shots 159: A is for APA

Steve Davies, chief executive of the Advertising Producers Association, presents the Renaissance gallery wall of new directing talent

We are delighted that this year’s APA Collection feature and DVD [which can be found alongside the shots 159 DVD] coincides with the 25th anniversary edition of shots magazine. It’s a good association as both the Collection and shots stand for creative excellence.

Every couple of months when shots drops through our letterbox, I find myself in awe of the quality of the magazine’s writing, layout and photography. Congratulations to the whole shots team on that and this landmark anniversary.

• Us - Acadmey Fims (top), Juriaan Booij - RSA (bottom)

Each year we have the photo shoot for the APA Collection and it’s always interesting to see what photographer Julian Hanford and the shots team come up with in terms of concept and design. This year we have the best new directors portrayed as Renaissance portraits.

The APA Collection itself is a testament to the talent of the APA membership and of course the creatives who gave birth to the ideas the commercials embody.

• Jack Whiteley - Rattling Stick (top), Ruth Hogben - Prettybird (centre), Sing J Lee - Partizan (bottom)

It represents the best work from the UK’s production, post, editing, music and sound design companies. It is a brilliant reel, reflecting the fact that London continues to be the equal of anywhere in the world in terms of ideas and execution in commercials, as we saw with London production companies being ranked second and third in the world in Cannes this year.

As ever, we have challenges and opportunities at the APA. We are determined to ensure that all clients know about the value of what our members do, in terms of realising their ideas. We know that resisting the agency in-house model ensures that our specialists continue to provide better quality and value.

• Parabella - Blinkink (top), Fern Berresford - Fat Lemon (Centre), Vania Heymann - Prettybird (bottom)

I never single out any one ad from the APA Collection, but this year I will make an exception because it provides a great example of the value of specialists. Look at the Christmas ad for Mulberry, #WinChristmas, created by adam&eveDDB and directed by Rattling Stick’s Andy McLeod. Compare it to the Christmas Smiles spot for Asda made by an agency’s in-house production wing. The Asda spot’s budget was significantly higher than Mulberry’s, yet the latter’s ad is vastly more powerful. Why? Because this type of ad featuring families at Christmas are pretty much all about the casting and performances. It is the skill of the director that makes or breaks the commercial and the net result was that Mulberry got a great ad and Asda got a duff one.

shots enables us to ensure the APA Collection is seen around the world and that it is part of our promotion of the expertise of the APA membership worldwide, which shortly sees a major event in Shanghai – the Shanghai London Advertising Forum 2015. That will see a big deputation of London production companies meeting with Shanghai agencies and production companies to extend knowledge, understanding and relationships, to build the flow of work between London and China, which already has a solid base.

•  Truman & Cooper - Colonel Blimp (top), Luke Bellis - MindsEye (bottom)

The Shanghai London Advertising Forum 2015 – 19, 20, 21 October. For more details email steve@a-p-a.net or go to the APA website, a-p-a.net