There’s one question people often get asked: ‘If you could sit next to anyone on a long-haul flight, who would it be?’. For me, it’s the creative of one of my most immortal ads of all time and I got to sit next to him for about an hour onstage (thank you LBB).
A simple story well told.
To me this spot embodies all that’s epic about advertising. It’s a big production and draws inspiration from art, literature and life. The soundtrack and the voice over pull you in while the black and white images and brave directing (by one of the greatest directors of all time, Jonathan Glazer) remind me how powerful 60 seconds of film can be. The spectacular visual effects make the metaphorical white horses real, exhilarating and powerful as the surfers crash out.
I’ve seen this spot on my phone, on my computer screen and on a big screen. It’s screen-size agnostic, as long as you have good sound.
We don’t do many of these as an industry anymore. But like all optimists and lovers of our profession, I think we might.
As I talked to Walter, I didn’t ask about the ad. I tried to get to know the person behind it. I met someone who loves his craft, has no desire to inhabit the comfort zone and believes everything is possible. Like catching that perfect wave.