Surfer or Noitulove?
When I was at AMV a few big Guinness ads were made.
I know there’s a lot of love for Swimblack, and one of my old art directors loves Dreamclub, but the two biggest are surely Surfer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zff9hVH3ptY
And Noitulove:
But which would you rather have made?
In the red corner, weighing in at about two million pounds, we have Surfer, winner of two – count ’em – two D&AD Black Pencils. I think it also won Channel 4’s contemporaneous poll to find the greatest ad of all time, the Creative Circle Platinum award and best ad at the BTAAs. However, it didn’t win the Cannes Grand Prix, nor Best Of Show at The One Show (it lost out to Independent Litany and We Know What Men Are Thinking respectively).
While in the blue corner we have Noitulove, winner (apparently by a landslide over Sony Balls) of the Cannes Grand Prix for film and Best Of Show at The One Show. It was, however, beaten to best ad at the BTAAs by Impossible Dream and won a single craft Silver Pencil for Special Effects at D&AD, so more popular abroad than at home. Overall, it won ‘more awards’ than Surfer, but that might be because it was entered in award schemes that Surfer was not.
So they seem quite even in award terms, but which would you rather have made?
For what it’s worth, I’d rather have made Surfer, but then I’d rather have made Surfer than any other ad in history.
For me it’s noitulovE.
I just don’t get Surfer, never have, never will.
I’m odd like that.
That Noitulove is a copy of that backwards Mini ad.
No contest. Surfer.
Incidentally, I find the title noitulovE irritatingly tricksy. That cap E is a real elbow in the side.
I find ‘clever’ titles of TV ads totally pointless at best though so that’s just a personal gripe.
Defo Surfer.
Although neither of ’em really do anything for me…
I’ve never liked noitulove as much as I’m supposed to.
I know I’m wrong. But artistically it just doesn’t move me. Even the title grates with me.
It appealed to my head whereas surfer appealed to my heart.
So Surfer every day of the week for me. Plus, no other creative in the world could have come up with that ad.
I’m struggling with the notion that this is even up for debate.
I’d rather have Surfer in my obituary, but I’d rather tell my family round the Christmas table that I did Evolution.
I’m biased, but yes, it has to be Surfer.
Surfer.
Surfer. No doubt about it. The other one is just that bit too ‘addy’. Shit name too.
Years ago, I was in a pub watching football when Surfer came on in the half-time break. It silenced a very raucous crowd. These days you get that chubby shit-stick telling us the ‘in-play’ odds.
Cunt.
Surfer.
It’s got intelligence.
Noitulove is just Euro Ad.
No thinking required.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
surfer.
To echo Anonymouse – heart beats the head every time. I really respect Noitulove but I love Surfer.
Go compare wins for me every day.
I bet Matt & Ian and Danny Kleinman would rather have done Surfer. They probably wished they did Sony Balls too. Balls is a better ad, and one that people still talk about now. The same can’t be said for noitulovE. That sounds like I’m damning noitulovE. I’m not, but it doesn’t feel like a fair fight to put it up against Surfer.
Swim Black is better than any of them.
Would you rather have written Moby Dick, painted neptune’s horses or rewound the video for fatboy slim Right Here Right Now?
As above, Surfer but prefer Swim Black
It’s like asking who you’d rather shag. Jennifer Lawrence or Anne Hathaway? I’d be happy to shag either of them. Doesn’t mean I actually could.
Surfer is greatest advert ever made.
Excellent strategy, excellent idea, stunning cinematography, EXCEPTIONAL music.
The stars all aligned. Original to the core.
It’s absolutely timeless too. It could go out in 100 years time and still feel fresh.
The other one is, as someone else said, a Euro ad…verging on naff I always thought.
Originally I didn’t like Surfer. Until I watched it a few times. The copy is awesome. The filming and effects are awesome. Totally original. Great creative. Great client for seeing it through. Of the two, I don’t think there is any comparison. But I like Swim Black better.
Surfer.
Very interesting that so many prefer Swim Black. I’m in that camp too. A story with immense depth and a rich, perfectly paced, coherent narrative told in just 90 seconds.
Surfer. It’s just good viewin’.
The Evolution idea seemed rather old fashioned and “the whole world and life itself revolves around this amazing product” for me.
Surfer.
it’s an idea.
Noitulove.
it’s great production. but not great idea.
This is a futile excercise. Nothing will/can beat Surfer. Not to mention ANOTHER ad for Guiness by ANOTHER team inheriting the SAME campaign. Its like working for Cadbury and trying to beat Gorilla. You just cant and whatever you do gets compared to it and is therefore considered shit. What pressure, heh? Baring that in mind, you have to give the team credit for creating Noitulovee and nailing what is a very very good (in general) advert in the shadow of an untouchable giant – one that won accolades and attention from critics DESPITE it being the 3rd one along after Surfer.
surfer is by far a more artistic masterpiece.
– more imaginative
– music is bananas!!!
– beautifully shot
– no product demo!! (or maybe so, but not even close)
I can’t understand why many people prefer ‘Black Swim’. Yeah it’s a great ad…but that’s the difference: Surfer doesn’t feel like an ad.
Put me in a room with a pad and I reckon, at some point, I could come up with Black Swim. Surfer?! Not a chance.
Dream club all the way for me. It a movie in 60 seconds
Surfer. I remember everything about it and I first saw it when I was about 14. Surfer is art and noitulove is a great ad.
I was thinking about this a lot last night, and I think I came up with a rationale about why Surfer is the better of the two, based on assumption only. It seems Surfer was borne out of a life experience. Whoever came up with it at some point in their lives was exposed to surfing culture. They knew the feeling of catching the wave. Which is why I never could have come up with the idea. Evolution is an idea that anyone could have come up with. Similarly, Swim Black was probably conceived based on life experience. It could also be the reason why so much of today’s advertising is crap. Many of the young creatives have very limited life experience. So they are limited. Not their fault, just fact. And while I could not have come up with Surfer, I believe I could come up with a great spot given the “All good things come to those who wait” premise, based on some of my life’s experience. Because I’ve lived all over the world, held over 20 different jobs, read a shit load of books…and I’m getting old.
As surely as tick follows tock it’s got to be Surfer.
@Alvanta
Careful mate. That’s heresy.
@ Alvanta and McGill – apologies if I’m being dense, but don’t they both have the same idea – that good things come to those who wait? Surfer executes it by depicting the story of a surfer who waits for the perfect wave, whilst Noitulove executes the idea by depicting evolution as the waiting?
*goes to lie down*
They do.
The idea is ‘depict things that are good that you have to wait for’.
You’re right. *Goes to brush teeth and thence to bed*
Surfer beats almost everything ever made. It was original, brilliantly acted, superbly directed, great production, and had AMAZING music. It would capture people’s attention when on – I bet it would still work now.
I personally love swimblack for everything except the music. That macarena-style crap annoys the hell out of me. It’s a much more focussed advert too – loads of product shot, drinking, etc. which I bet the client loved.
Evolution was a bit meh. Clever use of special effects but not much else.