Ok, so I’m stuck on a desert island. And I take 5 ads with me?
Well I kind of deserve to die a miserable death then don’t I.
But let’s play this through. Can those ads be…dare I say it..useful?
Desert Island Ads
Skittles Touch by TBWA/Chiat Day
First up, I’ll need food. For that, let’s go to a stone-cold classic.
The Skittles campaign has produced some killer work across the globe over the years. But for me, this is the one. It’s why I moved to New York in 2009, so I could learn from the CDs on the ad themselves – Ian Reichenthal and Scott Vitrone.
It’s the perfect use of tragedy as comedy – the writing is a masterclass, with product slap-bang at the heart of it. And if I can watch Tim’s gift enough times, perhaps I’ll be able to figure out how to transform this palm tree into a Skittles bonanza.
British Airways “Look Up” by Ogilvy One
Ok, what’s next? A way off this island would be good. Hey, what if there was a 30 foot tall toddler who could point out every plane that’s passing by? Even tell me where it came from?
The Look Up ad wasn’t simple. But it looked it, and that’s what I love about it. Done in 2014, it harnessed both technology and data to create something that was impressive and engaging, and literally made people look up. Perhaps even brought the magic back to flying again. Hey, if I gather enough Skittles together to write out an SOS, perhaps someone on the flight BA475 from Barcelona will see it and rescue me?
Harvey Nichols Calendars by DDB London
Photo: James Day
Two ads down. Next up, it’s going to be pretty easy to lose track of time on this desert island. So, what could help with that?
Calendars was created at the agency where it all began for me – DDB London. I spent five amazing years there, learning from the best. Justin and Adam were a powerhouse team, and this was just one of their many hits. Incredible visual storytelling. Sophisticated, with a wicked sense of humor. The most difficult medium done with swagger. I don’t mind saying that I was green eyed with jealousy when I saw this lying around on the tables in 12 Bishops Bridge Rd.
Nike’s Nothing Beats a Londoner by W+K London
Right, what’s next out of my bag of ads. (Because of course, they’d be in a bag. Right?)
Well, I’m going to need some positive mental attitude if I’m gonna get through this whole stranded on a desert island situation. And Nike’s Nothing Beats a Londoner does just that.
When I’m not stuck on a desert island, I’m a Peckham resident, so I lapped up this celebration of all my local haunts. It was epic when this came out. Everyone was talking about it. The production values are still right up there, and the visual approach has been mimicked by every brand under the sun. The writing is on point, and it hits every mark. Every moment is a celebration of who Londoners are. And for a global brand to rally behind a single city – that was something new and different and brave. And again, it had humor right at the heart of it.
OK. I’m starting to think this desert island scenario could work out alright for me.
KFC Believe in Chicken by Mother
So, what’s my final ad? Sitting here, on this desert island, with my five ads, I’m probably going to end up questioning a lot of life decisions. Many of us do nowadays – mainly because we don’t know whether we can trust anything we read or see to be real. Don’t worry, I won’t bang on about AI – just waltz on over to LinkedIn to get your fill of that. But I love that the good people over at Mother London jumped on this prevailing societal malaise and used it to create a barnstorming ad for..fried chicken.
KFC Believe in Chicken is a moment of sheer bravado. It’s a filmic wonder directed by Vedran Rupic, wrapped up in a strategic insight that is the product of an agency operating on all cylinders. I can watch it again and again and again. Which I might have to if I’m not rescued off this island soon.
So there you go. My five ads to take to a desert island.
Damn it, I should have chosen one about sun cream…
Graeme Hall is group creative director at JOAN.
