14 March, 1996
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO this week carried off the prize for Most
Successful Agency at the British Television Advertising Awards, held at
the Grosvenor House Hotel.
The citation by the judges noted: ’This accolade represents a
high-calibre portfolio of humorous and emotive work for clients as
diverse as the Economist, W. H. Smith, Pizza Hut, Famous Grouse, Alka
Seltzer and the Department of Transport/Central Office of
Information.
’Each commercial is born of AMV’s core philosophy that creatives should
produce scripts based on a strong idea. The winning ads also demonstrate
that budget constraints hold no fear for AMV when creating outstanding
work - witness the ’funeral blues’ spot for the COI, one of the most
moving public information films ever made.’
The award will also be seen as a tribute to AMV’s long-serving head of
TV, Frank Lieberman, who was appointed to the agency in a bid to improve
the reputation of its television department.
Before joining AMV in Easter 1987, Lieberman, 57, was deputy head of TV
at DFS Dorland. For the nine years before that he had worked as a
producer for David Thorpe at Thorpe Lieberman and then, following
Thorpe’s death, tried his hand at directing.
Lieberman, whose hiring was regarded as a coup for the agency, said:
’Abbott Mead is a great agency from a creative point of view and
additional expertise will help it further.’
