Branson rant at ads Virgin on extreme

Virgin One staff nervously gave a first viewing of the 3.5m launch TV campaign for its new-style banking account to a select group of journalists, including the Diary, in a private dining room at posh Mayfair restaurant The Square, last week.

The dessert wine was slipping down a treat when a voice suddenly boomed across the dining table telling embarrassed Virgin One managing director Jayne-Anne Gadhia to stick with the first ad, which was good, but to scrap the other four which were “f***ing rubbish”.

Curiously, the criticism stemmed not from one of the cynical hacks in attendance, but from none other than Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, who was also viewing the ads, created by TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, for the first time.

Unfortunately TBWA has already shot a series of 20 ads at great expense on location in South Africa.