21 top ads from retiring BBDO leader David Lubars

BBDO has long lived by one mantra: “The work, the work, the work.” David Lubars more than lived up to that credo, and created quite the creative legacy of his own, in 20 years at the top of the storied agency. On the occasion of his retirement, Ad Age is revisiting a few of the many thousands of ads Lubars created—and shepherded—over the past four decades. The 19 spots below include work from Leonard Monahan Lubars, BBDO West, Fallon and BBDO. They run the gamut from comic to heartfelt, from 30-second spots to trailers for the lauded BMW short films. As limited as the list is—given everything Lubars has done in his career—it’s a nice snapshot of some of his greatest hits, and a reminder of the high bar he consistently set for himself and everyone who worked for him over the years. Also read: Inside David Lubar’s legendary career Keds: My Day (1990) Keds was the first client Lubars pitched, won and led creatively after returning from Chiat/Day to Leonard Monahan, later renamed Leonard Monahan Lubars. The “Keds. They feel good” campaign was a major success. Chiat writer Penny Kapasouz’s advice to Lubars to write in different voices came in handy in this work. Pioneer Electronics: Bridge (1994) This cheeky Pioneer campaign from BBDO West used historic film of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State being buffeted by high winds in 1940. Instead of the winds, the spot pretended the bridge was being rocked by music coming from a car’s Pioneer sound system. The spot won a Grand Clio in 1995. EDS: Cat Herders (2000) Fallon’s beloved Super Bowl commercial for IT company EDS played on the expression “herding cats” as a metaphor for managing the complexities of e-business. President Bill Clinton called it his favorite commercial of the game. Check out more Super Bowl ads in our archive BMW Films (2001) Fallon’s branded content masterpiece BMW Films, produced by David Fincher, featured BMW vehicles integrated into blockbuster short films shot by A-list directors. The innovative digital campaign was a sensation in culture and one of the great digital ad projects of the early 2000s. Citibank: The Outfit (2004) Fallon’s “Live Richly” campaign for Citibank featured some of the best writing of any financial campaign in history. This entertaining spot used an unexpected voiceover to address the issue of identity theft. HBO: Voyeur (2007) One of Lubars’ early projects at BBDO, HBO “Voyeur” featured voyeurism-themed content hidden across the internet, as well as a striking out-of-home video projection on a building in New York. The campaign was the first indication that Lubars’ insurgent style had fully arrived at BBDO AT&T: Martin Scorcese (2008) This amusing AT&T spot with Martin Scorcese ran in theaters, asking moviegoers to silence their phones. Scorcese was originally supposed to direct it as well, but that task eventually fell to Jim Jenkins of O Positive. “Obviously he’s a natural actor,” Jenkins told Ad Age at the time. “But he was nervous. He just wanted it to be funny. He said, ‘I can’t know if it’s funny. Just make it funny.’” FedEx: Presentation Guy (2009) BBDO has made scores of amusing FedEx spots over the years. “Presentation Guy” is up there with the best of them—a tribute to “Carl,” a great presentation guy who’s also a horrible one as well. Snickers: Game (2010) Another classic Super Bowl commercial, this Snickers spot launched the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign, which is still running today. Betty White shines as the alter ego of a hungry young pickup football player. The campaign would expand globally with countless iterations over the years. FedEx: Band (2012) This FedEx spot showed a band of rockers whose intimidating image takes a hit when they’re caught lugging their golf clubs through an airport. Their manager, disgusted by their untrashed hotel room, suggests sending the clubs via FedEx next time. AT&T: Grandma (2013) This early 2010s AT&T campaign starring Beck Bennett, themed “It’s Not Complicated,” earned raves for its amusing use of kids. Turns out they do, in fact, say the darndest things. Foot Locker: All Is Right in The World (2013) BBDO’s long string of excellent Foot Locker ads included this one for the retailer’s annual “Week of Greatness,” a time when “all is right in the world.” This is dramatized with a memorable appearance by Mike Tyson, who apologizes to Evander Holyfield for biting off a piece of his ear 16 years earlier. Guinness: Basketball (2013) This lovely spot for Guinness showed a group of friends playing wheelchair basketball to the sounds of The Cinematic Orchestra’s moving track “To Build a Home.” The action is wonderfully captured, though only at the end do we fully realize the true depth of the men’s bond with each other. GE: Mom/Ideas (2014) GE is another longtime BBDO client who came to the agency looking to tell the story of its own creativity. That’s taken many forms over the years. The “Childlike Imagination” and “Ideas” spots show the client/agency relationship in peak form. AT&T: Close to Home (2015) AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign has never shied away from the communicating the brutal consequences of texting and driving. This remarkable spot, directed by Frederic Planchon, told the tragic story of a loving mom who makes the ultimate mistake by glancing down at her phone while driving. Sandy Hook Promise: Evan, Back to School Essentials, Just Joking (2016-2023) BBDO’s work with Sandy Hook Promise over the past decade has centered on a simple directive: Know the signs of a potential school shooting to prevent it before it happens. BBDO’s many brilliant Sandy Hook spots include “Evan,” “Back to School Essentials” and “Just Joking.” The latter was the final piece of BBDO advertising that Lubars worked on directly as a creator.

21 top ads from retiring BBDO leader David Lubars

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