I sit near our head of planning Gen Kobayashi, and all day last Thursday (while trying to get on with my work) he insisted on showing me the latest World Cup memes.
In them all, clips from films, where people play music, are dubbed with the Euro 96 anthem "It’s coming home". Like all these things, they start off mildly amusing and somehow get more and more funny as the day goes on.
The BA boarding pass ad was shown to me that evening by our creative team. There wasn’t a brief of course – but for me there is always a brief when considering the bigger picture of an event like the World Cup.
Being the national treasure it is, BA has the opportunity to constantly be responsive and create work that is socially relevant – particularly at a time when Britain stands so united.
The creative team Tom Madden and Morgan Hinds-Shorland bought the ticket to life through Gate South, 52H years of hurt, Gate closes 1966, and Time 1800 when the final will come to an end – each of these being hugely emotive elements for football fans throughout the generations, across the entire country.
BA was shown the work on Thursday evening, and by Friday it had been supplied. There are some ideas that need little convincing.
The campaign went live on social at 7.45 and ran in The Times and The Independent on Saturday morning, as well as 20 DOOH sites across the UK.
Roll on Wednesday.
Martha Riley is a creative director at Ogilvy UK