I am viewing this new crop of ads from the familiar comfort of my
bedroom, in which I’ve been held captive for over a week, due to a
football injury resulting in surgery on my right shoulder. Therefore,
I’ll try to make this review as constructive as possible and not merely
say that everything is brilliant, wonderful and beautiful, which I could
be inclined to do as I’m pumped full of morphine-type painkillers. So if
those responsible for the following commercials take offence at anything
I’m about to write, please go easy on me if you see me in the street as
I’m unable to defend myself - but I can still run quickly.
Using celebrities to help sell a product has been successful on many
occasions but the Sainsbury’s campaign starring John Cleese doesn’t
really work for me. It must have been quite intimidating for the people
laden with the task of coming up with an idea that can compete with the
high standard of the previous work for this brand.
I can see how a simple idea, which they had, could have been enhanced by
using a powerful and humorous personality such as John Cleese, but his
comedy routine and antics just seem a bit tired and unsurprising.
I think it was Tom Carty or Walter Campbell who said the test of how
good an idea is, is how much you wish you’d done it yourself. This new
ad for British Airways evokes that sensation. It’s a piece of film that,
once upon a time, only the Americans could get away with. The visual
game of people watching or, in this case, kids watching, is something
that we all participate in and has been brilliantly brought to life.
You’re left feeling charmed by the kids and with a sense of endearment
towards the brand. I’d be amazed if this doesn’t work strongly for
everyone concerned.
We now come to the campaign for the Co-op. This cheap and cheerful,
tongue-in-cheek, slapstick, bright and bubbly, cheeky chappie of an ad
campaign is strongly branded and some made me laugh out loud, which
isn’t that difficult in my present state. However, after watching all
ten in succession, they did start to grate and I did have a strong
compulsion to eat my own head - let’s hope some crazy media buyer isn’t
looking for this effect.
The next ad, for the Times, is one of those commercials that, half-way
through, I found myself thinking, ’I think I like this, so please don’t
disappoint me with a bad pun or something unpleasant at the end.’ But
I’m happy to say this tight and well-crafted idea doesn’t appear to have
any faults. The concept of owning insights to anything from Ian Wright
to the Millennium Dome for only 30p is a brilliant one. It makes you
think about the product in a new way and also adds worth to the brand -
all that for less than a packet of Quavers.
Again, I love the idea for BMW, but when I came to write up my notes I
couldn’t remember what car the ad was for, which may say more about my
drug-hindered memory than the ad, but I felt the execution could have
been a little more intriguing and adventurous. Within an ad break, I
feel this commercial will disappear. This is a nice ad which could have
been great - shame.
Finally, the Faces to Watch press ads for Sekonda. At first glance, my
wife, while under the influence of a more commonly used drug - alcohol -
said: ’Cool, a gay campaign!’. After trying to convince her otherwise, I
came to the conclusion it probably would have been a stronger campaign
if it was. I can see where the people involved had tapped into a format
which is often used in magazines - a clever wordplay can help marry the
element of a watch and a future celebrity - but I can’t say I’m a great
fan of word play and this looks pretty weak typographically, especially
when dealing with designer mags which is where, I would have thought,
these will be running.
But what do I know, I’m on drugs.
BMW
Project: 3 Series
Client: Phil Horton,
marketing director
Brief: Launch the 3 Series - the reinvention of the sports saloon
Agency: WCRS
Writer: Andy Brittain
Art director: Yu King
Director: Nick Lewin
Production company:
Cowboy Films
Exposure: National TV
Co-operative Retail Services
Project: Co-operative
Retail Services
Client: Tim Marsden, marketing operations controller
Brief: Reassure people that there’s always a good deal at Co-op
Agency: Duckworth Finn
Grubb Waters Writer: Simon Riley
Art director: Tim Brown
Director: Mark Denton Production company: Godman
Exposure: National TV
British Airways
Project: British Airways
Client: Jill Manaton, senior manager, marketing communications
Brief: Use product benefits and services to demonstrate the attitude of
the brand
Agency: M&C Saatchi
Writer: Simon Dicketts
Art director: Peter Gatley
Director: Stuart Douglas
Production company: D Films
Exposure: National TV
Sekonda
Project: Men’s and women’s watches
Client: Julian Pollock, director
Brief: Add credentials to a
value brand
Agency: Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy
Writer: John Merriman
Art director: John Merriman
Photographer: Nick Otley Typographer: Tim Lewis
Exposure: Style and national press
Sainsbury’s
Project: Value campaign
Client: Andrew Ground, head of brand advertising
Brief: Sainsbury’s offers value worth shouting about
Agency: Abbott Mead
Vickers BBDO
Writer: Tom Jenkins
Art director: Stuart Baker
Director: Richard Loncraine
Production company:
James Garrett & Partners
Exposure: National TV
Times Newspapers
Project: The Times
Client: Toby Constantine, marketing director
Brief: Highlight the value of the Times and its breadth of reporting
Agency: Rainey Kelly
Campbell Roalfe Writer: Richard Beesening
Art director: Richard Beesening
Production company: Godman
Exposure: National TV
