Winner of a gold at this year's inaugural Campaign Big Awards, this ad stood out because, in the opinion of the judges, it works on so many levels. The ad features a pair of parallel photographic montage sequences that trace the stages of two very different lives - one glamorous, thanks to good clothes; the other less so.
Agency: DDB London
Writers/art directors: Grant Parker, Joanna Wenley
2. Land Rover Defender, 'seawall'
A rugged-looking ad for a rugged little vehicle - Britain's original and archetypal off-roader. And you can't get more off-road than the margins of an angry sea. Or, for that matter, more integrated into the fabric of the country itself than being part of a sea wall. A beautifully simple idea (and there are few words on this press ad: a rarity for the automotive category), elegantly executed.
Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R
Writer: Adrian Lim
Art director: Steve Williams
3. John Lewis, 'child'
This ad is part of the acclaimed "shadow" series that has run across TV as well as press. The appeal of the press work is that, compared with the TV executions, you can take more time to work out exactly how it is that the assembled bits and pieces make the shadow. Not only that - you can also read a list of all the items featured, with prices. Which is sometimes a good idea when you're trying to sell stuff.
Agency: Lowe London
Writer: George Prest
Art directors: Ed Morris, Johnny Leathers
4. Department for Transport, 'pedestrian'
A poignant reminder that children copy everything adults do, good as well as bad. Exquisitely and simply executed, this campaign has been widely praised for the cut-through it achieved in newspaper environments. And it's nice to see a creative team getting to use their crayons. Quite literally.
Agency: Leo Burnett
Writers/art directors: Daniel Fisher, Richard Brim
5. Robinsons, 'grow boy'
This triumphed over a strong field in the grocery, soft drinks and household category at the Big Awards - and perhaps illustrates the judges' preference for strong poster-like visuals over the (arguably more traditional) word-rich approach to press advertising.
Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty
Writer: Wesley Hawes
Art director: Gary McCreadie
6. The Economist, 'curiosity'
There were those who worried when The Economist and its long-term agency announced they were changing tack, placing less emphasis on the classic white-out-of-red David Abbott-inspired 48-sheet executions. So - worries over. This campaign is designed to appeal to an audience beyond The Economist's traditional heartland, including younger people and women.
Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Writer: Mark Fairbanks
Art director: Paul Cohen
7. First Choice Holidays, 'rubbish'
To paraphrase this ad's well-crafted copy, nothing brings an agency and its clients closer together than the fear of producing a rubbish ad. And it's just as well, really, that it didn't happen. In this execution, a family is clearly contemplating the exhausting sort of holiday you need a holiday to get over.
Agency: Beattie McGuinness Bungay
Writer: Ian Heartfield
Art director: Matt Doman
8. Museum of Childhood, 'grey skull'
How refreshing to find a charity ad that isn't gratuitously offensive. In in this execution, the writer and art director surely risk being ostracised from the creative community by trying a more imaginative approach. Visual artistry rather than loud shock tactics help make this a very persuasive ad.
Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Writer: Mike Nicholson
Art director: Paul Pateman
9. Volkswagen, 'certificates'
DDB has an awesome record with Volkswagen - and here's evidence that this extends to all areas of the client's activities, even the car- maker's sponsorship of independent cinema. A witty and cynical take on the classification categories.
Agency: DDB London
Writers/art directors: Graeme Hall, Gavin Siakimotu
10. Olympus, 'rockslide'
A classic old-fashioned press ad: punchy headline in a heritage font; an elegantly typeset adornment of lean san serif copy; a product shot cropped by the frame so it doesn't look so much like a product shot. See? It can work.
Agency: The Red Brick Road
Writer: Dean Webb
Art director: Matt Allen.