THE BOOK OF LISTS: The 10 Best press ads

1. Volkswagen Beetle: "fun fur/Desperate Dan/paint by

numbers/snakes & ladders"

This perfect representation of a frivolous exterior belying a more

serious side was firmly in the tradition of great VW advertising from

the past and picked up a bronze at Cannes and a Campaign Press Award

this year. The strapline reads: "The new Beetle. Fun on the outside,

serious underneath."

Agency: BMP DDB

Copywriter: Adam Tucker

Art director: Justin Tindall

2. TBWA/London: Second again

There are many indicators of genuine quality among modern agencies -

almost all of them represented in this wonderful response ad. Subtle,

witty, risque, perfectly judged and all because TBWA came second in

Campaign's Agency of the Year debate again.

Agency: TBWA/London

Copywriter: Ben Walker

Art director: Matt Gooden

3. Harrods: Shoes

Has anyone ever expressed the insatiable drive to purchase

circulation-destroying items of footwear better than this? Leagas

Delaney memorably acknowledges that true elegance is painfully

irresistible - as the bank managers of Harrods regulars have known for

years.

Agency: Leagas Delaney

Copywriter: Julie Oakley

Art director: Michelle Taylor

4. The Guardian: Stella Rimington

The coded message, with associated card reader, perfectly fused creative

with media innovation. It was the standout press work of a campaign that

saw BMP DDB moving perfectly in step with the paper's editorial tone and

quality.

Agency: BMP DDB

Copywriter: Nick Burridge

Art director: Luca Bertoluzzi

5. Land Rover: Scorpion

Rainey Kelly's campaign found its best expression in print. The image of

a scorpion disappearing down a drain along with the run off from a newly

washed Land Rover argued subtly, and convincingly, that this vehicle is

driven by a different breed.

Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R

Copywriter: Mike Boles

Art director: Jerry Hollens

6. Pentax: Snaps

More than a century after the invention of the technology, it's about

time someone inspired - or bullied - tourists to do something different

with a camera. Publicis' ads make the point with brutal simplicity,

trading in beautiful shots that amateur photographers could never pull

off for images that we all know we can outdo.

Agency: Publicis

Copywriter: Ben Carey

Art director: Henrik Delehag

7. Diesel: Dolls

The epitome of high-street cool has yet again gone beyond the

conventional boundaries of fashion advertising with a range of

sexy-as-hell dolls togged up to the nines in Diesel gear.

Agency: KesselsKramer

Copywriter: Karen Heuter

Art director: Karen Heuter

8. Natural History Museum: Lion

Deceptively innocent and picturesque, this ad captured the perennial

insecurity of nature better than most wildlife documentaries. Guaranteed

a minute's attention - and a lot more thought - from every reader.

Agency: Burkitt DDB

Copywriter: Jon Leney

Art director: Richard Donovan

9. Nike: I always take the stairs

The book of lies was a finely observed means of cajoling the nation's

unfit to finally "get around to it" and embrace the exercise-rich Nike

way. This linking press execution captures the guilt of office workers

everywhere.

Agency: Wieden & Kennedy

Copywriter: Simon Mactaggart

Art director: Nick Darken

10. Interflora: Tit elation

Crude, simplistic, degrading. All in all, the perfect way to convince

lads' mag readers that it's worthwhile making romantic gestures on

Valentine's Day.

Agency: The Company

Copywriter: Will Marston

Art director: Darren Hill

This article was first published on Campaign