±±¾©Èü³µpk10

‘If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at

all,’ was a piece of advice from my grandmother that I’ve quite often

ignored, I’m ashamed to say. It is also the advice ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 is now

giving to anyone doing Private View. It appears that every now and then

some creative directors are over-indulging their egos and slagging off

their chums. As if anyone in advertising would do that, and as if they’d

manage to keep it to 700 words.

Thankfully, ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 helped out by sending me a load of work that I’d

need to be very picky about indeed to find fault with.

First up was a TV ad from Ford, which is doing some really good print

and telly right now. This one was a very well shot feast of layered

images of the car and driver preparing for a space launch - all

accompanied by a great rendition of Fly me to the Moon. It looks great

on air and the only fault I could find was the car’s name. The Megane

and Carisma are bad enough, but the Probe? Thank goodness the ad was

about a space probe and not a medical one. (Sorry gran, you never said

anything about slagging off car names.)

Next was a man in a red mask being very mysterious about Metz, a new

Schnapps-type drink, and the strange bar he drinks in. I was convinced

it was Steve Henry in disguise, being innovative and noticeable, as

usual. I loved it, and the intrigue, and if there’d been a phone number

I’d have given Steve a call.

It was then the turn of a mystery lady, who appeared to those familiar

opening strains of This is Your Life. But all credit to the Lowe Howard-

Spink PR machine. I’d read all about this mystery in the papers before

it appeared. It was Naomi Campbell taking an unexpected self-deprecating

look back over her life thanks to an Olympus Mju. I thought it was a

brilliant idea extremely well executed. I particularly liked the Naomi

doll but, being picky, I couldn’t quite make out her voiceover. My dodgy

TV, I’m sure, but I can’t help admiring how Lowes gets all those great

celebs to do all those great ads.

I still had no-one to slag off as the New Zealand Tourism Board came on

screen. I did feel, however, that this was probably a brief where the

good news was ‘we’ve got the New Zealand account’, but the bad news was

‘we can’t afford to go there’. Still, Messrs Merriman and Herring made

sure someone thought, rather than spent, their way out of that, as only

they can. So, using stock footage to make us realise how miserable it

can be over here, the agency gave us a hint of the grass on the other

side and a great line: ‘Get as far away from it all as possible.’ I

called the number but Steve Henry answered.

Only one poster in the batch, and it’s for Mercedes-Benz - a car that

certainly doesn’t need to call itself Thrust or Grind and one of the few

pieces of car design that is so distinctive and beautiful that all you

need is a strong, simple idea, a good photograph, and hey presto. If I

found a magic lamp, or won the National Lottery, Mercedes would

certainly be three of my wishes.

Finally, an absolutely filthy, disgusting and foul ad for Islington

Council.

It is also brilliant. It dramatises an issue, with simplicity, to the

absolute max. Instead of a dog crapping on the pavement, it is a man

having a dump, perfectly set to an angelic Who Will Buy This Wonderful

Morning?. Very Mary Poppins. Please, please can you run it in St Albans.

I’m tired of playing football with my son on a pitch covered in dog

crap.

This ad restores your faith in the power of advertising and, if you were

ever in doubt, the power of Saatchi and Saatchi, and allows you to do

Private View with a clear conscience.

Billy Mawhinney is the creative director at Ammirati Puris Lintas

Mercedes-Benz

Project: S class Mercedes

Client: Oliver Johnson, general manager, marketing

Brief: Promote the car as a vehicle that is built without compromise

Agency: Leo Burnett

Writer: Robin Weekes

Art director: Robin Smith

Photographer: Darren Rees

Typographer: Trevor Slabber

Exposure: National TV

New Zealand Tourism Board

Project: New Zealand tourism

Client: Gregg Anderson, marketing manager

Brief: Replenishment

Agency: Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy

Writer: Matt Woolner

Art director: Steve Wioland

Director: John Durrant, BDH Athletico

Production company:

The Producers

Exposure: London television and national press

Islington Council

Project: Islington Council

Client: Rob Storey, head of publicity

Brief: Tackle the anti-social problem of dog fouling in the streets of

Islington

Agency: Saatchi and Saatchi

Writer: John Pallant

Art director: Matt Ryan

Director: Mark Williams

Production company: Tony Kaye Films

Exposure: Cinema (Islington only)

Olympus

Project: Olympus Mju

Client: Ian Dickens, communications director

Brief: Olympus compacts: an essential part of life

Agency: Lowe Howard-Spink

Writer: Paul Silburn

Art director: Vince Squibb

Director: Frank Budgen

Production company: The Paul Weiland Film Company

Exposure: National TV

Ford

Project: Ford Probe

Client: Brian Wade, brand manager, special products

Brief: Bring the experience of driving the Probe to life

Agency: Ogilvy and Mather

Writer: Justin Hooper

Art director: Christian Cotterel

Director: Howard Greenhalgh

Production company: The Brave Films Company

Exposure: National TV

Martini

Project: Metz

Client: Jeff MacDonald, senior product manager, Martini

Brief: Launch Metz as a strong, adult drink that contains Schnapps

Agency: HHCL Brasserie

Creative team: Liz Whiston and Dave Shelton

Directors: Liz Whiston and Dave Shelton

Production company: HHCL Brasserie/South Altlantic Film Company

Exposure: National TV