2022 sees the 100th anniversary of the world’s first ever broadcast advert, and this week we’re exploring the art and craft of advertising, looking at how commercials differ around the world and talking to the creative teams that put them together.

We hear from Jonathan Wolberg and Thabang Lehobye from South African advertising agency FCB about their promotion for Coca Cola, which was tailor made to help people in the country stop pronouncing each others’ names incorrectly.

As increasing numbers of companies attempt to project an eco-friendly image, we explore the concept of ‘green-washing.' Melissa Mbugua from the campaigning group Creatives for Climate, a global network of advertising professionals promoting environmental action in the industry explains how to spot it and reflects on the changing attitudes across Africa.

Robert Cerkez and Mikael Jørgensen from the &co Ad Agency in Copenhagen talk about selling to Scandinavia and how their advert for the airline SAS subverted the region’s stereotypes and drew a strong reaction from some quarters. And as the US midterms approach, Tahseen Rabbi, Video Producer at media company Bloomberg and Tobe Berkovitz, Associate Professor of Advertising at Boston University, share an insiders’ guide to American political advertising.

Producer: Simon Richardson

(Photo: A family watching adverts. Credit: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty)