The Ads That Made Us: Going with the flow, donut making time and celebrating the crazy ones

Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane to find out all about the ads that have stuck with them.

Meredith Cranmer, co-founder and managing director, Curious Nation

Primo NZ - 1999

Growing up in New Zealand, a few jingles stuck with me - McDonald’s 'Kiwis love it' was a classic. But the one I can still recite word for word? Primo.

Watching it back now, I’ve got questions. I don’t remember the visuals at all, but wow, this is peak ’90s. We were in the school playground singing about chocolate milk like it was a national anthem.

What stuck was the vibe. Fiona McDonald’s unmistakable vocals, a track that actually felt cool, and a brand that felt like ours. It’s funny now to see the borrowed beach culture visuals, not exactly Kiwi, but very of the time.

It’s one of the first brands I truly connected with. Proof that when the tone is right, it lasts.

Jeff Malone, chief strategy officer, Town Square

Time to Make the Donuts

If you were a kid growing up in the States in the 80s, this commercial was as much a part of your childhood as karate lessons or drinking out of a garden hose.

It might not be my favourite ad, and I wouldn’t say it pushed me to pursue advertising in any way, but it’s “time to make the donuts” line struck a chord, quickly becoming a mantra for every early riser.

My Dad would say it, my Mom, my friends, their parents… and even though it’s probably been 40 years since the campaign launched, I still say “time to make the donuts” every morning when my alarm goes off.

There aren’t many good quality versions online, but he found this one, which aside from the intro and outro, is ok.

Ewen Ling, Founder and CEO, Referwo

Apple – Think Different

This campaign has always resonated with me, not just as a marketer, but as a builder and founder.

It celebrates people who challenge norms and create new paths, which is exactly what I strive to do with Referwo.

“Think Different” wasn’t just a slogan, it was a mindset, and it still influences how I approach brand building and problem-solving today.

Top image: Meredith Cranmer, Jeff Malone, Ewen Ling

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