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Engine’s Wayne Deakin picks his Desert Island Ads

Wayne-Deakin_LoResWayne Deakin is ECD of Engine Group and also the UK marcom company’s digital agency Jam. An Australian, Deakin began his career at BCM Partnership and then worked at Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, McCann, Euro RSCG and Jung von Matt before coming to London to be Jam’s first creative in August 2011. At Jam, now with a creative department, he oversees work for Sky, Renault and Capital One as well as Engine clients RBS and Tesco Mobile.

 

If advertising has given me one thing it is the chance to escape the small coastal fishing town in Oz that I grew up in and allow me to travel and see the world. I knew pretty early on that I was rubbish at being a fisherman and wanted to spend far too many days hanging out surfing, and thinking up ways of how could I get paid to be creative and meet young ladies.

Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to work in many countries with some legendary people in different cultures and see a shed load of work. I’ve put together a few ads that plot different places and stages along that road trip. Enough to enjoy and not get in the way of the cold beer in the cool box on the island you’ve stuck me on.

 

Speedo – ‘Everybody Loves Speedo’

I could make up a tale of how David Ogilvy inspired me into the ad world but that would be crap. It was this Aussie TV ad with women in swimwear and a young Elle MacPherson in particular. Not to mention the classic 80’s track – as, like any teenager, I also fancied myself as a songwriter. Not a great ad nowadays but when you’re in your teens its just what you need for inspiring a career move. Crazy to think that 10 years later I worked with Elle on a couple of ads and again just recently. Knowing that would have made my teenage self very happy.

 

Optus – ‘Says Yes’

After years of being forced to have just one telecom company saying ‘No’ all the time it made sense to have a new challenger brand saying ‘Yes’ in 1997. It was great to be a part of changing the status quo of a nation. And yes, the ad looks dated now, but the line is still living on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8VTF6wpaEI

 

Nissin  Cup-O-Noodle – Moa’

Over to Asia now and when I first saw this it was like someone had slapped me in the face. And what can I say: you remember the slap. I just love the whole campaign.

 

Yellow Pages –  ‘Go Go’

Back down under and from a time when everyone was still going crazy for gigantic productions with famous tracks, here’s an ad that did the opposite. Simple, infectious and honest.

 

Nike SB – ‘Skateboarders’

As an Aussie, you have to have at least one sports ad on your list. I was going to show one of the big Sydney Olympic ads (what a time to be working in Sydney), but this is so much better. A killer insight, funny, a lovely spin on things, and a series of great performances. Tennis is my favourite…or maybe Golf…as a skateboarder from old its so true.

 

Budweiser – ‘Whassup?’

Across to the States next. I remember sitting down watching Monday Night Football and this ad pops up. The next day you heard guys everywhere shouting out ‘Whasssssssup’ as if it’d been out for years. An instant DDB classic..True.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDTZCgsZGeA

 

Nike – ‘Chalk Box’

A campaign that shifted Digital to physical. Is it an ad? Is it content? Is it a stunt or PR campaign?…Who f**king cares. It’s all of them. This led the way and changed the way I and every other creative in agencies work. It certainly made me want to go out and make real stories rather than just tell them.

 

Mercedes-Benz – ‘Invisible Drive’

What’s there to say about this, other than it’s a factor of amazing people making brilliant work?

 

Dortmund Concert Hall – ‘Concert Milk’

In typical Jung Von Matt style, a simple idea becomes a force for change. A people-powered campaign that plays with your expectations. People coming into the industry can learn a lot from the guys that did this.

 

Metro Trains – ‘Dumb Ways To Die’

Public work can often be so boring and worthy. This charming work comes at the issue from a different way in and is brilliantly done. I was at Cannes when it swept the board and well deserved it was to. The story behind the ad is well worth checking out as well if you can.

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