I don’t say these are the best ads of 2006.  They’re the ones that impressed me as great pieces of marketing. 

There is a good deal of chatter about the "revolution" taking place in advertising as a result of new media and new messaging.  But I believe we have yet to understand the cultural content and power of the more traditional venues, and especially the 30 second TV spot. 

Here’s my salute to my favorites.

ad:                          Rosie
client:                  Volvo
agency:               Euro RSCG Worldwide
for more details:
Meet Rosie, scourge of the new advertising (here).

ad:               Light It Up           
client:      The Coca-Cola Company
agency:    Foote Cone & Belding New York
for more details:
Lighting it up at the Coca-Cola Company (here).

ads:                    The LeBrons
client:              Nike
agency:           Weiden + Kennedy
for more details:
The LeBrons (here).

ad(s):                  All the Geico spots running in 2006
client:                 Geico.com
agency:              The Martin Agency
for more details:
Craig Ferguson (brand exemplar?) (here).

ad:                    Working Wealth
client:            Smith Barney
agency:         Hill Holliday, New York
for more details:
Parsing the symbolic language of the Smith Barney ad (here).

ad:                    Where the bloody hell are you?
client:            Australia
agency:         M&C Saatchi, Sydney
for more details:
Marketing Nations: Good News From Australia (here).

ad:                     Intel chips inside
client:            Apple
agency:         TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles
for more details:
Branding Brilliance from Apple (here).

ad:                      Peyton Manning as a fan
client:              Mastercard
agency:           McCann-Erickson New York
for more details:
Peyton Manning: The man and the brand (here).

ad:                   My Life, My Card: M. Night Shyamalan
client:           AmEx
agency:        Ogilvy         
for more details:
Branding, Cocreation and Amex Theater (here).
Oscar advertising (here).

ad:                        Chevy Cocreation website
client:                Chevrolet/General Motors
agency:             Campbell Ewald
for more details:
Chevy cocreation (here).