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.
Howard Parry-Husbands – CEO, Pollinate
The Guardian – “Points of View” 1986 Commercial
“Growing up as a teenager from a solidly middle-class London suburb in Thatcher’s Britain, I never read The Guardian or so much as thought of it. But it was The Guardian’s Points of View commercial that first showed me how symbols and stories can create meaning out of contradiction.
“It made sense to me: My home life held very traditional points of view, even though my school was in starkly multi-cultural Lewisham. Skinheads were somehow symbols of anti-authoritarianism and singers on Top of the Pops. It helped to realise that life is more complex than it appears, and it gave me a new framework to make sense of the world and the confidence to challenge conventions.
“Moreover, I started to read The Guardian and a wide variety of other news sources in an attempt to more fully understand what’s going on out there.”
Joanna Georges – Head of ANZ, Scope3
T Mobile Welcome Back
“There are a couple of reasons why this one will always be a favourite. This was at the beginning of mainstream guerilla marketing and so felt like a breath of fresh air for a big corporation. It also felt personal. I was living in London and a little homesick so had just committed to returning back home to Sydney.
“The ad brings up all the feels an airport provides, excitement, relief, tears and laughter all with an incredible slogan Life’s for Sharing – it’s an ad that speaks to connectivity in a way that many ads haven’t and even though it’s three minutes long I dare you to watch it and not want to see the whole thing.
“Something many great ads have in common is their ability to bring people together to generate the ‘feels’ required to create a deep emotional connection to the brand.”
Asier Carazo – National Head of Strategy at Atomic 212°
The 2017 Qantas safety video
“Not a traditional ad per se, but one of the most influential pieces of creative of my life.
“Back in 2017, I was living in Barcelona when I got a call offering me a chance to move to Melbourne for work. It felt like an exciting opportunity, but I didn’t know much about Australia at the time. Spaniards don’t get much exposure to Aussie culture, other than Crocodile Dundee. Then, by chance, I stumbled upon the Qantas safety video for that year.
“It wasn’t like a regular ad; it was a seven-minute ad. It gave me a glimpse into Aussie life, the people, and the stunning landscapes. That video was the push I needed to make the move. Fast forward seven years, and I’m still loving life Down Under and proudly flying as a Qantas Platinum Frequent Flyer. It just goes to show how something as simple as a safety video can be an extremely influential piece of advertising… no wonder Qantas has gone so big in producing these over the years.”
See Also: The Ads That Made Us: Cordial, Cadbury, and Colgate Gel
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Top Image: Howard Parry-Husbands, Joanna Georges, Asier Carazo
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