Simon

In the pilot episode of Mad Men, set in 1960, Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) invents a famous slogan. Only…the “It’s Toasted” campaign for Lucky Strike was actually created in 1917. “It’s Toasted” was created to explain that heating the tobacco improved flavour. #advertising

Today, 22nd April, is Earth Day. A few years ago my mate created this short film with zero budget. It has a simple insight - we've got it all wrong, Earth will be here long after we’re all gone..."So why don't we...start trying to save ourselves". #advertising #earthday

It was 10 years ago today that we lost one of the most gifted musicians who ever lived. When the news broke, General Motors ran this simple, non-commercial tribute depicting a little red Corvette. It did not feature the Chevrolet or GM logos. #advertising #prince

I see that Tim Curry turned 80 yesterday. Curry famously played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. He also starred (alongside actress Gina Bellman) in a series of atmospheric TV ads for Guinness Original in 1993. #advertising

This 1982 Heineken ad features none other than William Wordsworth, clearly in need of refreshment as he attempts to compose his famous poem. The altered endline “refreshes the poets other beers cannot reach” is genius. #advertising

This World Cup ad for FIFA sponsor Rexona (known as Sure in the UK and Degree in the US), was created by LOLA MullenLowe. It launched on 31st March, 72 days ahead of first kick-off, linking the claimed “72 hours of sweat protection" to the tournament. #advertising

Still think AI is hype? Titled "The Watch", this is part of a collection of AI-generated short films produced by Runway Studios as a demonstration their Runway Gen-4 video capabilities. The concept and script were written by Runway's in-house creative team. #advertising

“Hardly any child dreams of a Volkswagen. Keep on dreaming, kids.” VW's 2017 'Kids’ Dreams' ad, by Grabarz & Partner, turns a product safety feature into much more. Soundtrack is by Gordon Lightfoot, performed by Belgian women's choir Scala & Kolacny Brothers. #advertising

During the 50s and 60s, tobacco companies were grappling with the "filter problem". American Tobacco ignored the trend until its Lucky Strike "I'll Eat My Hat" campaign launched in 1965. It achieved high brand recognition, but failed to translate into sales. #advertising

"They laughed when I sat down at the piano. But when I started to play!" Penned in 1925 by John Caples, a rookie writer at Ruthrauff & Ryan NY, this headline is often voted by copywriters as the best of the best. It was an astonishing success. #advertising

In 2018, S African investment management firm Allan Gray released a lovely ad titled "Father's Share". Created by Johannesburg agency King James II, the ad tells a story that spans 50 years, of a boy learning the value of long-term investing from his father. #advertising

I hadn’t seen this 1970s campaign for decades, yet I can still sing the jingle: “A little dab of Brylcreem on your hair, gives you the Brylcreem bounce”. But it’s this 70s campaign, created by Royds, that really makes you smile. #advertising

Remember the 2000 movie Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks? Fast forward to 2003, and FedEx aired this wonderful parody of the film’s final scene, ‘revealing’ the contents of the unopened package that Tom Hanks' character had protected for five years. #advertising

Probably one of the best beer campaigns of all time. The famous campaign for Carlsberg was first created in 1973 by Tony Bodinetz at KMP. Bodinetz made the last-minute "Probably" addition at the request of his agency colleague to avoid overclaiming. #advertising

Back in my Publicis days, we made a series of ‘Deliciously Self Centred’ ads for Jaffa Cakes. Inspired by a solar eclipse that took place in August of 1999, creatives Keith Courtney RIP and Rob Janowski came up with this bitesize bit of genius. #advertising

“This man scares me”. 'Confessions of a Republican’ was a political ad that aired during the 1964 US presidential election. It featured a 'Republican' (played by actor William Bogert, a registered Republican), talking about Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. #advertising

To celebrate the 1969 Moon landing on 20th July 1969, DDB created its own bit of history with this brilliantly self-deprecating ad for the VW Beetle. #advertising #orion

This 2013 "Not for Astronauts" ad for Haynes Baked Beans is actually a spec film created by the visual effects studio Cinesite. It demonstrates the dangers of eating high-fibre food when you're wearing a spacesuit (worth remembering!) #advertising

NASA’s Orion spacecraft may have circled the Moon, but when it comes to mashed potatoes, we’re clearly still in the dark ages. Remember Cadbury’s Smash Martians? Launched in 1974, BMP created one of the greatest advertising campaigns in British history. #advertising #moon

10 years ago, Cadbury’s launched a new global creative platform called "tastes like this feels". Created by Fallon London, this ad for Dairy Milk features an extremely happy bear scratching its back to ‘That’s The Way I Like It’ by KC and the Sunshine Band. #advertising