IPA 44 CLUB
The IPA’S 44 Club has immortalised leading ‘Ad Men’ in Lego as part of a campaign to reach out to young people. Can you see the resemblance?
Ever wondered what leading industry figures like Sir Martin Sorrell and Sir John Hegarty would look like in Lego? The popular Danish toy has been a very talked about topic of late, so this campaign from the IPA might just catch your eye.
The Lego figures by Leo Burnett, London, will appear on a series of postcards to be sent to people in the industry. The cards will feature the likes of Sir John Hegarty in his trademark Paul Smith suit, Sir Martin Sorrell clutching a $100 note and Lord Bell with his distinguished silver mane.
The IPA 44 Club runs talks for young people in the advertising industry - giving young ad kids access to some of the most famous advertising figures. Their mission: "to inform and inspire people who are starting out in the advertising industry". They do this by holding monthly talks on different aspects of advertising life.
The campaign's Art Director and Copywriter, Ben Gough, who makes celebrities out of Lego as a hobby, explains: “The idea came about because these talks hopefully form the building blocks of young advertising people's careers, just like Lego inspires and educates children.”
“And because the IPA 44 Club is kind of 'for the kids' we thought it would be cool if we could make this point by building some of our previous speakers out of Lego - which of course you can because it is such a versatile toy. Our talks are also fun, as well as inspiring - again, just like Lego. It was a perfect match.
“We used photographer Adrian Burke, a fantastic still life specialist, amongst other things, to bring them to life. The beauty of it is that it was such a simple idea, it speaks for itself. But the figures weren't as easy to shoot as it might look! Adrian and retoucher Florian Hess did a great job of staying true to the concept and making it sing. My favourite bit is that I gave Sir Martin Sorrell very short legs from a Lego school child's figure. I hope he doesn't mind!”
As part of the IPA, the 44 Club has previously attracted some of the biggest names in the advertising and communications world. These include Sir Martin Sorrell, Sir John Hegarty, Graham Fink, Rory Sutherland and Frank Lowe as well as figures from Facebook, Google and marketing directors from the likes of Proctor & Gamble, Honda and Cadbury's. Some talks have proven so popular that even senior people in the industry have been known to turn up especially to hear speakers.
Ben, who is also a member of the 44 Club Committee, says: "We cover topics such as 'the best of Cannes', 'What clients really want’ and 'the power of the profile. We try to mix things up. The talks are for anyone who wants to get ahead really. It's the next step on many people’s careers. They are the kind of talks you won't get at college, with the kind of speakers that are almost impossible to get hold of.”
Based in London, the IPA is the professional body for advertising, media and marketing communications agencies in the UK. It was established in 1917 in response from a request from the British government at the time to help with recruitment and propaganda efforts.
44 Club Chairman, Richard Lloyd, says: “As we all grew up we used Lego to learn about creativity and how to dream up imaginative ideas and contraptions.
“We’re hoping that Adland’s latest recruits will use the 44 Club talks in the same way. To celebrate this and the luminaries who talk on our behalf, it only felt natural to immortalise them in yellow plastic.”
