“Life was simpler then. We were really only dealing with 4 channels: TV, print, OOH, radio. The only ‘platform ideas’ were those that came to us when waiting for the train.” 

— Nick Gill, CD

The 90s was a heady time. As a kid who came of age then, all I remembered was watching Spice Girls on MTV, the *du-rm du-rm ksssskskskksks* sound of dial-up internet, first gen Motorola flip phones, parents whinging about sky-high interest rates, and thinking Troy Dyer was aspirational boyfriend material. 

It was a time of… jingles and catchphrases

I was nowhere near the ad industry then.

Sure, I knew what adverts are and the power they can have over us. My friends and I bleated “Wazzup” to each other. We pestered our parents to buy Sunny Delight in lieu of ‘the purple stuff’. We hummed “I want Pringles” to the tune of I Want Candy. Some adverts just have a lasting effect on our collective memories and vernacular. 

But that’s just my memories as a kid growing up in Canada and being exposed to ads in between episodes of Breaker High (I’ve been crushing on Ryan Gosling long before you) and Reboot (a show about the metaverse 30 years too early). So I had to ask around the office and see if things were the same on this side of the Atlantic. 

“Oh yeah. Before the internet, we really only had 5 TV channels — the BBC channels, which had no ads, Channel 4 and ITV. That’s it. We all watched the same thing and talked about it the next day,” said Helen Rhodes, ECD. 

Helen, also more a watcher than maker of ads in those days, rattled off a series of iconic phrases: Armadillos! (Dime Bar), Nicole? Papa! (Renault Clio), Total eclipse! (Jaffa Cakes), Whoooah, Bodyform! (Bodyform, obvs).

It was a time of… focused craft – and captive audiences

Although the 90s seems like a peak concentration of catchphrases and jingles, Nick remembered other classics too. Ones that are a bit more refined. 

“John Hegarty always said Levis ‘Creek’ was the best ad coming out of BBH. He said it’s impossible to improve. And I agree. It has great filmmaking, great music, great story, great sense of humour. ‘Laundrette’ may be the first one that puts us on the map, but Creek was our finest work,” said Nick.

Agencies didn’t have to abide by social media best practice and blurt out the brand within 6 seconds. There were no second screens (but the posh kids in my class did have a second landline dedicated to internet usage). We had 60 seconds of undivided attention, if not more, to tell a story.

And if you didn’t see an ad the first time, you will watch it again during the next ad break and remember to look for the first appearance of the swan in Boddington’s ‘Pamper Yourself’.

Of course, no article about 90s advertising can go by without mentioning Guinness ‘Surfer’. The thumping music, the horses, the Moby Dick excerpt. It achieved mythical status amongst ad professionals and had a whole corner dedicated to it in the Guinness Storehouse tour in Dublin. 

“There was more love and trust in the purity of film back then,” said Nick. “We were more subservient to a creative idea, and in turn clients were more indulgent in creativity too. That led to many spectacular original films. The kind of films that I don’t think we really make anymore … well, maybe except for John Lewis and their Christmas ads. Nowadays we are more focused on getting a brand story across multiple narrative touchpoints. Ads have to be good and purposeful.”

It was a time of… tech revolution

Just as the creative output changed, there were lots of behind-the-scenes changes in the agency world. The onset of technology – the internet as well as the rise of CGI and digital post-production – transformed how offices function.

“All of a sudden, design departments no longer needed typographers and typesetters. People that literally arrange pieces of wood and lead were made redundant. Instead, we needed people who can use Illustrator,” said Nick. “I once had to carry a proof, on a plane, from Brands Hatch to Manchester. Who does that anymore?”

Agencies known for their filmmaking craft, including BBH, were at a crossroads. I say crossroads as if there had been alternative paths to success. But really, sooner or later, all agencies had to pivot to include digital offering – BBH would soon launch specialisms including digital, CRM, and sports to keep up with client demands. 

The ultimate test: would 1990s advertising still cut it in the 2020s?

If we’re talking about re-running the ads themselves, probably not. 

Too much has changed. We’ve moved on from much of the broad, stereotype-driven humour that filled 90s advertising. Many iconic ads, including the Tango face slap, would struggle to avoid an immediate ASA ban.

‘Surfer’ could probably still air on TV today, though I suspect its magic would be dramatically diminished when people watching on YouTube hit ‘skip ad’ the moment the mandatory six seconds was up. 

But whilst the era’s ads might not succeed in the 2020s, its principles would. The 1990s had a confidence, a dedication to craft, and – most vital of all – a grasp of pop culture that’s often missing in today’s marketing world. We could all do with a sprinkling of 90s magic. 

More from this series:

The 1980s: I Wanna Laugh With Somebody