Split-screen advertising (Part 2)

This is the second part of the curation of advertising that uses the split-screen technique as a creative device.
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When it comes to using the split-screen technique as a creative device in video/TV advertising, one of the most common reasons they are employed is to showcase 2 different time periods!

A solid example is this ad by Leo Burnett Chicago, for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2012. The idea is to show that across 2 different time periods, almost everything (barring some changes, of course) is exactly the same, and this manifests in the way the ad picks locations, mannerisms, movements, and actions to match on both sides. That coordination is very specifically intended because of the message that lands in the end.

Another example of different time periods, but with a solid twist – this 2012 John Lewis ad by DDB Worldwide. Despite being about 2 different time periods, this is a love story across time! The 2 lead characters, one from each time period actually fall in love 🙂

On the other hand, in this 2016 McDonald’s ad by Leo Burnett Chicago, while the idea is to show 2 different time periods, the ending connects the 2 periods in a charming twist that moves from one period to another (and one side to the other).

Ditto with this 2013 Coca-Cola ad made by the agency David (Buenos Aires), but with a laughably silly premise for the brand in question 🙂 Again, the sheer effort to match the objects is where the fun is!

And finally, to close the 2 time periods theme, this new ad for the Egyptian brand Lazah, by the agency The HUB is handled brilliantly! The narrative focuses on showcasing how things have become easier/better by showcasing 2 different time periods (they use both vertical split and horizontal split interchangeably). The way the objects move between the sides (and periods) is even better than the McDonald’s ad above. The finale is to point out that while it was laborious earlier to make the dish, with Lazah, it is almost instant since it contains all the things that needed to be produced individually!


The time periods element above is an exercise to showcase contrast. Such a contrast could be about anything, not just 2 different time periods. Consider this Tripadvisor ad from 2014. This is one of the rare ads that has a spoken (dialogs) audio track where both sides talk at the same time, but with subtle changes at times where one person has finished and the other continues. But both happen at the same time, and the core idea is to show how Tripadvisor made one experience better than the other.

Another kind of contrast is the living conditions between 2 different sets of people, as this powerful ad for Amnesty International (Australia) demonstrates using the split-screen device.

This Colgate ad to promote water conservation is on similar lines, and goes to great extent matching the elements between the top and bottom to create a powerful effect in terms of the water we waste, and how it could be used by someone else who does not have water.


Another interesting use-case for the split-screen is to show ‘more’ – that is, something can be used in many ways (or more ways). Air New Zealand’s Airpoints ad from 2012 is a great example since both sides show how the points card is being used. The execution is where the magic is because of the effort taken to imagine and sync the objects across the sides!

But consider Etihad’s 2013 ad made by M&C Saatchi. Instead of ‘more’, one part of the ad showcases how guests are treated in fine dine restaurants and star hotels as a way to inform that Etihad does that in their flights!


But split-screen can also be used with no discernible purpose… just as a way to snazz things up on screen 🙂

This 2005 Lexus ad by The One is a good example. This is ‘have split-screen at my disposal… will use it’!

A close second is this Orange ad from 2007 that uses the split-screen device mainly to show the perceived difference between the people and how Orange allows them to connect. Whether they want to connect or not is not addressed here, though 🙂

But even when there’s no specific purpose behind the use of the split-screen technique, it can still be made hugely enjoyable if using the right tone. This is achieved incredibly well in this engaging 2021 ad for Ha?agen-Dazs, by the agency Forsman & Bodenfors. The main idea is to create mirth using the possibilities of this technique and that the ad gets in a splash of colors and imagination!


If I were to pick the best ads that use the split-screen technique, then that would be these two.

The first is obviously Nike’s outstanding ‘You can’t stop sport’ ad from 2020. The sheer amount of effort that has gone into the identification of clips and seamless editing is exhilarating!! It’s a joy to watch this ad multiple times and still find some spot where the sync is so perfect!

The other one is Apple’s 2017 ‘Switch to iPhone’ campaign where the brand showcases contrast between a non-Apple device (left) and an iPhone (right), but the action starts in the left, demonstrates something that’s wrong, and seamlessly moves to the right where everything is supposedly perfect. But that all this is being demonstrated in incredibly tight 15-second spots is where the real achievement is! Much like the Nike ad, the result is enormously imaginative and enjoyable!

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