Merkle B2B ECD Jason Fletcher picks his Desert Island Ads
Jason fletcher is ECD of Merkle B2B (now incorporating gyro.) Before gyro he was group creative director at Publicis UK and creative director at TBWA London. He has worked with brands including Heineken, Lexus, Virgin, UBS, EE, Four Seasons, Nissan, and Harrods.
Desert Island Ads
Hello, here I am sitting alone on my desert island.
The sun piercing the porcelain blue sky.
The leaves on the trees are dancing.
The birds are in morning song and if I listen really carefully,
I can hear a familiar rhythm; that of a police siren.
You see, for the last couple of years my island has been in Southeast London. Creative minds have never been very good at being alone. They are excitable, love collaboration and are always seeking attention towards the next idea they may have.
However, being alone with my mind has allowed a sharp focus to form.
As I reach the personal milestone of the big 5-0 (I know, I look older), I look towards working on projects that have a true meaning to many. Not only to our clients and their customers, but work that has had an impact on wider society. After all, what are we here for if not to leave this island in a better state than we found it?
Please relax and enjoy work which for me, has changed society for the better.
I’m off to leave my own desert island (well, for at least three days of the week).
Santander – Ela
Agency – VMLY&R Brazil
I often speak about how brands should be ‘doing’ something rather than ‘saying’ something.
For this reason, this ad from VMLY&R in Sao Paulo really connected with me.
Instead of just creating a campaign to celebrate Women’s Day, Santander Bank developed an obvious, but at the same time innovative, financial product.
Mastercard – True Name
Agency – McCann Worldgroup
One of the best things about working in a B2B agency is how close we can get to the clients and their business. We can use creativity to not only develop their marketing, but to evolve and advance the very products and services they offer. I wish I had been involved with the development of this product from Mastercard, or the campaign from McCann Worldgroup.
It aims to help solve the issue that for many LGBTQIA+ people, the name on their bank cards does not reflect their true identity, which can be a source of humiliation, discrimination or even danger.
Volvo – The E.V.A. Initiative
Agency – Forsman & Bodenfors
Our world is full of useful data, but how can it be used to improve lives? Well in this case, it can help to save lives too.
Volvo recognised that women are more likely to get injured in a car crash, partly due to crash test dummies being based predominantly on men. The power of this campaign lies in the fact that they gave all their proprietary data away for others to use – it’s not often this occurs.
On an additional note, if you ever wonder what you could do to address gender equality, a good place to start is by reading Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado Perez, which exposes data bias.
Dove – Real Beauty Sketches
Agency – Ogilvy & Mather
How do you see yourself? I expect we all have some insecurities about our appearance, I have a few. This campaign explored the gap between how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. Each woman involved was the subject of two portraits drawn by FBI-trained forensic artist Gil Zamora: one based on her own description, and the other using a stranger’s observations.
It helped many to feel empowered about who they are and how they looked.
Channel 4 – Meet the Superhumans
Agency – 4Creative
For me this campaign really kicked off how the public appraise people with a disability. Not only did it help to create a hugely successful Paralympic Games in 2012, but it has left a legacy of inclusivity.
The soundtrack is still so powerful – even all these years later. I’ve recently had the pleasure to work with a team of creatives with disabilities, and I can tell you that they really are superhumans.
The Samaritans – We’re in your corner
Is this an ad? For me, the perfect ad is a message that emotionally connects, in the right place, at the right moment.
I think of how people might be feeling every time I see one of these messages and how vital and incredible the work of the Samaritans is. These messages can be found at the end of train platforms and on top of bridges and multi-story car parks. I also learnt that as part of the initiative, many railway staff have been trained to help people who are feeling vulnerable, unsafe and under ultimate stress.
