20 of the best ads ever from the George Patterson agency
In an industry where new people arrive every day, the greats are sometimes quickly forgotten.
For some, the name GPY&R is these days more associated with WPP’s legal squabble with Pacific Equity Partners. But George Patterson is arguably Australia’s greatest agency ever.
And as next week’s 75th anniversary party approaches next week, the agency has put some of its greatest moments up on YouTube. It’s worth the time checking out this top 20, I promise. They don’t make ’em like that any more…
1. OTC Memories – the first Aussie ad to win the Grand prix at the Cannes Lions
2. Fosters – Paul Hogan
3. National – Abba
4. VB
5. Football, Meatpies, Kangaroos and Holden Cars
6. Shell: Steve McQueen
7. Carlton Draught – The Big Ad
8. Yellow Pages Go Go Mobile
9. Smith’s chips Gobbledok
10. Schweppes – Burst
11. Colgate Ajax – Steptoe & Son
12. Colgate – Mrs Marsh
13. Colgate Lemon Charged
14. Optus Power of Yes
15. NAB – Never Lose Sight
16. Twisties
17. Big M (I don’t think they’d get away with this now)
18. VB Boonie
19. AFL History of Australia
20. Olympics – Morocco
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Apt that the first TVC I remember is the OTC Memories ad. Comes across a little maudlin now, but the Grand Prix is deserved if it still evokes childhood recollections 25 years later. Had no idea until seeing now that it obliquely refers to the self-exile of many families from the Greek military junta, but I guess it poignantly tapped into any immigrant experience.
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Some really great work from one of only a handful of truly great Australian agencies. Though I am surprised to see “AFL History of Australia” in the top 20. Surely the ad from this year is bigger, better, and more reflective of the status of George Patts in the industry?
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This is why I want to get into advertising. For a bunch of “traditionalists”, they’re some amazing work in there.
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The AFL History of Australia campaign isn’t fit to carry the recent AFL ad’s award bucket.
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I’ve always worked in ‘digital’. I’ve never touched TV, possibly never will. But I’m a big fan of Peter Heathwood’s work.
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What a great trip down memory lane.
Some fantastic work in there – well done to Patts & congrats!
(its OK to cringe at some of the older ones right?)
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Does “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet”, from Campbell Ewald, USA, , sound at all like “Football , Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden Cars” of a later date?
And Patts claim it as one of theirs!
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this collection, featuring only one ad from this century is testament to how little they have done in the last ten years… sad to see a once mighty premiership team now wooden spooners. Pity they don’t hand out awards for embarrassing management decisions and poor leadership
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Loved this,
How about some more agencies? top 10?
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Um, anothermous, seem to think Bid Ad, Schweppes Burst, VB Boonie, AFL were all from this century. I’m no mathematician, but that makes 20% of the top 20 from the last 10 years. A pretty fair proportion for an agency that’s been around 75 years.
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I recorded and edited the voices on the ads. It wasn’t hard finding an emotive few lines from these amazing people who had just called Australia home. John Kingsmill, the writer and Adrian Ussher the producer, deserve all the credit. Great time of my life.
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Hi, I’m interested in knowing more about the song version of the way we were used in this version. It’s in a lower key than the original single, and it seems to be arranged differently too. Is it from the original sessions and just edited and slowed down? Or did Marvin Hamlisch and Barbra Streisand specifically remake this version for the ad? I know this might seem like an unusual question, but, as a musician, I would really like to know, and I can’t find any information about this aspect of the ad online. Anyway, it’s an amazing ad, I remember it from childhood now I watch it all the time…thank you.
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