As the internet connected the world like never before, the influence of pop culture, TV, music, football and the stars that came along with them was booming in the 1990s. The coolness that audiences were craving, and the commercialism driving it, flooded the lives of millions everywhere. Many of the ads produced during this decade made a lasting impression on audiences, boosting brand identity and sending ripples into the ad industry more widely.
“The ad industry was in awe of the creative and technical showcase,” Alistair ads. “It demonstrated a new standard in TV advertising, and how cutting-edge CGI technology could enhance a great creative idea. Surprisingly, during the creative process Surfer didn’t actually do very well in audience testing. In fact, research suggested that viewers wouldn’t warm to it.
“Ultimately, the best thing Budweiser did was trust that less is more,” she adds. “By keeping the script simple, leaning into the cultural truth that men don’t sit on the phone for hours and using authentic language, it stuck in our heads for years to come. ‘Wassup’ became a word synonymous with the Budweiser brand and that is a level of marketing you still rarely see.
And lastly, but certainly not least, the 1992 spot Instant Karma, set to another famous track, this time from John Lennon, directed by David Fincher. “During that era Wieden + Kennedy could do no wrong for Nike. Frozen Moment? Barkley on Broadway? Lil Penny? If You Let Me Play? So many good ideas, so well written and filmed.
“Still inspiring today, this ad spawned an entire sub-genre of advertising. Richard Dreyfuss’ voiceover and just 23 edits in 60 seconds make it a masterpiece of branding,” says Alex Moulton, chief creative officer of branding and design agencyThis next ad divided opinion. The Face of AIDS, photographed by Therese Frare in 1990 , depicts gay activist David Kirby in bed dying, and was originally published in black and white in LIFE magazine.
“The campaign, by NW Ayer shifted the narrative back to the brand’s reputation as a global innovator in the tech space. The campaign was conceived by the creative team of Nick Scordato and Gordon Hasse who worked with director David Fincher and cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth to create a series of commercials that featured fantastical vignettes driven by futuristic technology,” Nancy continues.
“Remember: this isn’t a tagline for a running shoe, or a soft drink, or any other product people might naturally be drawn to. This is wood stainer, for staining wood: the dullest product imaginable, leaving its mark indelibly on the English language.”agrees: “How many campaigns can claim to have shaped the British vocabulary? Not many. This one did,” he says.