The IPA is celebrating its centenary year of operation centred on leveraging the proposition that advertising has been “a powerful force for good in the social, cultural and economic life of this country”.
This evening (Thursday 12 January), Ridley Scott, Cindy Gallop, Eamon Holmes, Alan Parker, Fay Weldon and Adam Buxton will attend the president’s reception, where plans for the Festival of British Advertising which will run from 9-12 March at The Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane.
Leading the panels and screenings will be Ridley Scott who will discuss his career in advertising; director Alan Parker and comedian Adam Buxton with a one-off show written especially for the festival.
Additionally, Cindy Gallop, founder of the IfWeRanTheWorld and MakeLoveNotPorn, and Fay Weldon, novelist and writer, will discuss advertising’s fearless females. Ealmon Holmes will present a comedy panel show that will provide an entertaining look at how the worlds of music and advertising have overlapped over the decades, and Sam Delaney, author of the best-selling Mad Men and Bad Men, will be joined by Bill Muirhead, Jeremy Sinclair and two top political key players to discuss what happened when Westminster fell in love with adland.
IPA president Tom Knox said: “The objectives of the festival are not just to celebrate the past 100 years but also to look forward to what the future may hold and specifically to inspire the next generation of talent to consider the opportunities that a career in advertising can offer."
The festival will be sponsored by Channel 4 and Google with support from leading UK ad agencies.