Bandstand design director James Clarke picks his Desert Island Ads

Desert Island Ads

Honda – “The Cog”

Today this ad might be done digitally for many many reasons, but thankfully it wasn’t and the result is one that wowed its audiences. Humidity, temperature and dust all played havoc with the movement of the pieces, it’s impressive that it only took 100 takes (with one stitch) to complete. The fact it was 2 mins long made it near impossible to get airtime, the full version was only aired 10 times but won pretty much every award going. It marked a bold shift in Honda’s approach to advertising, setting a new standard of style and playfulness they would take forward to this day. Somehow, I got hold of the ‘making of’ DVD and wrote about it in my dissertation, so I’ve got a soft spot for this one!

BA – “A British Original”

It’s particularly the OOH imagery I enjoy for this campaign, a perfect exercise in minimalism. No shouty messaging, no CTA and only the hint of a logo. A sunlit shot of the side of one of their shiny planes with a joyful face peeking out is enough to evoke that sense of holiday joy and wonder. The beautiful simplicity makes it stand proud in the usual noise of OOH.

Hamlet Cigars – “Photo Booth”

A classic from 1986 and one that reminds me of my Dad belly-laughing at the TV. He was a big fan of Rab C. Nesbitt, going bald after becoming a new father (sorry Dad), and a smoker, so this ticked all the boxes for him! Humour, when done well, will always capture an audience’s attention, despite subject matter. The subtlety and timing of Gregor Fisher’s performance as he preps his hair (singular) and waits for the flash is genius.

Nike – ‘Take it to the next level’

The first person viewpoint, whilst nothing new (shout out to The Prodigy), transports you onto the pitch and into the faces of the icons of the time, Fabregas, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho, Rooney and more, it’s an impressive cast even for a Nike advert. Rising from the ranks of Sunday league to an international game it captures all the blood, sweat, tears and vomit to get there.

BBC – ‘Things We Love’

Aardman’s use of unscripted conversations and placing them in the mouths of their characters is nothing new, but the playfulness of the animation (particularly the subtleties in the background) never gets old, especially when you know the painstaking craft to get there. The latest campaign, particularly the Hamster short, is as fresh and funny as ever.

James Clarke is design director at creative agency Bandstand.