Three-point plan is key to effectiveness

When a creative team presents a poster to me for approval, I look for three things: individuality, originality and simplicity. The idea has to come straight out of the product, not bolted on, or the poster will not do a distinctive branding job. Of these ads, only British Gas and One-2-One fulfil those criteria. British Gas is the best of a pretty average bunch; it has a simple idea – “1” and “5” instead of “I” and “S” in British – it says everything you need to know in a concise way, and it communicates quite effectively.

Although the One-2-One poster is not the most interesting ad in a terrific campaign, the GB sticker and the line get the point across simply and clearly.

Unijet is pretty bland, it could be for any holiday company – an average photo of mum and the kids and an undistinguished line. The ad doesn’t seem to have any attitude to the brand, it doesn’t say why you should choose Unijet rather than Thomas Cook or Airtours.

Perhaps if you rang the free-phone number they would tell you about it – but in that case why hide it in the corner as if you were embarrassed about it? World Choice has even less branding – just a stock shot of a girl on a beach… OK I’d like to be there, but what am I supposed to do about it? I’ve never heard of the company and this poster leaves me none the wiser.