As much as we pride ourselves on our awesome work, there’s always room for envy. This industry is filled with creative teams and individuals, and we love seeing truly effective marketing campaigns. From funny to timeless, the Matrix Partners team compiled some of our faves for you to enjoy.

Deadpool Movie Campaign: A very recent addition to the list, this campaign was blowing minds from day one. Though the comic book character is known for his cheeky antics, no one expected the word-play emoji billboard or the sassy advertisements showing the film as a love story for Valentine’s Day. Moreover, lead actor Ryan Reynolds showed no mercy on his personal social media, posting pics in character and blurring the line between marketing and real life.

Chick-Fil-A Cow Billboard Campaign: “Eat Mor Chikin” billboards are sprinkled all over the place, and they’ve even got vegetarians chuckling. The fast food chicken chain employed the use of fake cows to convince hungry drivers that chicken was a better option for their next trip through the drive thru. The campaign’s success has sparked a ridiculously successful Facebook page for the cows and inspirational cow calendars.

United Airlines “Fly The Friendly Skies” TV Campaign: This 2013 earworm of a commercial is classy and effective, and it was created by Leo Burnett in our hometown of Chicago. In a series of four timeless commercials, the airline launched themselves into customer consideration by driving the “plenty of room” message home with an impressive instrumental performance to boot. Behind-the-scenes info on the campaign can be found here.

Red Bull “Stratos” Campaign: Speaking of flying, Red Bull gave skydiver Felix Baumgartner wings in 2012. Though the brand insisted that the stratospheric dive wasn’t a marketing effort, the logo and sponsorship got plenty of air time as the world tuned in to watch the two and a half hour ascent and four minute plunge back to the earth’s surface.

Nature’s Variety “Long Live Pets” Campaign: OF COURSE we have pet favorites! We keep our eye on the industry and this adorable campaign stuck out for a multitude of reasons. We have a soft spot for rescue pups, but beyond that, the execution was flawless. The brand used user-submitted social content to create the beautiful video, showing the lives of dogs who’d been given a second chance. Though the campaign was hosted by a brand, the intentions were genuine and the message was incredible.

Dallas Pets Alive “Muttbombing” Campaign: We’ve recently been introduced to “muttbombing” – when the DPA searches for popular selfies and photoshops an adoptable pup into the shot. Not only are they entertaining their followers, they’re opening a dialogue about helping each dog to find forever homes.

The Land of Nod “Theo and Beau” Campaign: Instagram famous can turn into catalog famous if you do it right. Jessica of the Momma’s Gone City blog was influential in her own right when her adorable glamour shots of her son and dog catapulted her to marketing maven status. The Land of Nod took notice, put her photos in a campaign and used real-life marketing to sell their products. Since, Jessica has released a book called Naptime with Theo and Beau.

Allstate’s “Mayhem” Campaign: Personifying the terrors of life has been an effective tool in selling insurance for Allstate. The award-winning campaign has covered everything from blind spots to hired help and even ventured into hyper-local Chicago radio spots. Why Chicago? Chi-town staple Leo Burnett has been Allstate’s creative agency since the 1950’s.

Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art “Way Of The Shovel” Campaign: This installment encouraged Chicagoans to get touchy with their waiting areas. The clever bus stop (and print) marketing used scratch-off material to interest passersby and emphasize the theme of the most recent exhibit. Not only did the scratched area uncover awesome art underneath, but the scratch patterns were their own little pieces of artwork.

Old Spice “Smell Like A Man, Man” Campaign: In a gender-neutral foray into funny, Old Spice made being manly all about the ladies. This campaign acknowledged that most men want to smell nice…for women. And thus, The Man Your Man Could Smell Like was born (and commercial breaks were all the better for it).

Subaru “Dog Tested. Dog Approved” Campaign: Obviously we love non-pet products that allow pets to be the stars in their marketing. Subaru was top of the class with these dog commercials, including riffs (ruffs? sorry, had to) on impatient driving and wandering eyes. Admittedly, the marketing made us want the dogs more than the car, but it’s a start.