British advertising may have had more successful businessmen, more accomplished creative directors and bigger award winners, but it’s never had a better creative.No one has more ideas living in British people’s heads than John Webster.They didn’t gatecrash either, they were invited in.Singing and dancing their way past the barriers and into the national consciousness.One big, happy conga line; Smash Martians, Cresta Bear, Honey Monster, John Smith’s Arkwright, the Prize Guys, the Humphreys, and on and on.Born across four different decades.Created unlike other ads - alone and using research.Occasionally John and a writer are credited, but primarily John was the art director and writer.At the time, Bernabach’s 1+1=3 was the law, so it’s hard to find anyone from those years working alone.Even harder to find are creatives who embrace research.It was seen as a killer of creativity and innovation.I thought I’d look into these aspects of John’s process.First, by talking about how John created ideas with Dave Trott, who worked with John through the seventies.Then, by talking about how John used research to shape ideas with Sarah Carter, who worked with John in the eighties and nineties as a Planner.So, part one, here's Dave…1960 - 1980.MATHER & CROWTHER.Smirnoff.

HOBSON BATES.Electricity.

PRITCHARD WOOD.Sandeman.

National Provincial Bank.

The Sunday Telegraph.

BOASE MASSIMI POLLITT.

Terlenka.

Dry Cane.Unigate.

Farmer's Wife.

'Milkman'

'Thank you.'John Courage.Cadburys Smash.The first attempt.Campaign 1 - The Future.

Campaign 2 - The Demo.

Campaign 3 - The Martians.John Smiths.Cresta.

Pepsi.

Unigate.Tavern Bitter.1. 'It's What Your Right Arm's For.'2. 'Don't Waste Valuable Tavern Time'.Sugar Puffs.

Colt 45.Unigate.Humphrey's Campaign.

Tic Tac.

St Ivel.Prize Yogurt.Coty.Courage Best.Renault.Hellmann's Mayonaise.MORE WEBSTER.1976.

1980.

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