Our Favorite Found Content Spots of 2022

Well, it’s that time of year again. Time to look back on 2022 and make those lists of the best of everything. And since Found Content is everything that’s ever been uploaded to the internet, it makes sense that the curation and licensing teams at Catch+Release should make a list of their favorite Found Content commercials from the past year.

Today’s most forward-thinking brands and agencies made some amazing, authentic, heart-stirring work with Found Content this year. Better still, that work really worked. Turns out remixing and recycling content just like the rest of us do is a great way to connect with audiences.

Here’s a rundown of our favorite Found Content spots from 2022. We hope it will inspire you to think about how Found Content can help you communicate in the coming year.

Happy holidays and here’s to a Found New Year!

Delta Air Lines "Will to Fly"

Made for the 2022 Olympics, this beautiful celebration of human achievement from Delta Air Lines and Wieden+Kennedy New York demonstrates the universal commonalities we can discover through travel. “Will to Fly” features a curated collection of existing footage featuring famous athletes like Muhammad Ali and Kerri Strug and everyday people from around the world, all with their arms raised out wide. The V sign is meant to capture both the empowering feeling of victory and the image of flight.

“We wanted to create a powerful story for Team USA that focused on the theme of working together to navigate what we face ahead,” said Molly Battin, SVP – Global Marketing for Delta. “No matter who you are or where you come from—an athlete coming back from an injury or a traveler stepping on-board for the first time since the pandemic began—we are all connected through a shared strength as we overcome challenges and push the world forward. All of this is brought to life in these spots in really meaningful ways to viewers.”

Whether you dream of traveling to space or winning an Olympic medal, Delta Air Lines assures that the ends of the earth are not that far apart.

In other words, Found Content connects us all.

Prudential "Now What?"

According to behavioral science, hope is a powerful emotion. It requires more cognitive processing and therefore drives action like search behaviors and trying new things. In “Now What?” Prudential and their ad agency McCann use authentic Found Content to tap into this insight and encourage consumers to stop focusing on what’s going wrong and start noticing (and taking advantage of) what’s going right in their lives.

“We obsess when things go wrong. But what happens when life goes right?” asks Susan Somersille Johnson, Prudential’s chief marketing officer. “At Prudential, we call these ‘Now What?’ moments — the moments you realize your life has changed for the better. If you seize those moments, you can take your financial future to the next level.”

The campaign showcases real-life Found Content moments of celebration and optimism to capture the uplifting emotions of happiness and hope. There’s also some very funny “fail” videos that set up the premise. The ad directs viewers to prudential.com, where they can find free resources and learn more about Prudential’s products and services to make the most of their Now What? moments.

We love how this campaign demonstrates how Found Content can change minds through real emotion. We can’t wait to see the moments they curate in 2023.

Genentech "If That Was You Then, Get Screened Now"

Lung cancer spots are traditionally filled with fear and judgment, which can lead to them being tuned out by the people who need to hear them most. And since early detection can mean a 20% reduction in the chance of death, that’s a real problem.

But this spot, from Genentech and top Lung Cancer advocacy groups, is a celebration of real life. Each shot, curated from archival footage and home movies alike, is a reminder of the good old days, with the occasional cigarette in frame acting as a subtle reminder of the target’s wild and crazy past. Viewers are then transported back to present day and told to get screened.

Visit ScreenYourLungs.org to learn more about the campaign.

Heinz "Tip for HEINZ!"

Sometimes Found Content is the inspiration for a brilliant idea. 77% of U.S. consumers prefer Heinz Ketchup when dining out, 44% report they feel like there’s nothing they can do to change the ketchup brand that restaurants carry. In this campaign for Heinz Ketchup, Mischief used Found Content in the form of real Yelp reviews to bring attention to this age-old problem. Then they provided an innovative solution.

Disappointed diners need simply add an extra tip to their receipts with the words “Tip for Heinz” next to it. They then submit their receipt via a landing page or on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #TipforHeinz and #sweepstakes to receive up to $20 for a gratuity reimbursement. Some will have their bill paid in full.

OOH and social video was created to promote the sweepstakes. But it all started with some curated Yelp reviews. What can you make with reviews that mention your product?

Amazon "#FiveStarStories"

Amazon’s in-house creative team wanted to bring attention to some of the weirder things you can buy on the site. And while these spots are original production, they were inspired by Found Content in the form of real five star customer reviews. And the results are hilariously surprising. From cat collars that calm even the craziest cats to tomato slicers that save an eternity of time, these brilliant spots started as audience-generated text. What a thrill for the original reviewers to see their words come to life. Nice job, Amazon.

Here’s some links to the videos, which can only be found on Facebook.

• Vanilla Powder
• Beer Soap
• Evil Cat Fix
• Hedgehog Wedding
• Horse Head Mask
  

Fender "American Vintage II"

Fender recently introduced American Vintage II. They took twelve of the most iconic Fender guitar and bass models from the 50s, 60s & 70s and rebuilt them all to original specs. To promote this, they curated thousands of hours of archival footage of famous celebrities and amateur strummers all playing the originals back in the day. The result is a celebration of music to delight any Fender fan. From Patti Smith to Bob Dylan, this is Found Content you can dance to.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some stage diving to do.

Google "Year in Search 2022"

No list of Found Content spots would be complete without the granddaddy of Found Content spots, the Google Year In Review. Since 2010, Google seems to spend the entire year curating Found Content in the form of real search data and the videos, reviews and other authentic content that pops up on the world’s favorite search engine.

This year, Google noticed that we (the world!) searched “can i change” more than ever before. Some of us were changing careers. Some of us were seeking new outlooks on life. We found the theme of people reimagining themselves and reshaping the world around them to be super inspirational.

Explore more trends from the year at http://yearinsearch.google By the way, we at Catch+Release are also very, very fond of the last shot, licensed from NASA. If you know what I mean.

We're excited to see what's in store for 2023. There are so many stories to be told, and so many gems to help you tell those stories. We can't wait to help you license the stuff you love, especially when it fits your brief.