The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Katie Deighton | Senior Reporter

September 1, 2017 | 2 min read

In the latest episode of You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up, The Drum’s contributing editor and Google’s creative lead in The Zoo EMEA, Patrick Collister discloses why the Milk Marketing Board picked on Accrington Stanley in its memorable Ian Rush ad and the story behind Heineken’s iconic ‘the water in Majorca’ work, explaining how the best ideas tend to come when disaster strikes.

After carefully planning a Heineken commercial about earning ‘street cred’, agency Lowe planned to include the classic line from My Fair Lady “The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plane”. However the estate of George Bernard Shaw scotched these plans by holding back the copyright.

“They were absolutely stuffed,” Collister recalled.

Alfredo Marcantonio, who used to win poetry prizes at school by changing the words and meaning in famous poems, came up with the similar alternative: “The water in Majorca don’t taste like what it oughta”. The line went on to become something of a catchphrase.

“There we go,” said Collister. “One of the most famous Heineken commercials of all time –thanks to a problem.”

Watch more episodes of You Couldn't Make This Crap Up – directed by Nicole Bosky and filmed by Tom Baker – here.

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Other episodes in the series

Episode 1

Dave Trott gets drunk…and gets fired | You Couldn't Make This Crap Up Episode

In the first episode of You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up, copywriter and creative director Dave Trott explains why you’d better be doing a good job if you’re going to swear at superiors.

Episode 2

John Jessup unleashes his inner pyromaniac | You Couldn't Make This Crap Up

The former Leo Burnett creative director on what happens when real sparks fly in an agency.

Episode 3

Kiki Kendrick gets nine typos into one ad | You Couldn't Make This Crap Up

Actor and playwright Kiki Kendrick worked in advertising for 20 years prior to making it on the screen herself. And in her ad land days, many mishaps occurred.

Episode 4

Mark Denton gets snubbed by a ‘clerical error’ in his copywriting youth | You Couldn't Make This Crap Up

The creative boss of Coy Communications explains how his first big piece of work on a Cadbury’s commercial landed him the job at BBH in You Couldn't Make This Crap Up.

Episode 5

Iris’ Nina Taylor goes on a shoot and loses a falcon | You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up

The creative director at Iris Worldwide recalled a recent shoot, where things didn’t quite go to plan.

Episode 6

Steve Henry gets his teenage ad cast stoned | You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up

Once upon a time, Decoded co-founder Steve Henry tried to overtake the power of American denim advertising with a few joints in a south London park.

Episode 7

Rosie Arnold experiences creative differences with Ben Affleck | You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up

The head of art at AMV BBDO, Rosie Arnold, discovered that Hollywood hunks call the shots, even when it comes to creative direction.

Episode 8

Steve Harrison fires Virgin Atlantic after a client disco goes wrong | You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up

Steve Harrison, the former creative director of HTW, got more than he bargained for when he invited client Virgin Atlantic to a party at his offices in London.

Episode 10

Nicole Yershon gets called ‘too emotional’ | You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up

In the final episode of You Couldn’t Make This Crap Up, the founder of Lab for Hire and Ogilvy Labs shares with The Drum her experience of gender discrimination in the workplace.

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