Vaseline Gets Touchy-Feely, and Other Global Greats

Repping South Africa, China and Brazil

Here are some notable campaigns that broke far and wide in recent weeks, curated by Muse sibling Ads of the World.

Vaseline, ‘Love Hurts’
Agency: Ogilvy Singapore

Vaseline’s “Love Hurts” captures a familiar yet rarely depicted South African act of care: a parent or loved one applying petroleum jelly to a child’s face despite their protests. Blending honesty with humor, the film shows how this small, stubborn ritual prepares children to face the world. It follows the emotional shift from childhood resistance to adult understanding, revealing that what once felt uncomfortable was, in fact, a simple expression of love. Read More

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Qiao Fu Da Yuan, ‘Song of the Earth’
Agency: Mother

“Song of the Earth” shifts focus from rice as a product to its origin in the black soil of Wuchang, shaped over generations. The film brings together a choir and audio explorers to perform before spring sowing, using low-frequency sound vibrations to move through soil. Rather than explain, it observes, offering a sensory reflection on the connection between land, seasonality and the people who rely on it. Read More

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O Boticário, ‘Departures’
Agency: AlmapBBDO

Using a train as a metaphor for time and the transformations of motherhood, the film follows Karina and her son João from infancy to adulthood. Karina walks through the train cars of her own story, living through different stages of motherhood and recalling other departures: when João learns to say “sneaker” correctly; when he gets too big to be picked up; as a teenager, the first New Year’s Eve he spends with his friends and girlfriend; then into adulthood and the last great departure, when he leaves home to make a life for himself. Read More

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