He’s rather too bold for one so `old’

Since seeing Adrian Holmes dressed in tweeds when only in his twenties, I always had a sneaking suspicion that he was getting old before his time.

This was confirmed when I read Marketing Week, “LH-S chief raps `yobbish’ ad rise” (MW March 17).

His latest lambasting of the Harley-Davidson advertising created by BDDH could only have come from the cobwebbed confines of his Knightsbridge office.

Wake up Mr Holmes, it’s time for your daily dose of Bob Dylan. The times they are a’changing.

The Harley ads only accompanied films like Pulp Fiction (it’s part of a new wave of film genre, Adrian), which gratuitously shows men being buggered, boys’ heads being blown off and junkies overdosing.

Now call me old fashioned, but surely if you’re of the mindset to see such films, then the Harley ads will not offend.

As to saying “This advertising machine we’re all in charge of has a huge influence”, shouldn’t he have thought of that when he was encouraging people to smoke Imperial Tobacco’s cigarettes?

It’s attitudes like Holmes’ that are stagnating the business. What I’d be more ashamed of is the fortunes that are lavished on conferences such as the one he originally spoke at in Monte Carlo.

John Dean

Joint creative director

Butterfield Day Devito Hockney

London W1