3 Great Ads is a long-running Thinkbox and ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 series. The idea is not only to explore some of our greatest ads in the company of people who know a thing or two about making them, but also - because of the proven link between creativity and effectiveness - to inspire the ad industry to even greater heights.
Andy and Rich are one of the best creative teams in the world, with an award-winning career creating some of the most well-known work for businesses such as John Lewis, Snickers, and Pot Noodle.
Their “Last Photo” campaign for ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 Against Living Miserably (CALM), one of the most celebrated and impactful campaigns in British advertising, won the Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions festival in 2023.
After starting their careers at Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R in 1997 the pair worked at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, where their work included ads for Levi's; Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, where they spent more than nine years; then Adam & Eve/DDB and finally Neverland.
This award-winning Levi’s ad from BBH, created by John Hegarty and directed by Michel Gondry, cleverly contrasts black and white 1920s visuals with an impactful late-90s techno soundtrack. Using a first-person perspective, it follows a young man as he buys condoms from a disapproving pharmacist and hides them in the watch pocket of his jeans, only to later discover the pharmacist is his date’s father. The tagline “Watch pocket created in 1873. Abused ever since” delivers a punchy close.
Agency: BBH Creative Team: John Hegarty Client: Levi’s Production company: Partizan Director: Michel Gondry
Parents using EE's wi-fi controls to manage their children's internet access feature in this ad, set against the backdrop of Faithless track Insomnia. It’s part of a broader campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi that highlights EE's focus on home, learning, work, and gaming to position the brand as a supportive presence in daily family life. As with other EE ads, the music is key in highlighting a story arc without the use of dialogue.
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Team: William John Client: EE Production company: Love Song Director: Daniel Wolfe
This surreal, dystopian campaign by Mother premiered during the Euro 2024 opening match Germany v Scotland. Directed by Vedran Rupic and choreographed by Sven Lesoria, it features a society worshipping a chicken deity, with citizens abandoning their routines to perform a synchronised dance to techno beats and Gregorian chants. By reinforcing the brand and its commitment to serving customers reliably good food in a world that’s growing increasingly chaotic, KFC gives the audience something to believe in.
Agency: Mother Creative team: Mother Client: KFC Production company: Business Club Director: Vedran Rupic
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Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, in all its forms. Its shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media and UKTV. Thinkbox works with the marketing community with a single ambition: to help advertisers get the best out of today’s TV.
