2017 in Review: Al Young

In general, do you think 2017 has been a good year for creative advertising?

Pretty strong. I’ve seen more work that’s made me jealous this year than in many recent years.

What piece or pieces of work have impressed you most over the last year?

Kwiff, Paddy Power, Yorkshire Tea, Anthony Joshua for Lucozade Sport [below]. The Second Speech for VW. The amazing Marmite Gene Project and, of course, the magnificent Superhumans for C4. I would have burst with pride to have done a couple of them.

What have been the biggest talking points of 2017 in the agency world?

Diversity and advertising as a force for good. Plus, insourcing creativity and production are the ones I’ve engaged in the most.

“I think we need to talk about political advertising. Right now, any politician can make any promise they like without any intention of delivering.”

Publicis’s withdrawal from Cannes and other shows for 12-months sparked conversation about the validity of these events. What’s your opinion of advertising’s relationship with awards?

Cannes seems to be cultivating the industry to create a certain type of work. A social experiment, or a piece of NPD that changes the world for the better in some small way that can only really be expressed through online films. I wonder if this is because the major sponsors of the event are online channels? 

In terms of advertising’s relationship with awards, awards do tend to correlate strongly with effectiveness so anything that inspires clients to make good work has to be a good thing. I’m not comfortable, though, with how awards create marketing-to-marketing communications – activity designed principally for agencies and clients to outdo one another rather than to connect with their audiences.

The much-maligned, Kendal Jenner-starring Pepsi commercial from earlier this year seemed to put a dent in the client-in-house-production approach; do you think that trend is still a worry for agencies?

In-house production can be an inspiration to agencies. Look at what C4 Creative does. The problem with Pepsi [below] was speaking truth to power. I guess everyone apart from a handful of Pepsi execs would have known that commercial was going to do nothing except call in a social media airstrike on their heads. The problem was no one dared to speak up. That’s why talented outsiders are so valuable.

What do you think the biggest talking points of 2018 might be?

I think we need to talk about political advertising. Right now, any politician can make any promise they like without any intention of delivering. If ads for, say, Toilet Duck or Murray Mints did the same, we and our clients would be called immediately to account.

What do you think the agency sector’s New Year’s resolution should be?

Love your audience and stop worrying about what the other shops are doing.

What will be your own New Year’s resolution, work related or otherwise?

More laughter with [ECD] Richard Denney, [owner] Jules Vizard and the rest of St Luke’s.