AERIAL AWARDS

CELEBRATING RADIO ADVERTISING WITH RADIOCENTRE Winners Alan Wilson and Diccon Driver, creatives, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

I chose this ad because…

It’s so tricky to come up with new ways to tell folk what they already know: that they should quit smoking and do it now. I say that as an ex-smoker who often used to turn down the volume or flick stations to avoid being scared or reminded.

This ad has a simple but clever idea at its heart, and one based on a real truth for smokers – that finding your breath becomes harder doing the simplest of things.

Things like reading out 20 seconds of a script in one breath.

Stripped back, and with no tricks or gimmicks, its strength is in its simplicity as well the natural, believable performance; every smoker will know and feel the truth as they hear him run out of breath against all his efforts.

A smart and really well-written ad that shows the power of good radio. Nice one.

How would you encourage creatives to ‘See Radio Differently’?

Have some bloody fun with it! Radio can sometimes become a parish notice board as opposed to a springboard for an idea that gets the imagination revved. Try things, mess about, find new ways through the play.

It’s all in the performance – great voiceovers can be the difference between a script coming to life or turning you off. You don’t need famous actors – give good briefs to VO agents and you’ll get surprising results.

Give yourself time to write your ideas. That way they have a chance to be good. Pretty obvious to say, but if it’s the thing you knock out in five minutes, likelihood is it’ll be shit.