Since the beginning of the year there has been some really good creative work. (At least in my oh-so-discerning opinion.) And, much to my surprise, the vast majority of commercials I've enjoyed have been fifteen seconds long.
This is strange. The 30 second spot was, for the longest time, the gold standard. It was what people worked entire careers to make. 30 second spots were the dream. They showed restraint. Showed skill.
And now we don't even just have the 30 second spot. People are making increasingly longer content. 90 second cuts. 5 minute brand films. The stuff that people call "content." (And isn't everything today "content"?)
The majority of those longer films are torturous to watch. They're full of unnecessary stuff. Mildly interesting at best. And are so in love with themselves (or the brand that they're promoting) that they might as well be 90 seconds of on-screen masturbation. The whole experience leaves the viewer feeling hollow and abused.
(Now that's not true for everything. But it is for more than we might like to admit.)
Back to the 15 second spots. They're good. And I think this is a product of the post modern humor that's in vogue. The problem with weird is that it takes a lot of skill and love and tinkering to stretch it out. Weird works best when it's something short. Something that's just long enough to leave you with a message and a sense of bewilderment.
So I suppose it should be no surprise that really good 15s are coming out with greater frequency. They are 15s conceived as 15s. Not cut down 30s (which are sometimes fine) but things that are meant to be the length they are. Not forced. Not overdone. Just 15 seconds of joy. Here's four I've really liked recently (and it'll only take you a minute to get through):