At Refinery, we love great creative! So much so that every month, our creative team sit down to chat about amazing work they wish they had made.

What are we chatting about?

This month’s topic was an awesome use of tech.

Let’s get stuck in. Ready, set, wish!

#1 Coca Cola

Using a mix of live-action footage, digital effects and AI technologies, Coca Cola pulled off some of the smoothest transitions we’ve ever seen.


Watch the campaign here.

We wish we’d made this ad because not only is it a great use of tech but the idea behind it is great too. Often, tech is used just for the sake of using it but this ad tells a story too. It’s fast paced, fun and so so smooooth. More like this please, Coke!

#2 Philips

As well as being an amazing still-action short film, Philips brought us the best continuous-shot execution probably, well…ever.

Watch the campaign here.

We wish we’d made this ad because everything about it is stunning. Shot with a cast of 100 stunts people, dancers and acrobats, this short film is a perfect mixture of live-action footage and state-of-the-art 3D effects. This ad magically froze a bad-ass, action-packed moment in time and successfully owned cinema.

#3 Maybelline

This next ad has sparked controversy. Is it a great use of tech or is it a ‘fake’ ad?

Watch the campaign here.

We wish we’d made this ad because when we first saw it, we thought Maybelline had physically made huge mascara tubes and glued fake eyelashes onto public transport. Little did we know that these ads were actually made with AI tech in post-production. Despite our love for these ads, they’ve been widely criticised for being ‘fake’. We think it’s genius. What’s your hot take?

#4 Pepsi

Pepsi used crazy tech to create a crazy ad, and we love it.

Watch the campaign here.

Imagine, you’re at a bus stop waiting for a lift into town. The next thing you know, you’ve got a front-row seat to an alien invasion. There’s a monster coming out of the floor, an asteroid hit, there’s even a guy attached to a bunch of balloons flying into the distance. Then you get on the bus. Day, made. We wish we’d made this ad because it’s heaps of fun and a great use of tech to add a bit of flavour into peoples’ boring commutes.

What are you wishing for?

As creatives, often the job of communicating a message is difficult enough that ‘having fun’ with an ad seems like a distant dream, but these are a few brands who left us saying: I wish!

Want to see how we’ve used tech to elevate our messaging? Check out our latest TV campaign to find out more.