The art of the great British ad
UK advertising is the best in the world, blending creativity with commerce in a uniquelt British way. But the industry is under threat, says Simon Cooper
If you grew up in Britain, your childhood was likely narrated by commercial breaks as much as by the programs they sat between. Whether it was the 90 seconds of pure joy in Cadbury’s Gorilla, the anticipation of the perfect Guinness wave, the hapless man in the Hamlet cigar photobooth, or more recently the taboo-busting Bodyform campaigns around menstruation, or the unlikely Waitrose-enabled love affair between Keira and Joe – great advertising doesn’t just sell products, it enters our collective cultural consciousness and stays there. Iconic advertising is able to entertain the masses, change behaviour and transform the fortunes of brands and companies.
There is a peculiarly British habit of relentlessly downplaying our own successes. But as the British Arrows – the ‘Oscars’ of the UK advertising industry, celebrates its 50th anniversary – it is worth dropping the modesty and remembering that, when it comes to advertising, British creativity has led the world for the last 5 decades.
In a post-Brexit, post-pandemic economic landscape where we are constantly searching for global industries to champion, we too often overlook the jewel hiding in plain sight. The UK’s creative industries are a titan, contributing massively to our GDP. Acting as the vanguard of that creative army is our advertising sector. It is an export, a cultural touchstone, and a serious economic multiplier.
To the boardrooms of the City, advertising can sometimes be viewed as the ‘colouring-in department’ – a discretionary spend to be trimmed when the quarterly numbers look lean. This is a profound misunderstanding of this engine room of commerce.
A brilliant campaign does more than win awards; it shifts market share, revitalises stagnant brands and defends premium pricing. In a sluggish economic climate, bold, effective advertising is one of the few levers a CEO can pull to drive disproportionate returns.
While other markets have historically relied on volume, repetition and the hard sell, the British approach has been rooted in something far more potent: emotional intelligence.
We treat the consumer with respect. We assume they are smart, busy, and capable of understanding nuance. Because of this, British advertising relies heavily on self-deprecation, irony and razor-sharp wit. We understand that to make someone open their wallet, you first must open their heart – or at the very least, make them smile.
We treat the consumer with respect. We assume they are smart, busy, and capable of understanding nuance. Because of this, British advertising relies heavily on self-deprecation, irony and razor-sharp wit. We understand that to make someone open their wallet, you first must open their heart – or at the very least, make them smile
This isn’t a new phenomenon. British advertising has long been the stuff of legend. From the iconic 1970s and 80s boom in Soho, where directors who would go on to conquer Hollywood honed their craft shooting 30 second spots, to the latest digital upheavals, London has remained the undisputed capital of creative excellence.
For half a century, the British Arrows have acted as a barometer, recognising and rewarding excellence. As I prepare to step down as chairman, I believe we need to remind ourselves what feeds that creative health. We are navigating what might be described, with classic British understatement, as a challenging time and we are in danger of starving the creative flame of the oxygen it needs.
The danger doesn’t come from a lack of talent, but from a system that is prioritising process over creativity.
The advent of AI
Today’s marketing landscape is driven by algorithms and AI, and there is a temptation to let the machine take the wheel. But data without imagination is just noise. When business decisions are made solely to avoid risk rather than to seek greatness, we end up with bland, forgettable mush. Technology isn’t the issue; it’s how it’s applied.
The greater threat is structural. The growing trend of large corporate holding companies attempting to own every part of the creative process is producing advertising porridge – bland campaigns that are neither too hot nor too cold.
Networks’ obsession with handling everything from strategy to production to post-production is often sold as progress – but it’s really an excuse to keep the budget inside the building and denies brands the choice of who to work with.
In a business where the most valuable currency is difference and standing out from the noise, creativity and craft should be the priority, not operational tidiness. Great work comes from creative collaborators who are chosen because they are the best in the world at what they do, not because they happen to be on the same corporate payroll. Keeping everything under one roof only serves the landlord.
It is time to remind ourselves what makes our advertising industry the best in the world. Great work exists at the edges of creativity, not at the centre. It comes from decisions based on creative confidence and bravery, not network expediency. It comes from human judgement, considered and intentional not driven by data-fear. And it comes from creative collaboration, effort and endeavour, not from streamlined process efficiency. Corporate convenience can’t be the aim if engagement is the target.
If we are to maintain our lead, we cannot take this industry for granted. In times of economic squeeze, marketing budgets must not be the first to be slashed by nervous CFOs. Retreating into safe, forgettable performance metrics provides only the illusion of short-term safety at the expense of long-term brand equity. And we must ensure that the talent pipeline remains open. We need to foster an environment where the brightest minds from across the UK, and the globe, still view British advertising as the pinnacle of their career. That means investing in education and loudly celebrating the industry’s commercial impact.
Looking at the Young Arrows winners each year, the emerging British talent is undeniable. They have the tools and the hunger to carry the torch for the next 50 years. But they need the boardrooms to be as brave as they are. Our industry blends art and commerce. It shapes culture, drives business and exports British sensibility to every corner of the globe. British advertising is the best in the world. Let’s protect it, celebrate it, and invest in it, to drive the growth our economy so desperately needs.
Simon Cooper is the outgoing chairman of the British Arrows, the UK’s leading awards for moving image advertising craft