David Reviews
 "You're not an artist, Peggy. You solve problems." Don Draper.
Latest Work
    • Battle RoyaleAn epic showdown for the ages takes centre stage in this quirky Kiwi ad for AA Insurance.
    • Take your pick.Giffgaff's Halloween effort is a highly anticipated feature of the autumn ad docket, and this year they're back on track.
    • Gone fishin'.Experian's alternative spin on the Rapture continues with this 40" commercial set on a fishing lake.
    • On a roll.Algeria is the real star of this sweeping commercial for tyre manufacturer Iris.
    • Vision welcome Ryan Eddleston.In-demand cinematographer Ryan Eddleston is the latest to join Vision's bespoke roster.
    • Unlimited PotentialGore-Tex prove they're serious about making sure their clothing can meet life's challenges in this pacy commercial.
    • What goes on behind closed doors.A precocious cover of Nine Inch Nails' ‘Hurt' drives this latest affecting communication from Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.
    • King for a day.Online betting site Winamax riff on Disney's 'The Lion King' and drop an f-bomb into the bargain.
    • All the straight 8 Company Shootout winners... ranked.All the straight 8 Company Shootout winners... ranked.
    • Into the woods.As clothes retailers unleash their AW19 wares on the public, Argos disrupt proceedings with another instalment of their ‘So Stylish You Could Wear It!' campaign.
    • OB Management snap up Shaun James Grant.Shaun James Grant has joined OB Management's diverse roster of directors for representation.
    • Meat-Free FuturesAbsurdly, Tesco has run into controversy for this sweet commercial about a father accommodating his daughter's dietary request.
    • Time After TimeThis slick communication for the Apple Watch draws attention to the tech's most 'important' feature - telling the time.

SISTERHOOD

Sisterhood is a free resource we developed to provide a platform for women working in roles dominated by men.

Sisterhood is free to join and free to view.

Over the next few weeks, we are expanding its scope to include live events and an annual competition.

We're seeking sponsors for this so please get in touch if you'd like to help and associate your company with this vital mission.

VISIT THE SISTERHOOD.
Sick Kids
"This Is Why"		 2 mins 23s
17 October 2019

A precocious cover of Nine Inch Nails' ‘Hurt' drives this latest affecting communication from Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, with the charity keen to show those lucky enough never to have required their services what staff and patients encounter every day.

As a children's choir deliver lyrics such as "Everyone I know/Goes away in the end" with disarming power, director Mark Zibert's camera roves up and down the hospital's corridors, capturing patients, guardians, and staff members at their most vulnerable.

As the pace quickens and these poignant images almost blur into one, the brand's signature ‘VS' icon appears behind those who need the most encouragement - its blue neon glow leading into an especially effective coda.
Winamax
"The New King"		 85s
17 October 2019

We suspect there are many more expletive-laden celebrations (and commiserations) than gambling ads let on, so for this Winamax commercial to drop the f-bomb after mere seconds is quite the achievement.

What follows is an otherwise PG riff on Disney's 'The Lion King' (1994 or 2019, depending on your taste), as the residents of a housing estate pay tribute to the lucky son of the gun who wins £284. Of course, a king never walks to his coronation.

Shot in tongue-in-cheek slow motion and accompanied by Puccini's ‘Nessun Dorma', his journey to the roof whilst carried by a hulking well-wisher is precisely the kind of pomp and ceremony online gamblers would love. They'd best keep dreaming though.
All the straight 8 Company Shootout winners... ranked.

As straight 8 gets ready for the next competition, we decided to look through all the short films that have won gold, silver or bronze at their Companies Shootout events and rank them in order.

For those unaware, straight 8 is a global film competition which began in 1999 and challenges entrants to create a short film using a single cartridge of Super 8 with only in-camera editing. In the shootout version, companies compete for honour and charity.

Ranking the winners is, by its nature, a highly subjective exercise but like the competition itself, our analysis is more about encouraging film-makers who are interested in challenging themselves than any kind of real competitiveness.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
Argos
"Autumn Wardrobe"		 30s
15 October 2019

As clothes retailers unleash their AW19 wares on the public, Argos disrupt proceedings with another instalment of their ‘So Stylish You Could Wear It!' campaign. Once again, directors Traktor confound fashionistas nationwide with fixtures, fittings, and furnishings spliced with haute couture. Naturally, the catwalk is now a seasonal forest.

The two ramblers who bear witness to this off-beat fashion show provide a neat throughline with the previous ad, suggesting the brand will do whatever it takes to sway the pair. Meanwhile, there are enough deadpan looks to camera and quirky costume designs to show the brand have both pride in and a sense of humour about their stock.
OB Management snap up Shaun James Grant.

Shaun James Grant has joined OB Management's diverse roster of directors for representation.

Born and raised in Sheffield, Grant has dabbled in both still and moving images as he quietly makes a name for himself in the industry. He now looks forward to honing his craft further with OB's encouragement.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
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On This Day
(1-25 of 25)
Barclays
"Invisicard"		 40s
21 Oct 2005
Two colleagues at Barclays celebrate when one shows the other the Invisicard - a debit card that you can make invisible for security purposes. But as their joy diminishes when they realise they have knocked the car to the floor whilst it's invisible and they cannot find it.
Sony Bravia
"Paint"		 30s
21 Oct 2006
Shortened version of the attention-hogging Sony Bravia ad which aired last week is, if anything, more dramatic than the original as it packs all the most impressive moments into an intensive concentration of explosions.
VW
"Milk Run"		 60s
21 Oct 2010
This Australian ad for Volkswagen uses a quartet of people to illustrate its claim that we all face similar problems even if our circumstances are different. It's been neatly filmed and then stitched together with terrific precision from the editor who has succeeded in underlining the points of similarity with considrable élan.
KFC
"Fans"		 90s
21 Oct 2014
Young fans of Scottish rivals Dunfermline Athletic and Stirling Albion are the stars of this touching new film for KFC. The youngsters both dress in their respective team colours before heading to the game where they sit at opposite ends of the ground. What isn't clear at the start is that these two live in the same house - because they're brothers.
AMF
"Yes!"		 1 min 40s
21 Oct 2014
This jolly and utterly bonkers piece of work from Sweden provides answers to worries about pensions via a singing drummer atop a tall building. All around him, people pose their concerns about the money they'll receive when they finish working and he provides them with a resolute yodelled 'yes' to the chorus of a very recognisable Euro-anthem which - infuriatingly - we can't quite pin down.
Argos
"Ode to Joy"		 30s
21 Oct 2014
A pyroclastic flow of colourful toys erupts in a sterile, all-white bedroom, defying gravity as Ode to Joy rings out. Dolls, Lego bricks and crayons hurtle through the air with slow-motion grace and a large yet elegant super informs us there's up to a third off Barbie, Hot Wheels and Monster High, whatever that is. A visually impressive homage to the annual onset of Christmas Fever.
Greene King IPA
"To The Pub"		 2 mins 05s
21 Oct 2015
The spectre of last orders is hanging over the pub industry these days. Rising costs, supermarket competition, and tightening drink-drive limits have led to many a local vanishing from both town and country. Representing the fightback is Greene King IPA. The cask ale brand has previously demonstrated a wistful vision of traditional boozers and this optimistic film says the glass is very much half-full for the pub trade.
Ambuja Cement
"The Great Khali"		 80s
21 Oct 2015
What do you do with the strapline: 'Giant compressive strength'? Even before you know it's for cement, it's singularly lacking in charisma. Apart from the building industry, why would anyone care - and then, even in the building industry it's hardly going to stir up excitement. So bravo for this lovely idea for Indian cement brand Ambuja.
Adobe
"The Launch"		 60s
21 Oct 2015
While we're all becoming more and more aware of 'the Cloud', it still remains a fairly nebulous concept. There are some rather nice ads around that tell us how great it is, but none of them offer any, er, tangible information. This terrific spot for Adobe does do something, however - it warns marketers that conflicting data sources could end up preventing the launch of a product that they've heavily invested in.
Adidas
"Pogba"		 80s
21 Oct 2016
Footballers aren't magnets for sympathy, but spare a thought if you can for Paul Pogba. The Manchester United midfielder's £89 million transfer fee means every touch, kick, and pass is measured in pounds and pence. This vibrant Adidas commercial says forget the numbers - it's all about the name.
Mencap
"DJ"		 60s
21 Oct 2016
Past and present attitudes collide in this thought-provoking Mencap ad. The voice of a 'leading academic' claims that those with Down's syndrome do not merit a human response. That was in 1968; it's now 2016, and DJ Casey Rochell thinks it's time for a long overdue remix. Rochell's audio trickery and director Ed Morris's stark visuals ensure this is a distinctive rallying call.
IKEA
"My Way"		 60s
21 Oct 2016
IKEA encourage us to embrace our weirdness and live how ever we like in this ad. They promise not to tell anyone about our nude dinners or kitchen dance parties... and we almost believe them. The montage is nicely put together here, clips of different lives shown affectionately and without judgement in a way that makes them feel universal.
Childhood Trauma
"Chad"		 6 mins 40s
4 Dec 2016
This touching PSA drawing attention to the long-lasting impact of childhood abuse is, at times, hard to watch. The actor playing Chad successfully conveys a sense that he's too overwhelmed to speak as he struggles to articulate the horrors of 'his' past. He returns to the house where the abuse took place.
Argos
"1700 Friends"		 30s
21 Oct 2005
The man with 1700 enjoys his popularity as we can see when everyone stops to wave to him in the street but it creates a big problem for him at Christmas time. Just as well then that Argos provide him with so many choices.
Kellogg's Nutri Grain Bars
"Magic"		 30s
21 Oct 2005
Jimmy Carr voices an ad which explains how a female fan of Kellogg's Nutri Grain cereal bars believe they are manufactured by magic because, despite the unlikely sounding list of ingredients, they taste so yummy. Just a thought, but maybe it's 60g of sugar... not magic.
The Observer
"Franz Ferdinand CD"		 30s
21 Oct 2005
Glasgow-based superstars Franz Ferdinand get the Observer animation treatment in an ad highlighting the inclusion of a free CD of their music in this week's edition. Typically, it's the drummer who bears the brunt of the misfortune meted out on the band.
Sky Three
"Twister 3"		 30s
21 Oct 2008
Another impressive demonstration of High Definition in the new idents for Sky television. This time objects being flung around by a 'twister' collide with the giant numeral and shatter it impressively.
Sky Three
"Whack 3"		 30s
21 Oct 2008
In a fairground, teenagers play 'Whack A Mole' with numerals replacing the part of the small mammals who normally pop their heads up to be smashed. This is the latest of the new series of visually impressive idents being used by Sky to promote their main entertainment channels.
Sky Three
"Boxes 3"		 30s
21 Oct 2008
A series of purple crystal objects flow from one cardboard box to another until the second moves aside and the objects form a numeral. This is the latest in the new series of idents which convincingly gets across the idea of high definition output on the satellite broadcaster's main entertainment stations.
Culinare
"Strong Man"		 20s
21 Oct 2008
Bad news, men. Having been replaced in the bedroom by a selection of scary looking gadgets, it now seems another has done the same thing to our last bastion of invincibility... our ability to open pickle jars. This amusing ad makes plain the fact that women no longer need a strong man to do the job. Ah well.
Baileys
"Listen To Your Lips"		 40s
21 Oct 2008
The fun of Baileys is captured in this stylish ad that shows drops of the drink landing on pairs of lips as they are fall. The sight of the disconnected mouths could have been quite disconcerting but clever work all round has ensured that it's an attractive image.
Orange
"Words"		 65s
21 Oct 2009
This French film for Orange shows how the same word can have two different meanings in order to back its claim that the Internet provided by Orange is significantly better than the Internet provided by any of its rivals. Not true, of course, but a neatly-stated claim.
Bacardi
"Island"		 60s
21 Oct 2009
Boats converge to throw stones and rocks into the ocean to create a new island so the pretty young people on board have somewhere to party. It's energetic, fun and beautiful to look at but, kids, don't try this at home... it's trickier than it looks.
Porsche
"Family Tree"		 60s
21 Oct 2009
Shouldn't a copywriter be able to use the English language properly? It should be "so he built it" not "so he built one". And the phrase "every Porsche has answered a dream" is stupid. You don't answer dreams. Grumble, grumble.
Dolce & Gabbana
"Rose For One"		 30s
21 Oct 2009
Scarlett Johansson rolls around on a bed as she reminisces in vague fashion about her love affairs. Obviously, she's not specific as the terms of DAVID's gagging order prevent her from revealing anything about their torrid time together.
On This Day
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David Reviews - Lovely Lenzie Ltd, Woodbourne House, Seven Sisters, Lenzie, G66 3AW. Telephone: +44 141 776 7766. Editor: Jason Stone.