HUNGRY. Espresso - Sir John Hegarty Breaks Down His Best Work of All Time
Apr 16, 2026
Sir John Hegarty, legendary ad creative and BBD co-founder behind Levi's and Audi classics, reflects on advertising craftsmanship. He talks about making ads popular without being banal. He explores simplicity that unfolds in the mind. He contrasts persuasion versus promotion and worries about advertising’s digital-driven trough.
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Simplicity That Unfolds Inside The Head
- Great advertising is incredibly simple yet profoundly deep and must live in the space between someone's ears.
- Sir John Hegarty explains simplicity lets an idea unfold inside a person's mind with multiple layers, like Shakespeare's 'To be or not to be'.
Hegarty's Favorite Campaigns
- Hegarty cites campaigns he admires including Levi's, Audi's 'Vorsprung der Technik', and Johnny Walker's 'Keep Walking'.
- He names Levi's as the most awareness-driving and recalls being creative director on Johnny Walker's campaign he called 'brilliant'.
Only A Small Fraction Of Ads Are Great
- Hegarty argues most advertising is poor and only a small proportion reaches greatness.
- He traces his generation's inspiration to 1960s New York work like Volkswagen's 'Think Small' and 'Lemon' that reframed how we viewed cars.