OWEN LEE

Joint chief creative officer, FCB Inferno

When I started in advertising, every agency wanted a beer account – and not just because it meant a well-stocked bar and a chance to conduct regular “research”. But because we grew up with beer commercials being some of the best-loved advertising in the world – Castlemaine XXXX, Heineken, Carling Black Label, Guinness, John Smith’s… I could go on. You couldn’t walk into a pub without seeing familiar, much-loved friends lined up along the bar.

So let’s start with the two beer ads this week. I say beer ads, but one is actually a social experiment.

I am certainly not against social experiments as a marketing tool and I dare say, with Cannes on the horizon, we have all seen a few in recent weeks. And it’s fair to say there are some nice moments in this

HEINEKEN film, though the perfectly contrasting points of view and the neatness of dialogue make me struggle to believe it’s real. But my niggle is not the execution or even the observation that, if we talked more, we would find common ground (nothing wrong with that for a beer brand). I’m not sure it makes me connect with the brand in any way.

As a piece of marketing, I think CARLSBERG is better. Not necessarily as a piece of creative work but I’m drawn to the Danish provenance. The concept of Danish happiness and hygge may have up and come but I think the Mads Mikkelsen character has the potential to become interesting, so let’s see how it evolves. Perhaps this is the start of a strong longrunning campaign, but there’s not enough creative cut-through yet. It’s a little too didactic for me.

By contrast, GIFFGAFF doesn’t shackle itself with rational arguments. Or gravity, for that matter. And it is stronger for it. I like the simplicity of the message and the unfettered exuberance of the idea and styling. It says a lot about the brand, without actually saying that much. And that’s always a neat trick. There is a touch of “Impossible dream” about it, but that’s not bad company to keep and Who Wot Why certainly has hunting rights in that creative territory. It doesn’t quite hit the same creative peaks but I can’t help but like the ad, and the brand, for it.

Now on to BT. I’m a fan of this campaign. A guilty pleasure, maybe, but BT has a rich tradition of advertising using celebrity endorsement, which tends to be warmly received by the nation. It’s not groundbreaking or award-winning advertising, but it’s witty, well-executed and feels right for BT. And that might actually be the point of what we all do.

And, saving the best ’til last like every good creative presentation, we have LUCOZADE SPORT. It’s a powerful and evocative story about success against the odds. And, rather poetically for Lucozade, Anthony Joshua delivered the fairytale ending. It is very well-directed and edited, and leaves me feeling energised. You can’t ask for much more than that in an ad for Lucozade Sport.