I wanted to do that ad.
Everybody who saw it laughed.
Why the hell didn’t I do it?
It was so bloody annoying.
I wanted to create something effected people it had effected me.
Basically, make them laugh.
So whenever I’d get a brief I’d do something in that style, something that felt like it was from that world: funny models of animals making a single product point.
Then, over at BBH, Chris Palmer and Mark Denton started producing ads using funny models of animals making a single product point.
Damn them.
Why didn’t I do those as well!
I could’ve done those.
If I’d had that brief.
Been at BBH.
And thought of those ideas.
Like the previous twenty briefs I’d worked on, Findus frozen fish pieces seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some posters using funny models of animals making a single product point.
CLIENT: ‘They’re cute…but not right for us.’
Damn it!
How do I get some of that ‘funny models of animals making a single product point’ action?
Chris and Mark went to Lowe’s and produced another hilarious poster with funny models of animals making a single product point.
I didn’t do that one either, annoying!
I never got to make a poster with funny models of animals making a single product point.
But trying to do so was really helpful.
Whether you want to to play guitar, paint or advertise, one of the best ways is to learn is to copy the people you love.
p.s. If a team showed me the Seafish concept today, I couldn’t help but ask why a cat smart enough to go out and buy an oxy acetylene torch, with paws that are dextrous enough to operate the thing, doesn’t just open the fridge door?
N.b. Here is a piece by Guy Gum giving a bit more insight into the Seafish poster:
We didn’t stop with Heineken, we went on to use similar models for Slumberdown Duvets, Luncheon Vouchers, the National Museum of Photography, Film & TV, and Tandon Computers (one trick ponies you might say, but it was quite a good trick).
Of course we were heavily influenced by that original Kipper ad by Guy Gumm. It’s hard to express just how fresh it was at the time.
Nowadays you’d realise the same kind of ideas with the aid of a computer, but no-one does this sort of stuff anymore. Adverts have all got a bit too cool.
The cat needs the torch because he can’t reach the handle!
….yes, but while he was at the Tool Hire shop he could have got a step ladder.
So the ad is a cat up a step ladder opening a fridge. Fair enough.