Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.
Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us.
Robert Francazio – General Manager – Growth, Revium
Antz Pantz Underwear from Holeproof – “Sic ‘em Rex”
“Sex has always been a potent tool in advertising. This campaign emerged when such content wasn’t really considered sexist or the subject objectified. Of course, my younger self remained blissfully unaware of that, perhaps because of Toneya Bird’s captivating presence on screen.
“This is an ad which masterfully combined humour and risqué visuals that encapsulated the quintessence of Australia’s advertising zeitgeist, and it was responsible for first pulling me into the magnetic orbit of the marketing and advertising world.
“While Toneya’s compelling aura paved the way into international campaigns with iconic brands like L’Oreal and Cover Girl for her, this was her ad that always stuck with me.
“And my loyalty to the Holeproof brand? It remains unwavering. My wardrobe still contains Explorer socks and the occasional pair of Holeproof jocks.”
Rochelle Burbury – Principal, Third Avenue Consulting
Australian Lamb
“I was lucky enough to be a young journalist during what was definitively the golden era for TV advertising. It was a time when each summer Coke would hold jam packed press conferences to unveil their new TVC! There were so many brilliant ads during the late 80s and 90s but the one that stands out for me is the Lamb ad from the temple of creativity, The Campaign Palace.
“Featuring a fresh-faced Naomi Watts turning down a date with Tom Cruise and the infamous line ‘I can’t, mum’s doing a lamb roast’, its elegant simplicity entered our vernacular and the homes of Australian families, and the creativity of the lamb ads still endures today. (Plus a fantastic spoof from the genius of Jane Turner on Fast Forward).”
Matt Geersen – Creative Partner, Connecting Plots
Telstra: The Great Wall of China
“Back when Bigpond was a thing for Telstra, this ad was an absolute classic. As kids we always thought our parents were the smartest people in the world with an answer for everything, long before we could simply ‘Google it’.
“The spot was so simple, but perfectly cast and directed. Sometimes when you look back on old comedic spots they really don’t stand the test of time, but even rewatching this over a decade later it’s still just as funny and insightful.”
See Also: The Ads That Made Us: Drinking, Drum solos, and Dreams of the skies
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Top Image: Robert Francazio, Rochelle Burbury, Matt Geersen