The Discovery Sport was built for adventure. To carry urbanites into the wilderness for weekends of fun.

We targeted frustrated adventurers at classic choke points in the city such as rail stations and heavily congested roads at rush hour.

A nice dose of wit and charm helped commuters escape the rigors of city life and gave them something to dream about – at least for 30 seconds.

There were many contributions from talented teams that help deliver this monster 360 campaign.

The brief was a tricky one (but when aren't they), in a time when fuel prices were going through the roof Shell wanted to get consumers to not only choose them when buying fuel but also buy the more expensive option at the fuel pump - Shell V-Power (the same fuel that Ferrari use in all their F1 cars)

It's tricky to get consumers to pay more for a product that they can't see and most oddly from a crappy looking petrol pump that looks just like all the cheaper fuels.

Our main target was people who love their cars and will want to look after them, so we created a beautifully crafted 'high performance' nozzle design befitting a preium fuel. This didn't just feature in the advertising, it actually went into production at a select few forecourts.

As we speak (5 years down the line) there are still discussion being had about introducing the premium nozzle worldwide - but don't hold your breathe.

The Nozzle accompanied a TV ad and Print campaign that ran in seven Global markets and took nearly two years to bring to fruition, that's giant client for you.

We also produced an all singing, all dancing website 'The V-Power Engine Room', that highlighted interesting facts and science and history about the fuel and Shell's exciting partnership with Ferrari.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson and Dave Woods

Creative Teams:

PRINT: Josh Haines, Matt Searle and Sarah Levitt, Dave Woods, Nick Thompson.

TV: Mark Norcutt and Laurence Quinn.

WEB: Chris Chance & Lewis Bish.

Design: Lee Casey & Andy Carlisle

Easter is big business for any supermarket. Tesco’s brief, as always, was to feature the products loud and proud in their very successful Weekly Little Helps, white-space press ad format with an accompanying TV spot, content films and escalator panel takeover.

But they wanted the eggs to stand out somehow.

Simple, we just added legs.

The Halls 'Breathe Deep Stay Cool' campaign was a 360 degree global platform advertising campaign.

Traditionally, Halls are known as a mentholated cough sweet but they wanted to reposition themselves as an 'invigoration candy'.

In the same way that Red Bull Gives you wings, Halls provided the power of invigoration through a mighty menthol breathe in order to clear your head, helping you combat the most stressful and challenging situations.

We originated everything, from the 'Breathe Deep Stay Cool' strapline, TV, print, outdoor, social, to the global in-market activations, creating the work, selling the work, delivering the work.

Creative Direction: Nick Thompson and Dave Woods.

Creative Team: Nick Thompson and Dave Woods, Josh Haines.

Christmas brings its own brand of fervour and excitement, equalled only by the advent of the big store Christmas TV ads. (Well, for ad folk at least.)

With sumptuous food photography as our constant visual, it’s down to the headlines to do the heavy lifting and provide that beautifully witty tone Tesco have become renowned for.

On show here are a sample of print/outdoor/TV we’ve had fun writing for the last couple of Christmases. Some against the backdrop of lockdown, or Brexit… oh and lockdown again. And some just plain festive. But always with value in mind.

Land Rover’s Project Discovery was a research piece aiming to find out how families demonstrated resilience in the face of lockdown. It was up to us to sift through their list of ambassadors and find the best stories to highlight this.

Stephen Graham, the bad boy of British cinema and television, is actually a warm-hearted, down-to-earth, and genuinely funny family man who maintained his playful spirit during lockdown.

We tapped into this and asked him to do a spoof Baby Driver-esque film for us, together with his family and co-starring the Land Rover Discovery of course. He was only too happy to oblige, saying the script was very ‘him’.

The notion of ‘parent’ has a much broader definition in today’s world.

Tesco recognised this and wanted to celebrate the sheer variety of people we call ‘mum’. Which means they may or may not be the person brought you into this world – they’re the person who raised you, nurtured you and gave you love and support throughout your life.

We thought it only fitting to rebrand this day. Which is why we say, ‘Happy Other’s Day’ instead.

Winter is when Land Rovers come into their own.

Owners embrace winter and often can’t wait to get out there when the snow arrives.

This spirit, coupled with the topical fact that this week train operators have actively been closing their lines and ending rail services early to ensure their trains are in the right depots for the next day, means there’s no better time to drive a Land Rover.

The shot was taken in the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

This campaign started with a tiny budget for print advertising aimed at emerging markets in Eastern Europe. Its primary purpose was to educate parents on the value of learning through creative play for children aged 1-5 years. 

Unbox their imagination is a strong strapline because it simply and effectively demonstrates the product's limitless potential for fun and learning.

The headlines use knowing humour and highlight the fact that 'sometimes' the child's wonderful creations take a little imagination from the adults to guess exactly what they are.

The print campaign proved successful enough in marketing terms to gain the clients' confidence to invest a large budget in a web build that would link to their e-commerce site and bring the Unbox their Imagination campaign to life.

One of the ideas we presented (The Number Train) was liked so much by the client, they actually turned it into a product - very satisfying indeed.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson & Dave Woods

Creatives:

Nick Thompson, Dave Woods, Josh Haines and Paul Waddup.

Now who wouldn't want to see Johnny Vaughan electrocuted in the name of launching the New Mazda?

I rest my case.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson

Creative Team:

Giles Hepworth & Bill Hartley

To help launch the New Jaguar E-Pace we created a series of social posts highlighting some of this clever little cars more extraordinary features.

Cupid no longer singles out people just in love. His arrows fly in all directions. So much so, that Valentine’s Day has now become an opportunity to show your affection, admiration, appreciation and love to any and all you see fit… your best friend, your mum, granny, teacher, your boss, yes, even your chiropodist.

So, surely that list should include that one thing that occupies a very big space in everyone’s heart – and their driveways – their car.

The brief was to raise awareness of V-Power fuel and Helix Ultra lubricants.Shell wanted to target Formula One enthusiasts by leveraging their incredible 60-year partnership with Ferrari.

The media space was a tiny button banner on the f1.com website but this small but perfectly formed ad space was a prime bit of real estate for F1 fans.

Our webbanner demanded interaction and oncethe consumer did it expanded dramatically into an evocative, highly engaging dashboard. Streaming videos, race and weather updates, live Twitter feeds, never-seen-before content.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson and Dave Woods

Creative team:

Nick Thompson and Dave Woods.

When you’re a brand like Jaguar, you don’t need to shout but you can still make a noise. A lot of noise.

So we created a cinema commercial that did exactly that.

We pastiched the black title card seen at the beginning of all cinema films and used the immense sound of the F-Type to rattle the card to pieces, thus creating a unique 45' feature film.

We also created as posters, mobile and OLA executions.

Here are some of the highlights.

Working on The Guardian afforded us some great ambient opportunities. This is a piece we did to promote a free CD in a Saturday edition of the paper.

Everyone going into a gig or club on the Friday night was hand-stamped. In the morning they woke up with an ad on their hand.

Simple, direct and effective.

Another example of a simple tactical ad turned into something bigger and much better.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson.

Creative Team:

Gem Hagan & Tim Noble

Ad 1

Body copy reads:

It’s true, power does go to your head – directly from ours. Our unique titanium-carbon composite mix gives the ERC Fusion Driver 300% more discretionary weighting than all titanium drivers. In so doing, we have manufactured what is impossible to manufacture, confidence. Now you can put something into your swing you rarely do. Everything.

Ad 2

Body copy reads:

Winning the mind game in golf isn’t just about what goes on in your head, it’s about what goes on in ours. Our unique titanium-carbon composite mix gives the ERC Fusion Driver 300% more discretionary weighting than all titanium drivers. In so doing, we have manufactured what is impossible to manufacture, confidence.

Headline reads:

Why go skiing with Virgin Holidays?

Scroll down…

Because we give this much more snow.

Body copy reads:

If you want big snow, America and Canada, how shall we say it, dump on Europe. And if you go with Virgin Holidays you know you’ll be getting the very best these ski wonderlands have to offer.

We call it our Big Snow Experience.

But with 10% early booking discount, one thing is small – the price.

When you’re a brand like Jaguar, you don’t need to shout but you can still make a noise. A lot of noise.

Using the accelerometer in your mobile we created an execution that enabled to not only hear the noise of the jaguar F-Type but feel it too.

Land Rover Approved Used.

They’ve got your back - even in the back of beyond.

The Nokia X with Fastlane is the first Nokia phone to have Android compatible apps.

To launch the new phone throughout APAC, IMEA and Russian markets,
we created a campaign called ‘GO!’ to show that Nokia X had Fastlane - a smoother and faster way to access Android apps.

The film is an analogy of how the apps work inside the phone with Fastlane.
To direct it we worked with one of the best action directors
in the world, Jako (Gladiator, Casino Royale, X-Men First Class and Sky Fall).

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson

Creative team:

Christiano Neves, Kat Thomas, Simon Sworn, Ricardo Figuera, Nick Thompson.

To help launch the New Jaguar E-Pace we created a series of social posts highlighting some of this clever little cars more extraordinary features.

Now in its third year, Hibernot is Land Rover’s famous winter campaign.

More than that, HIbernot is an attitude toward the cold, wet months. One that seeks to position winter as a season to embrace. We appeal to people who want to get out there and continue living life to the full. To tackle the elements head on. We’re not talking to those people who want to hide away and cosy up in front of a fire with their slippers on, their feet up and wait the winter out.

Hibernate? No chance. Hibernot.

Here is a selection of the campaign including a cinema commercial, Evening Standard Wrap and OOH posters.

The Land Rover July sales event affords you the opportunity to… well… afford a brand new Land Rover. Which means one thing – you can finally follow in the footsteps of great adventurers like, er, Captain Kirk and boldly go where no man has gone before.

Easy-to-use rich editing features and interface make the New Microsoft Nokia Lumia McLaren such a simple phone to use, we decided to dramatise this by enlisting the help of Alex Honnald - the first man to free climb 3,000-foot wall of El Capitan in Yosemite — without a rope.

Too easy.

Land Rover Hibernate? Hibernot

Now in its third year, Hibernot is Land Rover’s famous winter campaign.

More than that, HIbernot is an attitude toward the cold, wet months. One that seeks to position winter as a season to embrace. We appeal to people who want to get out there and continue living life to the full. To tackle the elements head on. We’re not talking to those people who want to hide away and cosy up in front of a fire with their slippers on, their feet up and wait the winter out.

Hibernate? No chance. Hibernot.

The Portable PlayStation was the handheld gaming machine of the day. We created irreverent, ambient stickers in advance of the launch to tell people it was about to hit the streets. And make sure serious gamers had somewhere to play.

Fleet managers choose the cars for medium to large companies.

But the job is often unrewarding and their more exciting choices are usually shot down by their bean-counting bosses.

So Jaguar wanted to bring a little joy to their day.

Enter the Jaguar E-PACE.

A class-defying blend of SUV and performance car.

And a fleet manager’s dream.

But what would the bosses say?

Tasked with a cover wrap for Fleet News we decided to take

pre-emptive snipe at any naysayers by challenging them

to eat their words.

Literally.

Introducing the world’s first Vegan- friendly, fat-free, low calorie

(and kosher) edible cover wrap.

Bon appétite naysayers.

Bills are never welcome.

But perhaps a bill with a tinge of humour can take the edge off

the initial nausea we all experience when seen on the doormat.

Enter the 3 Mobile bill complete with it’s own visual ‘bill’ gag.

Cue momentary chortle.

Now resume nausea.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Discovery Sport was built for adventure. To carry urbanites into the wilderness for weekends of fun.

We targeted frustrated adventurers at classic choke points in the city such as rail stations and heavily congested roads at rush hour.

A nice dose of wit and charm helped commuters escape the rigors of city life and gave them something to dream about – at least for 30 seconds.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson

Creative Team:

Andy Smith, Ryan Lawson

What started life as a humble tactical print ad brief, grew (with a little client persuasion) into a successful viral film with over 500,000 hits and then multi-site activation for the world's most popular two-seater sports car.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson & Dave Woods

Creative team:

Chris Chance, Lewis Bish

Cruise holidays – not everyone’s cup of piña colada.

Royal Caribbean needed to overcome negative perceptions of cruise holidays and, at the same time, appeal to an entirely new audience – namely package holiday-goers who looked for lots to do on their vacation and demanded real value.

Fortunately, Royal Caribbean’s ships are like floating cities and as such are destinations in themselves, offering the holidaymaker a myriad of activities on board with the added bonus of arriving at a new destination every day.

This informed our strategy for a 360-degree campaign. Our thought was: Pack More into your Holiday with Royal Caribbean.

But how do you get people excited about a cruise holiday without showing traditional cruise imagery, which some people automatically switch off from?

To dramatise the sheer range of experiences available, we visualised suitcases with clothes and items unpacked that represented all the activities on and off the ship.

We took this campaign idea everywhere, kicking off with a simple TV ad. Press ads followed that carried the idea beautifully but also delivered the price neatly.

Online banners pushed towards the website. Promotions kept the momentum going on Daybreak TV and radio. We did a tie-in with suitcase manufacturer and featured an on-case promotion.

On Facebook, customers could win a holiday by playing Pack Man with a hungry suitcase.

We gave the trade had the chance to break the Guinness World Record for packing a suitcase and, of course, provided them with a range of POS.

And current customers were hit with e-DM and DM pieces.

All in all, we packed more into our campaign.

Creative Director:

Nick Thompson

Creative Team:

Jake Dearlove & Richard 'Chunky' Gorton-Lee

Body copy reads:

We’re in a strong position at the PGA European Tour. Well, actually, three strong positions. First, second and third in the longest driving distance stakes. All three players chose the ERC Fusion to maintain their distance credentials. In short, if you want to hit long, hit Callaway.

The cold and flu market is fiercely competitive. J&J needed a new angle of attack.

Our research uncovered a real gem: a surprising number of people complain about having a head cold but, incredibly, it’s not widely understood, the medical profession don’t officially recognise it and, even better, no one has a product that deals with it – until now.

As experts in colds of the head, Sudafed decided to come to the rescue of head cold sufferers and create a new product: Sudafed Congestion and Headache Relief.

We needed a figurehead  to tell the world about it – someone who sufferers could empathise with. And so Fred was born, our plasticine character who captured the heavy-headed, blocked-up symptoms of a headcold and, at the same time, generated maximum sympathy.

The campaign began on TV but Fred soon popped up in rich digital media in a two-phase approach – an awareness phase and an educational phase, designed to strengthen Sudafed’s credentials as head experts.

Fred also made appearances in digital posters in proximity to chemists and in that breeding ground for germs, the London Underground, on tube cards.

 He was also there to greet you on his own FSDU in retail and, of course, on the Sudafed website.

Acting as lead campaign and lead agency, the ‘plasticine world’ creative treatment has now been adopted in several markets around the globe across the Sudafed range.

Creative Team:

Josh Haines & Paul Waddup

Christmas comes but once a year and so does the PlayStation Christmas mailing. This year, our theme was to give to the most important person of all - yourself.

Game-themed wrapping paper was emblazoned with 'Happy Christmas to Me'. And gift tags had special messages to you, from you. This one reads: 'To Me, have a great Christmas, all my love, Me x'.

InfoTrack

The world of conveyancing is drowning in paper. In fact, they’re probably one of the last industries still actually using the white stuff. But all of the multifarious forms that need filling in when property is involved can be done digitally as well.

And InfoTrack makes smart, fast and simple software that streamlines the entire process.

All we had to do was rubbish paper-based forms.

Headline reads:

I called round at _____ am/pm b

but you were in.

Don’t worry, I’ll call again.

Body copy reads:

Sorry for the nasty surprise. It's not what you want waiting for you when you get home. Unfortunately, for 750,000 home owners in England and Wales last year, a real burglary is exactly what greeted them when they walked through the door.

And unless you're living in something resembling Fort Knox, you'll find a thief can slip into your house as easily as the card you are now reading.

Egg Home Insurance protects your home from top to bottom and you can have household goods and personal possessions covered instantly. And if you contact us before 31 August 06, we'll also give you:

Every Christmas, PlayStation have a bundle of titles they want to push – in one mail pack. A mulit-headed, multi-propositional brief that needed a simple idea to bring them all together.

The opening of a new Sainsbury’s Local meant the local city folk now had access to the freshest fruit. We put these countryside-flavoured signs on lampposts leading up to the store.

To spread the word that chewing Trident Senses gum is pointless, yet fun, we created an Europe-wide integrated campaign that centres on the Pointless Collective, a group of artists responsible for creating digital experiences, events, films and installations that are pointless and fun.

Webi-sodes were where all the pointless content was hosted. We've had more than a million visits to our website, with users spending an average of 5 minutes on it.

The events were where  the campaign starts to build a bridge between fiction and reality.The Collective came up with the ideas and we brought them to life for real in places where we knew our target would be.

The world's most pointless game was created and was brought to life by setting up a farm with 500 real chickens on it.

On TV we created a series of animations directed by, the master
of all pointless animations, Cyriak Harris. The ads came out at the same time
as the events.

Creative Direction:

Nick Thompson

Creative Team:

Christiano Neves & Bruno Xavier

Sainsbury’s needed a summer push on their beer. We wanted to celebrate the idea of people drinking at home. We imagined people’s homes as pubs. Ambient pub signs hung in a few choice locations near Sainsbury’s Locals, We also ran print ads and handed out beermats to thirsty-looking customers

Copy on the board reads:

Now try it for real – visit budesurfschool.com

Killzone is a war game whose aggressors bear an uncanny resemblance to the Nazis. Just as they waged a campaign of terro r on old Blighty in World War II, we set out to do the same with this campaign. 

Threatening decrees were nailed to telegraph poles. Actual flags were flown outside key residences. And an airdrop spread our leaflets, and our malicious word, over a cowering town.

Body copy reads:

Ridiculous?  

Well, 20 years ago you wouldn’t have dreamt of paying £1.50 for a bottle of water.

In the Observer Food Monthly, free with The Observer tomorrow, William Leith looks at the current craze in designer water – the tasteless drink we spend nearly £2 million on every day.

Also in OFM, we meet Conrad Gallagher, the Irish chef who cooked for his Mafia inmates in prison – we get the inside story.

Automotive Skills are a government-backed body tasked with upskilling the automotive industry's workforce. They needed an invite for their big launch date.

SpyToy was a counter intelligence game that utilised the EyeToy's camera technology to monitor anyone entering the your bedroom. Our mailer to promote the game contained a dummy newspaper with two sneaky holes in the middle – the perfect snooping aid for any promising young agent. 

Leopallooza music festival bills itself as ‘The greatest house party… in a field’. We came up with a campaign, aimed at students, that complemented this positioning and work that demonstrated Leopallooza was also that little bit different from all the other festivals on the circuit.

Based on the insight that students don’t have much cash we gave them some fun hand-outs to help promote the festival, including the beer mat that would protect your precious pint from falling over and a branded swear box to help them save for their ticket.