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I’ve just sussed out how to write this column. You get four pieces

of totally unrelated work and you search for the one vague thread of

commonality.

Then you simply write wittily - and occasionally disparagingly - about

each of them, pausing, if you can, to end each paragraph with a thought

’which leads us on nicely’ to another.

Which leads us on nicely to this month’s selection. To be honest, these

really do have precious little in common with one another. Apart, of

course, from the fact that their very presence in the Jiffy bag

signifies their authors’ and creators’ belief that they were worthy of

review by ±±¾©Èü³µpk10.

And, therefore, dead brill.

Which leads us nicely on to the work for Monsanto. Brill is a fish, dead

brill is a food. And Monsanto is the company that makes a fortune from

genetically mucking around with food. Having had personal experience

with three growing kids, I know the best way to feed people things that

are hard to swallow is to make them look appealing and palatable. Hence

these ads, which look good enough to eat and copy which is

mouth-wateringly well written. I love the masterstroke of publishing the

addresses and phone numbers of opposing organisations and opinion groups

with different views. That’s outstanding. That’s challenging. That’s

different.

Which leads us nicely on to the launch of the Saturday Times

Magazine.

I’m sure the editor would claim it was ’outstanding’ and ’challenging’

and ’different’. But sadly you wouldn’t really guess it from the

marketing.

There’s actually nothing wrong with this campaign. No-one would be

ashamed of it and it would sit quite happily in anyone’s book. What’s

more, I’m sure the generous offer worked. But one of the commonest

bleats about our industry is the ’ad-in-an-envelope’ accusation. Here,

then, is a ’magazine-in-an-envelope’ or if you’re lucky, a

’magazine-in-a-box’. Just for the record, the box is a pretty, violet,

ribboned affair and the envelope is silver, plain and dull.

Which leads us nicely on to another silver envelope which is neither

plain, nor dull. And nor is the work inside. This is the Limbo work for

the launch of the Audi A6. It’s crafted, it’s beautiful, it’s

relevant.

It’ll win plaudits and it’ll win customers. The foil-printed ads look

good, feel good and - by golly - they even smell good too. If there’s

the merest hint of a quibble, then there is just a passing resemblance

to the launch ads for the Ford Galaxy. But what the hell, this is great

stuff. And winning awards with it should be a piece of piss.

Which leads us, sadly, on to the work for Bennetts insurance. Look,

showing a podgy, naked bloke with his hands over his bits with a

headline like ’Get covered by Bennetts’ isn’t particularly funny, risque

or clever.

Inside the leaflet there’s a section entitled Voluntary Excesses. Which

leads us on nicely ...

Graham King is creative director of Marketing Drive

CREDITS

BENNETTS

Brief: Portray Bennetts

as the name the consumer can trust

Agency: LVB Draft Worldwide

Copywriter: Chris Stanley

Art director: Steve Boddey

AUDI A6 AVANT

Brief: Launch Audi’s latest estate car using a below-the-line

strategy

Agency: Limbo

Copywriter: Doug Wood Art director: Dave Cloke

MONSANTO

Brief: Launch a major

UK-wide information programme about food biotechnology

Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Copywriter: not supplied

Art director: not supplied

SATURDAY TIMES

Brief: Use the relaunched Saturday Magazine as

a vehicle to introduce

two distinct groups to the main newspaper

Agency: Lowe Direct

Copywriter: Cathy Dickson

Art director: Tony Homan.