verbal rhia

Rediscover the sci-fi ads directed by Ridley Scott

Image: Prometheus

“Sir Ridley was part of the small group of British directors who cut their teeth in commercials in the 60s and 70s, crossed over into features and conquered Hollywood - but who were always prepared to come back to advertising, their first calling.  - D&AD CEO, Tim Lindsay on Ridley Scott.

As the Hollywood director makes his long awaited return to the sci-fi genre with Prometheus, I revisit some of Ridley Scott’s ‘future noir’ commercial work (for indie ad mag Lürzer’s Archive). Read it here.

Image: The atmospherics and ‘future noire’ themes of ‘Alien’ (1979) and ‘Blade Runner’ (1982) are reworked for Apple’s dystopian “1984” directed by Ridley Scott.

Oscars 2012: How Michel Hazanavicius started his career making ads

Michel Hazanavicius won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Artist

..the man who took home the coveted Academy Award for Best Director was French film director, producer and screenwriter, Michel Hazanavicius. Before directing feature films, Hazanavicius directed commercials for clients such as Reebok and Bouygues Telecom. He was featured in Lürzer’s Archive (Vol. 4/1999) for his spots for Air Liberté, “L’Hostess” and “Le Rideau” (“The Hostess” and “The Curtain”), which spoofed the notion of other airlines’ poor service. 

Video: “The Hostess” for Air Liberté, 1999, directed by Michel Hazanavicius

Read more on Lürzer’s Archive.

Baby on board British Airways

Did you know British Airways crew members are trained to deliver babies on board if necessary? This print ad features a sprog in a BA jacket as part of the airline’s biggest advertising campaign in 11 years. The series of print and multimedia ads come just months after BA finally ended an 18-month dispute with its cabin crew.

Shona Owen was born on a British Airways flight in 1991. 18 years later they flew her to Australia as a birthday present. She is one of three babies born on BA flights in the last 20 years.

The campaign has used real case studies as inspiration for its posters.

Based on BA Engineer, Martin Wood.

Images: British Airways