“Frank Lowe single-handedly cajoled a whole generation of writers, art directors and film directors into revolutionising British and world advertising.” – Sir Alan Parker.
It seemed a bit over the top.
I know he was very good and had a big impact on the business, but ‘single-handedly’?
I guess Alan is his mate, so probably bigged him up a bit.
Having just spent three hours nose to nose with Frank, I got a taste of what Alan was talking about.
I can’t think I’ve met anyone who’s as sure of their own opinion.
That may read like a back-handed compliment, it’s not meant to be.
Just that he totally believes in the power of advertising, he’s so unwavering that it was striking.
Especially today, when nobody seems be very sure of what advertising even is.
It’s easy to see (and hopefully hear) how generations of clients and agencies would’ve been persuaded, cajoled or battered into aiming higher.
Higher to Frank meant “not just achieving sales success, but ensuring any advertiser entering people’s lives uninvited, left them a little better or richer for their visit”.
Enjoy being cajoled.
PRITCHARD WOOD.
National Provincial.
The little girl needed the loo, she twists and turns trying to hold it in until someone shouts ‘cut’.
The result was charming. (Although people would probably locked up for that today.)
But there was a problem; it was one take, a 67″ take, the agency had booked 60 second spots.
They didn’t want to cut it to a 60″ and it wasn’t long enough to fill a 90″, (the only available time lengths being sold for cinema at the time).
Frank ‘cajoled’ the media company into running 67″ ad.
(Frank is on the left, spotted looking bored by a producer at the agency, then cast.)
COLLETT DICKENSON PEARCE.
CDP was Britain’s DDB.
It revolutionised advertising in this country, producing campaigns that the public loved; Hovis, Hamlet, Heineken, Harvey’s Bristol Cream. (That’s just the ‘H’s.)
You may have noticed that I’m not shy of posting a very long stream of work, but trying to figure out what to show here was tough as the volume of good work was just incredible, way more of it than I’d remembered.
So I tried to impose a bit of discipline, I figured the best way to judge an agency is to look at what they do across all their clients.
Anyone can hit it out of the park once, but year after year, client after client, category after category, that takes skill.
So I’ve tried, but didn’t always succeed in picking one ad per client.
So here we go…
Army.
Barclaycard.
Barclays.
Benson & Hedges Gold Box.
Benson & Hedges Small Cigars.
Birds Eye.
Citizen.
Clarks.
Cockburns.
Daily Express.
Dunn & Co.
EMI.
Fiat.
Hamlet.
Harvey’s Bristol Cream.
Heineken.
J&B Rare.
Nescafe Coffee.
Olympus.
One Hundred Pipers.
Parker Pens.
Rawlings.
Silk Cut.
Senior Service.
Special Panetellas.
Texaco.
Walls.
LOWE HOWARD-SPINK.
Albany Life.
Applejacks.
Bell’s.
Castella.
Flowers.
Hanson Trust.
Heineken.
Hula Hoops.
The Independent.
JVC.
Lloyds.
Long John.
Mail On Sunday.
Malibu.
Plymouth Gin.
Reebok.
Scalextric.
Stella Artois.
Tesco.
Vauxhall.
Weetabix.
Whitbread.
You Magazine.
Articles about Frank.
‘Dear Mr Leverhulme, I Think We May Have Solved Your Problem’ – Frank Lowe.
