Adam&eveDDB’s Ben Tollett and Emer Stamp pick their Desert Island ads
Ben Tollett and Emer Stamp are joint ECDs of adam&eveDDB. Their first job together was at Leagas Delaney, under the not-actually-all-that-brutal tutelage of Tim Delaney. Their career spans 15 years, at nine of London’s top agencies, and over 30 award-winning campaigns. Adam&eveDDB was recently named Cannes Agency of the Year.
1. Lego – Kipper
When we were kids, neither of us was allowed to watch commercial TV. Somehow though, we remember this seminal spot for Lego. Clearly we were both quite sneaky channel-hoppers.
2. Blackcurrant Tango – St George
We were at ad college when this first aired. It got heaps of attention and even featured in an art exhibition at the ICA. It was the carrot we needed to get us through all the beans on toast we had to eat while on placement.
3. BBC – Perfect Day
This was the film that made us want to work at Leagas Delaney. And we were lucky enough to be hired there shortly afterwards. Nothing like a little Velvet Underground to rock our imaginary island.
4. NSPCC –Cartoon
It feels wrong to use superlatives when describing work about such a harrowing subject, but this spot deserves many. More than ten years after it was made, it still feels fresh.
5. Old Spice – Bruce Campbell
Okay, so this might not be the Old Spice spot that has won the most awards – but it’s always made us chuckle. Em can’t resist a guy with a big boat.
6. John West – Bear Fight
Ever seen a better advert for tinned produce? We haven’t.
7. John Lewis – The Long Wait
When creative team Matt Gay and John Long first read out the script, it was just perfect. All we had to do was make sure nobody tried to mess with it. They didn’t. And the finished ad was all any of us could ever have wanted for Christmas.
8. Levi’s – Creek
It’s hard to pick a favourite from the incredible work BBH created for Levi’s. So, we imagined ourselves stuck on a desert island (with a laptop and wifi), and picked the spot we thought would bear repeat viewing. Our choice has nothing to do with the unbelievably fit lead man.
9. Cadbury – Gorilla
A guy in an animal suit playing the drums. It doesn’t get any simpler, or funnier.
10. VW – Protection
Before there was adam&eveDDB, there was DDB. And we used to work there too. It was ads like this that made the decision to work in Paddington an easy one. It’s violent, disturbing, and utterly beautiful. All at once. We doff our caps to the brilliant creatives and brave clients who bought it. Well, the hat-wearing one of us does anyway.