ADNAMS: Words.

Agencies and clients generally shack up together after a single blind date, (or a pitch, to give it its technical name.) As a result, the relationship is a marriage of convenience; ‘‘Do you, Least Bad Agency In The Process, take you, Client Who Needs To Look Like They’re Shaking Things Up?’’ But when an ‘old flame’ comes back the dynamic is different, you feel you have to do everything you can to justify their decision. Or at least I did when this happened back in 2009.Read more

MERRY DOWN: Year 1.

“We have a bit of an image problem with Merrydown, its main constituency appears to be students and street tramps.” Chris Carr, Merrydown Chairman. These were the only Merrydown ads we could remember seeing. (Written by Chris Wilkins.)Six sheets and fly posters were booked, so posh, long copy ads like those were out. The creative department came up with various routes, some good, some less so. Who’d have time to look at a picture, read the explanation below, then check out whoRead more

BUDWEISER: Heritage isn’t sacrilege.

This was a very popular ad when I turned up at Bishopsbridge Road. When the client asked for more they were told the cupboard was bare, it was a one-off. New fangled beers were popping up in the more fashionable bars every week, Budweiser needed a campaign to give them a bit of cache. Sean Doyle and I were briefed on a campaign aimed at readers of the Face, Wallpaper and ID, what’s the technical term for them? Fashionistas? Opinion formers?Read more

ADNAMS: Pictures.

“It’s Simon Loftus on the phone, he says he’s a chum of John Hegarty.” It turned out that he needed some advertising for his family’s brewery. BBH had a conflict (Boddington’s) so John had given him our phone number. Simon was not only the Chairman of Adnams, he was a totally inspirational, lovely guy. I had a cottage in Suffolk, so I knew of Adnams, although they were pretty small, I thought they were quite classy. Not all ‘spit andRead more