The hyperactivity by D&AD on behalf of young, would-be admakers
should be admired, supported and helped in order to maintain the high
creative standards in the UK. Good tuition and guidance will help propel
them through the millennium and into the wonderful world of adland. If
they’ve had a good guide, they’ll discover the routes to avoid. If
they’ve been well schooled, they’ll know the routes to choose.
The Classic Malts route is the well-trodden one that normally follows a
factory visit. This is another in a long line of the Gaelic names,
bannocks, braes, mists, peat and, to quote the ad, ’A crystal clear
snow-melt that gathers up a heady mixture of honey sweet mountain
heather ...’ This is top-class MacBullshit and will probably surprise us
all by being consumed in vast quantities this Christmas.
The Camelot work is the equally well-trodden route of worthiness and
altruism but with the slightly tainted whiff of seediness. The seedy bit
is who really gets or should get the handouts. Here we see an attempt to
echo the charm and humour of Brassed Off without quite convincing us of
their needs. Another spot shows an athletic coach in stylised
situations, struggling with her sports speak to convince us of her
commitment to tomorrow’s track stars. The director’s homage to Brassed
Off and the Reebok commercial I see, note and appreciate. Any further
criticism of these two worthies would be churlish.
The TV Licensing ads remind us how difficult it is to catch people
committing crimes in their own homes. Although this brief has produced
awards in the past, time has not made the problem easier. Shame only
becomes valid if other people know. The first spot shows a dreadful old
aristo using his status to fiddle the books. He is shamed into paying
and grudgingly allows the riff-raff into his house to cover further
expenses. Spot number two depicts the equally disgusting face of a pushy
businessman whose son has failed to pay for the TV licence due to
pressure of work. Believe that one. Spot number three introduces us to a
fat, high-rise-living Sun reader with an ambition to become a high-class
minder. His fine for licence evasion thwarts the ambition. Shame.
These convincing rascals should all meet at therapy class to help each
other with their next scam. The director tells their stories well.
The Chicken Tonight spot is from the now fashionable - yet, not so long
ago, to be avoided at all costs - enthusiastic presenter school of
advertising.
All thanks for its resurgence go to Tango, Pot Noodle, Miller and Jack
Dee. But it can be dangerous if you get lost en route. Even Wrighty,
fresh from his One2One success, doesn’t automatically make this piece
amusing. Don’t panic. At least you’ve got Ian doing that chicken
dance.
The Quality Street ad comes from the ’let’s work closely with the
client’ school. His enthusiasm for the product has been so embedded in
the psyche of the planner/account man that your job has been made easy.
The only problem is that the excitement doesn’t travel from the meeting
room to the production floor and on to the screen.
With Volkswagen we have one of the great schools of advertising. Since
the launch of the Beetle in New York in the early 60s, this client has
produced masses of award-winning campaigns. It’s easy to follow in the
footsteps of great ads, I hear you say. Let me tell you it’s not. The
most difficult thing is to follow these footsteps. You can only
fail.
The current campaigns for VW are remarkable in the skills of claiming
product initiatives from right under the noses of the other car makers.
This latest piece, which opens on a Tai-Chi class somewhere in North
London, is compulsive viewing. VW moves on.
All concerned go to the top of the class. All students take note.
Have your say on channel six of CampaignLive at www.campaignlive.com
UDV
Project: The Classic Malts range - Talisker and Dalwhinnie
Client: Tim O’Donnell, marketing controller
Brief: Establish the individual characteristics of each of the six
classic malt whiskies
Agency: WCRS
Writer: Steve Little
Art director: Tim Robertson
Photographer: Kevin Griffin
Typographer: Leonie Brierley
Exposure: National press - review sections and magazines
Van den Bergh Foods
Project: Chicken Tonight
Client: Maria Bullen, senior brand manager
Brief: Drive interest and excitement around a new range of cooking
sauces
Agency: J. Walter Thompson
Writer: Jaspar Shelbourne
Art director: Jaspar Shelbourne
Director: Richard Phillips
Production company: RJ Phillips & Co
Exposure: National TV
BBC
Project: TV Licensing
Client: John Pink, head of licensing, marketing and sales
Brief: Make people think about the consequences of being caught without
a TV licence
Agency: TBWA GGT
Simons Palmer Writer: Michael Burke
Art director: John Anderson
Director: Paul Gay
Production company: Outsider
Exposure: National TV
NESTLE
Project: Quality Street
Client: Jonathan Box, group products manager
Brief: Show what is special about Quality Street
Agency: Ammirati Puris Lintas
Writer: Adam Denton
Art director: Andy Fairless
Production company: The Pink Film Company
Exposure: National terrestrial and satellite TV
VOLKSWAGEN UK
Project: VW Polo
Client: Nigel Brotherton, national communications manager
Brief: Dramatise the safety of the Polo
Agency: BMP DDB
Writer: Andy McLeod
Art director: Richard Flintham
Director: Ringan Ledwidge
Production company: The End
Exposure: National TV
CAMELOT
Project: The National Lottery
Client: Ian Milligan, marketing director
Brief: Re-engage players by illustrating how monies raised can help
build a better Britain
Agency: WCRS Writer: Leon Jaume
Art director: Rooney Carruthers
Director: Elliot Naftalin
Production company: Spectre
Exposure: National TV
