A tribute to TBWA\London: Disruption Manifest

In its fifty-plus years of existence and through its various iterations, TBWA\London has been a consistent force in UK advertising and an agency whose global reach often extended beyond those of its competitors.

Like all agencies its fortunes ebbed and flowed. But the fact that so many of the UK's best advertising talent worked there at some point in their careers, as well as the strength of its reel, shows how influential it will always be.

As the London agency prepares to bow out as a distinct entity and merges with adam&eveDDB, it's some comfort to all those who hold the agency dear that that it exits on a high. This is no small part thanks to CEO Larissa Vince and CCO Andy Jex.

In tribute to them we take a look at some of the best work to come out of the agency over the past 25 years (to do justice to the entire canon of work over the past 50 years would require a supplement - not just a webpage). This list is by no means definitive or exhaustive, but hopefully gives a taster, as well as provides a memento mori.

PlayStation - 'Double Life' (1999)

'Double Life' is essentially a monologue to camera, delivered by a series of ordinary-looking people who calmly confess to having “commanded armies and conquered worlds” when the console goes on. It’s moody, theatrical and oddly moving – a perfect articulation of what early console gaming felt like. The spot became one of the most highly awarded commercials in the world in 1999/2000, picking up gongs across global shows and cementing PlayStation’s reputation for grown-up, cinematic advertising

John Smith’s - 'No Nonsense'/ Peter Kay campaign (2002–2010)

The Peter Kay era of John Smith’s is where TBWA\London’s gift for populist comedy really sang. From the famous “'Ave it!' long-ball to deadpan domestic scenes like 'Dog Show' and 'Diner', the No Nonsense man became the embodiment of northern common sense – and the opposite of fussy, over-crafted beer advertising. It also hoovered up metal at British Arrows, Creative Circle and D&AD, and has since been regularly cited in “funniest ads of all time” list

PlayStation 2 - 'Mountain' (2003)

If 'Double Life' was the thoughtful art-house PlayStation film, 'Mountain' was the blockbuster sequel. A heaving mass of people scramble over each other to form a literal human mountain, all desperate to be the one on top as Shirley Temple’s “De Gospel Train” plays. It’s weird, operatic and utterly distinctive.

Directed by Frank Budgen, 'Mountain' became one of the defining PS2 spots – nominated for more than 40 awards worldwide, including the Film Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, and picking up a D&AD Yellow Pencil for cinematography among others.

Nissan Qashqai - 'Playground' (2008)

As the sequel to the first Nissan Qashqai TV commercial ‘Skateboard’, TBWA\London enlisted Danny Kleinman for its most ambitious shoot. Filmed in Buenos Aires, the ad captures the might of the city and the crossover beauty of the car. The comes to life, its buildings becoming living urban titans who pick the stylish, ‘Urbanproof' Qashqai over all others and start to play with it. The game takes the car across the whole city, before it lands back where the buildings found it

Lidl - 'Lidl Surprises' (2013–2016)

When TBWA\London took on Lidl, the German discounter was cheap but unloved. 'Lidl Surprises' tackled the perception problem head-on – taking sceptical shoppers to farms, factories and tastings, then revealing that the quality food they’d just enjoyed was from Lidl.

The campaign became a case-study staple. It won a Gold IPA Effectiveness Award in 2018 and a Gold AME Award for Europe, as well as recognition at D&AD.

Airbnb - 'Floating House' (2015)

To celebrate new home-sharing rules in the capital, TBWA\London literally a fully furnished Airbnb house down the Thames – gliding under Tower Bridge and past Parliament as commuters looked on.

The stunt generated global coverage, millions of social impressions, and has since been described as a “multi-award-winning” experiential benchmark in creative awards commentary and portfolio write-ups, as well as shortlisted at the EMEA SABRE Awards in the stunt/event categories.

Harvey Nichols - 'Broken Windows' (2019)

'Broken Windows' revisited Harvey Nichols' place in suffragette history. TBWA\London and Fanclub PR invited prominent women to symbolically smash Harvey Nichols’ windows (carefully) in tribute to the 1912 suffragette attacks on the store – then turned the shattered glass into limited-edition jewellery and keepsakes.

BECO - 'Steal Our Staff' (2019–2021)

One of the most celebrated pieces of purpose-driven work this century this campaign put a spotlight on the UK's disability employment gap. The agency put on the packaging of products from social enterprise BECO, whose workforce is 80 per cent visually impaired, disabled or disadvantaged, and invited other companies to “steal our staff”. The idea won the Health & Wellness Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2021 and has been widely used as a case study in inclusive hiring and disability representation.

Nissan Ariya - Electrified Art' (2022)

For the all-electric Ariya, TBWA\London turned the car itself into a paintbrush – using its headlights and controlled driving paths to “paint” large-scale light artworks via long-exposure photography. Four artists collaborated with drivers to create illuminated landscapes and cityscapes, positioning Ariya as a piece of creative tech rather than just another EV.

McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes - 'It’s a Cake, You Biscuit' (2023/24)

Jaffa Cakes’ long-running legal/semantic question – cake or biscuit? – gave TBWA\London an irresistible OOH platform. The line “It’s a cake, you biscuit” was scrawled across bold, graphic posters and billboards, leaning into the playful argument with a distinctly British bit of backchat.

SunLife - 'Everyday Confidence (Jiu-Jitsu, Naturists, Woodwork)' (2025)

Financial services for over-50s aren’t usually where you’d go hunting for fun. TBWA\London’s SunLife platform begged to differ. Spots like 'Jiu Jitsu' (below), 'Naturists' and 'Woodwork'' show older people pursuing life with gusto, under a refreshed, confidence-first brand idea. It’s warm, slightly cheeky and a real departure from the usual, nervy heritage tropes in the category. The rebooted platform is now a key plank in SunLife’s most ambitious marketing push since 2017

adidas Football - 'You Got This' (2023–2024)

For adidas, the London office has been central to a run of global football platforms that put pressure, mental health and women’s sport centre-stage. In 2024, You Got This – Brand Campaign Chapter Two continued the theme, tackling negative pressure in international football and earning a Clio Sports shortlist in Fan Engagement.