Desert Island Ads
Nike – The Cage – 2002
I remember first watching Nike’s “The Cage” and thinking that it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. It’s a very fun spot that pushes the athletes outside of their natural habitat. Starring some of the 2000s biggest football stars, the ad was part of a series of notable Nike adverts that heavily influenced me to try and enter the world of sports content. Looking back now on the work that I’ve created during my career, I can see that even 20 years later, this ad is still influencing me.
Guinness – Surfer – 1999
I realise that this is an obvious choice, but I couldn’t make my Desert Island ads without including it. What makes the “Surfer” stick in my mind is the soundtrack and script which have become so iconic and powerful when combined with visuals.
Overall, it was an incredible execution. The cinematography is stunning to look at and it was just a beautifully executed commercial. And although it didn’t necessarily feature the product for very long, the ad probably did more for Guinness than any other. What’s more, it stands the test of time. Especially in the social media age we live in now where you need to grab the audience within the first few seconds, the “Surfer” with its music, script, voice and visuals achieves that and then some.
Honda – The Cog – 2003
Similar to Nike, this felt like a real golden period of adverts for Honda. What made this ad iconic for me was the lack of camera trickery as it was all shot in one take. It’s a brilliant idea in its complexity – but simultaneously its simplicity.
It’s mesmerising to watch and keeps you captivated from the first second to the very last. It proves that you don’t need a Hollywood stunt, huge score of music or fast-paced movie. The ad was a complete change of direction and something that we hadn’t seen before.
Honda – The Other Side – 2015
What made “The Other Side” stand out for me was its nature: an interactive ad where, by pressing the “R” key, you could change the ad from day to night and transform the story from a family car to a getaway car. The jumps between a dad’s role as a parent and as a getaway driver was such a unique way to capture the attention of the audience. It told the story of the product beautifully: contrasting the reliability and safety of having children in the car, with the raw performance and power sometimes craved for. As one of the first interactive ads, everything about it was superbly executed and that’s why it had to be on my list.
Sony – Quantum of Solace – 2008
Sony’s “Quantum of Solace” ad is on my Desert Island list due to the way it leverages the star power of Daniel Craig against a single shot. It’s extremely cinematic in the way it was executed and felt on brand for James Bond by bringing together the cool persona of Bond with Sony. It was a really nice payoff, as similar to the Guiness “Surfer” ad, you weren’t entirely sure what the ad was for, but you stayed until the end to find out anyway. The ad is visually fantastic, and I’m still blown away by it to this day.
Tom Gent is founder & head of creative at Founder Creative. about his Desert Island Ads. He was a creative producer at the BBC and former global creative director for EA.
