As usual, the annual British Arrows Awards offer up a series of eye-popping commercials that either warm or break your heart, delight your senses and baffle your brain. And this year, a face familiar to Timberwolves fans is in the mix.
Founded in 1976, the British Arrows selects the previous year’s most compelling advertisements and public service announcements and compiles an evening of the best of the best. For decades, Walker Art Center has screened that compilation throughout the month of December. It’s an annual tradition that typically draws more than 30,000 people each season.
This year’s 73-minute program features, for the first time, assigned seating. The program is also available for virtual viewing.
Here’s a look at five memorable spots in this year’s show:
Adidas’ “AE 1 — No Lie”
Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards describes himself as “your favorite hooper’s favorite hooper” in one of three ads for the AE1, his signature shoe for Adidas. First released in 2023, it quickly became a best seller and led to a reported $50 million multi-year contract extension. Edwards is shown taking a lie detector test in the clip, which boasts a terrific twist at the end.
Volkswagen’s “YourWagen”
In May 2024, Volkswagen launched a new campaign dubbed “YourWagen,” featuring true stories of Volkswagen owners and their history with the vehicle. In the Arrows selection, a man named Erum talks about his family’s 1971 Volkswagen camper, which he said his father bought to pick up his mother from the hospital with her newborn daughter, Erum’s younger sister. It was stolen from his driveway in 2017, but this tale ends up having a happy ending.
Waitrose’s “Sweet Suspicion”
British supermarket chain Waitrose hired “Succession” star Matthew Macfadyen to play a would-be detective determined to track down the family member responsible for the disappearance of the company’s No.1 Red Velvet Bauble Dessert from the fridge. The two-part ad, released weeks apart, was a huge hit in England and now stands as Waitrose’s most successful Christmas campaign to date.
Alzheimer’s Society’s “The Long Goodbye”
Somewhat like the aforementioned Volkswagen campaign, the Alzheimer’s Society talked to real families affected by dementia to create this compelling clip. The script was written by someone drawing on her own experience, having lost her father to the disease, and incorporates the insights from hundreds of people in similar situations. A somber man recounts the final years of his mother’s life, a woman he describes as “the style icon of the Covington Estate,” in a manner that may well leave you sobbing.
Loewe’s “Decades of Confusion”
There’s a darker than usual feel to this year’s Arrows, which makes the bright spots that much brighter. Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe pokes fun at its difficult to pronounce name in a spot starring Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy, who also wrote the script. The pair wear iconic looks (and some memorable wigs) from the Loewe archive, from 1971 to present day, and trade barbs in an adorable manner. These two should get their own sitcom.
2025 British Arrows Awards
When: Through Jan. 6
Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Mpls.
Tickets: $18 ($15 Walker members, students and seniors). Each ticket includes free gallery admission. Online viewing is $25 ($20 for members, students and seniors) and is available on-demand.
More info: 612-375-7600 or walkerart.org
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