My Most Immortal Ad: Sally-Ann Dale
In the run-up to this year’s Immortal Awards, our jurors will each select an ad that they believe deserves the title of Immortal.
Sally-Ann Dale, chief creation officer of Droga5, is next up in the series with one of British Airways’ most iconic – and ambitious – commercials ever…
“Face” | British Airways (Saatchi & Saatchi, Hugh Hudson, Malcolm McLaren, Yanni, 1989)
There are many, many great pieces that, in my mind, are immortal. The Independent’s “Litany” and The Guardian's “Points of View”, for example. Of course there’s Frank’s Sony PlayStation, Stella Artois, and John West Salmon, Vaughan and Anthea’s “Creek” for Levi’s, Michel Gondry’s Drugstore, anything really by Frank and Jonathan and Spike, and, when there was money for it, the amazing music videos. But I’m going with what’s immortal to me—the stuff that, going back to my beginnings, has had a lasting effect on me.
I remember being told that we’d never have budgets like this again—absolutely huge budgets with huge reshoots and all that. There was so much hubbub around the production. All the stories and details, though nothing I know first-hand. I just remember the feeling I had when I first saw this spot. I knew that I wanted to be part of it—part of a team that produced great work. I wanted to create and to craft. I was 19-years-old, and to this day the British Airways music still lingers with me when I hear it.
Sally-Ann Dale will be judging this year's The Immortal Awards. Entries are now open to all Little Black Book members, so head over to the submissions page to submit your best work. If you aren't a member of Little Black Book yet, then you can subscribe here.
