Methods of the Madmen: How the advertising men and women of Britain’s most awarded agency did their most awarded ads
£13.10
Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet. Hovis, as good for you today as it’s always been. Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach. These are three of the most famous advertising campaigns ever produced, and all the work of Collett, Dickenson, Pearce & Partners.
There was something in the air at CDP that made it special. Some compared it with being in the Beatles. Others said it was like playing for a football club at the top of the Premier League. Certainly, CDP possessed an ethos driven by an unshakeable belief in creativity: the new, the brilliant, the witty and the vital. It was relentless in its search for ideas that not only contributed to the success of its clients, but also to the happiness of the nation. CDP commercials became as much a part of the fabric of British popular culture as Fawlty Towers, The Two Ronnies and Eric and Ernie.
In 2012, at an evening to mark the 50th anniversary of Design & Art Direction, CDP won yet another award – for being the ‘most awarded agency’ of the last 50 years.
This book tells the story of the ads that won these awards: how they were conceived and the men and women who dreamed them up. Whether you are a student of advertising, work in the business, or are simply a member of the public who remembers these ads with fondness, this book will entertain you.
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by nigel rose
Having worked as a creative at said advertising agency, there was a lot i didn’t know. The book transported me back to those hedonistic times. Wonderful!
by R. S. Mathews
This is not a book about how they make YouTube adverts. This is about the real thing. This is the story of how the greatest ads were made during the greatest years of advertising. it is also a book about CDP which was arguably the greatest advertising agency ever. It is very well written, and generous to all involved. There is no trumpet blowing here; it is a blow-by-blow account of how some of the greatest ads came to be made. This was not like other agencies, and therefore would be of interest to anyone who has been involved in, or fascinated by, advertising. I was there for quite a few years and can vouch for its honesty. A good read. And if I have overused the word “greatest” it is because it was.
by Robin Dilley
Have just finished “Methods of the Madmen.” It was a very enjoyable read, not least because I knew many of the protagonists. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the background story behind some of the UK’s most memorable advertising campaigns.
by John Hepburn
I really enjoyed reading about the fabulous creativity and energy of the admen and supporting cast at this highly innovative practice. The stories are memorable – the video links deeply enjoyable and Mike has really captured the feel, values and integrity of what was a very special time in British advertising. It’s a wonderful walk down memory lane. Thank you!
by Jensenfrome
This is a wonderfully entertaining and anecdotal account of how to create engaging and uniquely distinctive brand advertising.
Impressively researched accounts of what it takes to create such campaigns.
The recall of these campaigns today is all the more remarkable given many ran some 40 years ago.
by Harry
What a lovely book! The story of CDP is a daunting one to tell but the author has managed it with an easy charm. There are no grand theories – just delightful stories and anecdotes about how each of the agency’s great campaigns were created. And all of the characters involved – from Frank Lowe to Flossie and Joyce the tea ladies – are described by the author with enormous fondness and affection.
Highly recommended to all students of advertising. Also, to those of you who used to arrive at the cinema early in order to catch all the great commercials and now arrive just as the film itself is beginning.
by JBTaylor
Probably the finest book about the advertising process you will ever read.
David Ogilvy would have given it to all his people as a must read.
by Peter Compton
That’s just one of the great things about this remarkably engaging and authoritative history of Britain’s best-ever ad agency, and the extraordinary creative work it produced. Mike Everett keeps the reader consistently entertained with non-stop anecdotes, affectionate gossip and did-you-know facts about the classic CDP ads we all remember. Above all, ‘Methods of the Madmen’ is beautifully written and laid out, as befits someone who used to work there. Clear your shelves of those tedious manuals about ‘data-driven performance marketing’ and such tosh – this one book will tell you more about how great ads are arrived at than an entire skipful of them. It’s a Gold, luv.