1. RNLI, ‘your legacy is our lifeline’
A powerful image of a lifeboat ploughing through rough waters, combined with some punchy copy, add up to a compelling ad from the RNLI that uses the Featurelink service to appeal to people to think about leaving a legacy to help the organisation continue its work. Six out of ten lifeboat launches are only possible because of people remembering the RNLI in their wills.
Agency: Arthur London/In-house
2. Department for Communities and Local Government, ‘fire kills’
Local media has been shown in research to be the most effective medium for getting people to test smoke alarms regularly, and this arresting image of a fire-damaged clock perfectly encapsulates the message. The fact that accidental fires in the home decreased 12 per cent last year – and that 86 per cent of homes now have fire alarms – is proof of the campaign’s success.
Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R
Writer: Mike Boles
Art director: Jerry Hollens
3. Capital One, ‘local fever’
This is a clever and funny way of bringing to life the banter and message that Capital One wanted to get across for the current football season, with its "local fever" campaign running on the back of its sponsorship of the Capital One Cup. In line with the company’s claim of being the credit card provider that "supports the supporters", this ad calls for nominations for makeovers at 11 football grounds.
Agency: Engine
Writer: Steve Hawthorn
Art director: Katy Hopkins
4. Specsavers, ‘should’ve gone to Specsavers’
Everybody had a right old laugh at the council contractors in Swindon who painted double yellow lines in an alleyway too narrow to drive down and barely even wide enough for a motorcycle. It was manna from heaven for the quick-off-the-mark Specsavers creative team, which, within a few days, had got this ad into the local newspapers that broke the story.
Agency: In-house
Writer: Aaron Scoones
Art director: Michael Hutchinson
5. Department for Work & Pensions, ‘we’re all in’
Theo Paphitis, the retail magnate and entrepreneur best known for his appearances on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, fronts this hard-working ad promoting the workplace pension schemes all employers will be forced to offer by 2018. It is part of a government initiative to ameliorate the potentially huge impact on the social system caused by the millions of workers who currently pay nothing towards a pension – and to dissuade them from opting out of their workplace scheme.
Agency: Adam & Eve/DDB
Writer: Matt Lee
Art director: Peter Heyes
6. Newsquest, ‘Ebor Handicap coverwrap’
The Press in York broke with 131 years of history with its first-ever coverwrap to mark the opening of the Ebor Festival. The four-day event, held at York racecourse during August, is the last major meeting of the flat-race reason, attracting race-goers from all over the UK and overseas. Newsquest, The Press’ owner, saw a natural synergy between the paper and William Hill, which agreed to sponsor the four-page wrap complete with a dramatic image of a horse and jockey appearing to leap out of the page.
Agency: In-house
Writer/art director: Andrew Nichols
7. Sainsbury’s, ‘live well for less’
With supermarkets under intense scrutiny this year over the sourcing of their food products, Sainsbury’s found a neat way of linking its quality credentials to the opening of a store in Melton Mowbray. This ad communicated the fact that locally sourced products formed an important part of Sainsbury’s own-brand range, and aimed to reflect the pride customers had in locally produced but nationally sold products. The print campaign was supported with in-store sampling of the products.
Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Writer: David White
Art director: Richard Connor
8. Virgin Atlantic, ‘bonnie voyage’
Virgin Atlantic transferred its movie-themed TV work into print – and added a little local colloquialism – to this print execution promoting its flights from Scotland to London. The airline now operates 18 flights a day from Edinburgh and Aberdeen to Heathrow, preventing a British Airways monopoly of the routes.
Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R
Writer: Tim Cordell
Art director: Steve Williams
9. UK Trade & Investment, ‘exporting is great’
Carole O’Neil, a partner at the engineering company Cundall, fronts this UK Trade & Investment campaign, which encourages businesses to start exporting and to seek help from a UKTI advisor. Cundell is featured in the campaign because, with UKTI support, the company has grown from a small British practice to an international consultancy operating 20 offices in 11 countries, with 25 per cent of its income now generated abroad.
Agency: Kindred
Writer: John Merriman
Art director: Indy Selvarajah
10. Tesco, ‘Tesco Extra Watford’
Tesco’s recent underwhelming performance underlines the importance of ads like this in its efforts to bring the hypermarket back to life and renew its relevance for customers in a rapidly digitalising retail market. This execution promotes the new Tesco Extra outlet in Watford. Although the store answers to the brand’s "food first" philosophy, it also boasts a "Tesco loves baby" department for new parents.
Agency: Tag
Writer/art director: Mike McKenna