Thinkbox
A few words about Ross and Billy
Billy Faithfull and Ross Neil started working together after forging careers in fine art and brand design respectively, having originally met at art school. Over the following ten years the pair worked at Mother and HHCL, and spent two years as creative directors of News Interntaional’s titles The Sun and The News of The World. After a further seven years at WCRS they were made creative directors in 2011.
Faithfull and Neil’s work includes campaigns for BMW, 118 118, Captain Birds Eye, Food Standards Agency, Weetabix, MINI, Warburtons, Betfair, RAF, The Royal Navy & Royal Marines. During their time at WCRS they built an innovative creative department and oversaw a number of new business wins.
Ross and Billy’s ad choices:
Nike: Jogger
Nike’s ‘Jogger’ opens on an (almost) deserted road. As the camera pans backwards a figure appears on the horizon; as he gets closer, we see that it’s a young, overweight boy jogging with some effort. As he gets closer a voiceover begins, stating that greatness doesn’t depend on bright lights, speeches and celebrations; it’s not the gift of prodigies, it’s for everyone. As the boy reaches the camera the Nike swoosh and tagline "Find your greatness" appear.
The ad was written by Caleb Jensen at W&K Portland and art directed Aramis Israel. It was produced by Park Pictures.
- Agency: W&K Portland
- Creative Directors: Ryan O' Rourke/ Alberto Ponte
- Production Co: Park Pictures
- Director: Lance Acord
Super Noodles: Face Off
A group of men walk into a pub, all wearing green T-shirts with the names of healthy foods printed on them, and square up to a group of men playing pool, wearing similar t-shirts but with the names of unhealthy food on them, the ringleader of which is Super Noodles. A brief exchange quickly turns into a West-Side Story style fight, with the healthy group elaborately jumping and lunging, and the healthy group awkwardly performing basic moves. Police sirens sound and the healthy group easily get away, while the others struggle to climb a fence and eventually have to hide in the most obvious places. The tagline rolls "You are what you eat".
The ad was directed by Frederik Bond, with creative direction from Robert Saville and Mark Waites of Mother, and produced by Harry Nash.
- Agency: Mother
- Creative Directors: Robert Saville/ Mark Waites
- Production Co: Harry Nash, UK
- Director: Fredrik Bond
The AA: The 4th Emergency Service
The ad opens on the scene of an emergency, with police and a broken down car. A voiceover asks why The AA isn’t the number one breakdown patrol force, despite being the biggest. It then lists similar scenes needing fire and medical emergency support as the number two and three breakdown services, while the voiceover lists The AA’s superior statistics. The film ends with a final emergency scene, where the AA comes to the rescue of a woman whose car has broken down, establishing The AA as "the fourth emergency service."
Liz Whiston at HHCL created the ad, which was directed by David Garfath and produced by Weilands.
- Agency: HHCL & Partners
- Director: David Garfath
- Producer: Paul Rothwell
- Creative: Dave Shelton/ Liz Whiston
- Production Company: Weilands
