In my last post I mentioned the nostalgia for children’s toys as seen in the Santander’s commercials. How delighted I was therefore, to see that Lego have pulled from their illustrious archives their award winning stop-frame animation ad ‘Kipper’ by TBWA. It’s a surreal look at the things kids can make out of a Lego with a brilliant voice-over by the late and great British comedian Tommy Cooper. ‘I said a kipper not a slipper. Ha hah ha.”

This master-class of creativity, simplicity and charm has more than stood the test of time – it’s appearing on TV and at cinemas now. Well done to Lego and their agency for having the courage to air it again. Have a look for yourself on YouTube. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY9lctGCZZE

With Spanish financial giant Santander’s rescue of the beleaguered, bankrupt British banks, I’ve watched with interest to see how they manage the change process as familiar high street brands like Abbey disappear forever.

One thing struck me on watching the Santander commercials, and I hope it’s unintended, is the pattern forming of children’s toys from my past. Lewis Hamilton, 2008 F1 world champion spearheads the brand. He’s been depicted as a plastic construction model (Airfix), racing his model car (Scalextric) in front of a plastic crowd, Airfix again. And in the latest unintelligible commercial, we see the construction of a bridge from red toy bricks (Lego – Danish for ‘let’s play’). So here’s my confident prediction for the future – Meccano, the model construction system set up by one Frank Hornby in 1908, will make an appearance very soon.

Are we seeing an unintended ‘mash-up’ between James May on the BBC and Santander’s advertising campaign? Probably not – it’s just that good old nostalgia is back in fashion.

I’ve just reread the late Paul Arden’s  ’It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be’. It’s a gem of a little book that uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice. Rather like the way that Machiavelli’s The Prince is written about power and government but is used as a guide to management.

As executive creative director of Saatchi and Saatchi, and I quote Dave Trott writing in The Independent newspaper, “Arden was the ringmaster behind the whole creative circus that saw British Airways become ‘The World’s Favourite Airline’ The Independent become the new intelligentsia’s favourite newspaper, Margaret Thatcher the nation’s favourite leader and Silk Cut their favourite fag (English slang for a cigarette for any American readers).”

One fascinating extract from the book in particular got me thinking about the strategy, positioning and marketing of brands for business start-ups. And how it’s essential when developing a brand from the beginning, from a blank canvass so to speak, to have a clear, simple focus and vision.

“When Charles Saatchi started his ad agency it was regarded as a creative boutique. His brief for the company stationery was to make it look like a bank (about fifteen years later they tried to buy one bank).

He also invested a third of his capital in a full-page advertisement in The Times.

The effect was to make his creative boutique appear an established company.”

A simple, clear brand strategy with a big impact marcoms activity to help start making the brand vision a reality. But what else would you expect from Saatchi and Arden?

Two important dates this year for the Mini, Britain’s most successful car of all time that influenced European car production for at least two decades.

One - the 50th birthday of Alec Issigonis’ designed Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven. Two - the 40th birthday of the seminal film The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine and the Mini Cooper S.

According to Peter Collinson, the film’s director, British Motor Corporation (BMC), who manufactured the car, were not completely committed to the film project at all. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that they offered the filmmakers just three Mini Coopers. The production company had to buy the remaining 25 needed for filming, albeit at trade price. They clearly hadn’t recognised the benefits the film could bring to the brand.

Fiat, by contrast, understood the commercial marketing potential of the film straight away. They offered as many Fiats, and limited Ferraris the production company needed, plus cash of $50,000. The producers turned down their generous offer however as it would have meant replacing the Copper S with the Fiat 500, missing the point of the film, somewhat.

BMC’s management seemed unaware of the value of the opportunity at the time – a full length commercial for the Mini brand. In contrast, BMW the maker’s of the New Mini, understood the opportunity and supplied unlimited cars for the remake of the film in 2004. They also gave some financial support. The film was a critical and financial success, grossing over $170 million worldwide. That’s quite an audience for the Mini brand, which prospers under BMW.

As Oscar Wilde commented,  “a cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing”. 

How refreshing to receive the new Heineken commercial as a viral yesterday. It lifted my spirits during these bleak days, thanks tbwa neboko in the Netherlands, great work. 

Heineken walk-in fridge

Please let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who came to our 21st birthday party at the Museum of Brands in London. I hope you enjoyed the evening. Also thanks to those of you who couldn’t make it for your kind words of congratulation.

Emma’s choice of location for the party was truly inspired, not only because it’s the world we inhabit (all things brand) but also because it provided a common and fascinating topic of conversation.

Our industry, like so many others has undergone an amazing change over the past two decades. In 1987, the Apple Mac was still in its infancy, the DTP revolution was in the basement being planned and Flash was a floor cleaner not a software. To airbrush was to airbrush, ink and compressed air - not a pixel in sight. Magic markers, layout pads and Letraset, a great British invention, were ubiquitous. And how we were dependent on those “stuck in traffic” motorbike couriers. The fax was the height of technology.

A lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same! A great creative idea is still a great idea. All that’s really different is the landscape in which the idea appears. This was driven home to me at the museum as I watched those classic commercials from the 70s and 80s. Heineken, refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach, and happiness is a cigar called Hamlet - a golden period for British advertising.

Thanks once again and especially to Andrew Gulland (07885 721 917) for taking all the wonderful pictures. A closing thought, “The only good ideas are the ones I can take credit for.” R. Stevens, Diesel Sweeties, 11-13-06