Minneapolis, U.K.

I’ve spent over thirty years working within a few square miles of Soho Square.
Historically, it’s where the majority of the client’s headquarters were situated.
It’s also where country’s magazines, photographers, printers, film companies based, so it became where the bullseye for the country’s ad agencies.
Leaf through a bunch of awards annuals and you’ll be hard pressed to find work from another city.
Birmingham and Manchester pop up periodically, but not regularly.
But in the eighties, one city turned up year after year, winning major awards.
In fact, if you were trying to get into a good agency in London at that time, as I was, you’d often be given the same advice; “Maybe try Jim Downie for a couple of years?”
This meant Scotland, Edinburgh to be precise.

It always sounded like a threat to me, or maybe a challenge is more accurate; Do you want it enough to live in SCOTLAND?
Jim Downie was what we called Hall’s of Edinburgh back then.
For those hardy enough to go and live in Scotland for a couple of years, he was seen as a shortcut to an advertising education and a better book.
Towards the end of the eighties Hall’s seemed to split into a bunch new agencies, suddenly names like Marr Associates, The Leith Agency, 1876 and many others were populating the awards books.
Their work always looked like it was created by a bunch of people having fun.
How did this happen and why did it stop?
I asked Jimbo, we had a great chat, hope you enjoy it.


wavelogo-9-01

HALL ADVERTISING.
Friend Of The Earth.

House Of Hardy.
h.jpg
Anti-Smoking.

Fit For Life.
Fit For Life-01Fit For Life-02Fit For Life-03

Tennent’s.


Hall’s.
Jimbo-03.jpgJimbo-01.jpg
Gleneagles Hotel.



Scottish Development Agency.
Seafish.
Be All You Can Be.

Wm. Low.

Nursing.

Tayside.
New-01.jpg
Royal Bank of Scotland.

MARR Associates.
Black Heart Rum.
Action On Smoking.


Linn Hi-Fi.



Stella Artois.
New-05.jpg
New-03.jpgWhitbread Brewery.


New-04.jpg
Cream Of The Barley.
Cream of the Barley-Marr Ass-02Cream of the Barley-Marr Ass-06Cream of the Barley-Marr Ass-05Cream of the Barley-Marr Ass-04Cream of the Barley-Marr Ass-03Cream of the Barley-Marr Ass-01

THE LEITH AGENCY.
The Edinburgh Health Club.
Schlitz Beer.

Anti-Smoking.
'It Gets Through' Ac, Marr Ass.jpg


Irn-Bru.
Tennent’s Lager.


Highland Spring.
Blood Transfusion Service.Clydesdale Bank.
Bulleit Bourbon.

Health Education.

New-02.jpg
D&AD.
Baby Announcement.
Gold Bier.

FAULDS.
Scottish Road Safety.

Scottish Office.
Fire Prevention 1.jpg
Fire Prevention 2.jpg
Wilsons Dog Food.

Royal Bank Of Scotland.

The Macallan Single Malt.Macallan-6-3183771103-1575042029640.jpg Macallan-8.jpg Macallan-4-1.jpg

1576.
Art Director:1576.jpg
Bell’s Whisky.


Gleneagles.
Jenners Store.


Visitscotland.com.

 

 

Fire Prevention 2.jpgFire Prevention 1.jpg

Nb. Early Jimbo.
Jimbo-01Jimbo-02
Screen Shot 2019-11-29 at 17.35.14.pngJimbo-02.jpgJimbo-06.jpgJimbo-04.jpgJimbo-07.jpg

6 responses to Minneapolis, U.K.

  1. Paul White says:

    Thanks Dave. Jim was good company. I remember a lot of the work – it still seems fresh. Jim didn’t mention the Brewdog stuff which seems to have the same punk spirit. I flew into Edinburgh earlier in the year and loved the neon sign in the Brewdog pub at the airport – PRAY FOR DELAYS – great consumer insight!

  2. Mark Flood says:

    Hi Dave,

    It was a delightful surprise to listen to you and Jim banter about his apprenticeship
    in a printer’s studio, inspiring students at Napier College and how three foolish
    managing partners sold their souls for chicken feed.

    The betrayal by Cockburn, Collee and Taylor set in motion a chain of events that resulted
    in the destruction of Hall Advertising.
    Arguably, the greatest agency Scotland has ever produced.

    I would like to take this moment to express my sincere gratitude to Jim and Will Atkinson
    who were gracious enough to appoint me as a humble young art director.

    Jim and Will were insightful, generous, fair and fiendishly funny.
    I felt blessed, because they gave me space to grow.
    But, I was devastated when they quit.

    Certainly, it soon became apparent after the arrival of the inept creative director
    from London, the downward spiral was irreversible.
    Respect, confidence and faith evaporated.

    I would have loved five years at Hall’s, enough time to build a good portfolio,
    but my wishes were thwarted. Still, I enjoyed two thrilling years which I will cherish.

    All the very best to you, to Jim, his family and friends.

    Happy New Year!

    Mark Flood

  3. Dougal Wilson says:

    Great stuff well done Dave and Jim. And fantastic to see all this classic work compiled like this – thanks. “Cigarette End” and “Fast/Slow” still two of my favourite posters.

    • dave dye says:

      Hey Dougal,
      You fell straight into my trap.
      1. Put out a podcast with Jim Downie about the overlooked and underrated Scottish scene.
      2. Wait for you to post a comment.
      3. Reply to aforementioned comment with a ‘love to do a podcast with you too, what do you think?’.
      4. Because it’s public others will put pressure on you.
      5. Eventually, feeling the heat, you say ‘yes’.
      Cunning huh?
      Dx

  4. Rodger says:

    Another good podcast Dave. Thanks for that.

    Around 1987 Leith was really becoming a major force. Creativity was at the heart of everything we did. And when Pete and I pinched Jim from Hall advertising it was the nail in the coffin for a once great agency.

    Incidentally, the ad Jim was referring to at the end of the podcast was on the wall of my Napier studio and it wasn’t American it was for Tower Hamlets. London.
    Showing 23 identical girls on a bike with the headline “Text while you’re driving and you’re 23 three times more likely to have an accident” Smashing ad done by AMV.
    A visual technique mercilessly nicked by The Times but sadly with less charm.

    Also its a shame you didn’t find the stunning work done by Faulds for Radio Scotland. Perhaps you’ll do a follow up sometime and we can rattle the old loft up here in Edinburgh.

  5. Dave, I was one of those who did just that:”….you’d often be given the same advice; “Maybe try Jim Downie for a couple of years?”

    It got me in the Book, (thank you Art Director David Reid), and an opportunity to sit on the D&AD Copy Jury. (When there was one.)

    Jim inspired many, like all great creative directors he led by example.

    He still does.

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