bag of Doritos. He offers to sacrifice himself by crunching a chip while his pals run away. Good plan?

Hatch Turns the Horrors of Doomscrolling into a Scary Movie Trailer

It’s rough getting through a day when you’re hellishly tired and running on fumes. Sleep wellness company Hatch brings that nightmare to life with a faux movie trailer starring Kiernan Shipka. Brand ECD Rinee Shah led an all-female creative team.

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Apple’s “Underdogs” Grapple With Microsoft’s “Blue Screen of Death”

The long-running ad series returns with the gang hitting a wacky trade show. There’s FREE STUFF! in every booth. Directed by Bertie Ellwood via Object & Animal.