HAT pays tribute to 'Inspiring Mind' Sir Alan Parker on ITV Anglia News celebrating his early days in advertising

HAT's Jane Jarvis talks to ITV Anglia News (5.8.20) about interviewing Sir Alan Parker in 2018

In March 2018, I had the great pleasure and honour of filming an interview with Sir Alan Parker as part of HAT's Inspiring Minds project recording personal testimonies of some of Adlands great movers and shakers from what is known as the Golden Age of advertising.


Jane Jarvis with Sir Alan Parker

There have been many tributes paid by the media worldwide to Sir Alan since his death on 31st July 2020 at the age of 76 as Director of a wonderfully eclectic mix of feature films which received 10 Academy Awards and 10 Golden Globes and his own BAFTA Fellowship award.


Sir Alan Parker with Leonard Rossiter. Photo courtesy of Sir Alan Parker

But this amazing directorial and storytelling success came from his hard graft, passion and tremendous talent that was allowed the freedom to develop in the early decades of british TV advertising and paved the way for fellow Brits and TV ad directors such as Ridley Scott and Hugh Hudson (also an Inspiring Minds interviewee) to pursue Hollywood careers. 
His first agency job was at Maxwell Clarke in 1962 where he progressed from post room boy to trainee copywriter. 
"Whilst at Maxwell Clarke,  I became educated into  the world of New York American advertising because British advertising, London advertising agencies and the advertising that had gone before for the last 20 or 30 years hadn’t really changed very much....... There was no real humour, just silly middle class stuff which was of no interest to anyone....."


Sir Alan Parker being interviewed and filmed for Inspiring Minds in 2018

You can find out much more about how his early life, career and creative talent as both copywriter and director progressed and the stories behind some of his ads here working with the likes of Eric and Ernie, Joan Collins, Leonard Rossiter and Penelope Keith as well as casting ordinary people "I would go to to Leeds,  Manchester, to Edinburgh, to Glasgow  just so that the commercials looked and sounded, like the people that they were talking to." 


Sir Alan Parker on set while filming a commercial for Birds Eye Beefburgers. Photo courtesy of Sir Alan Parker

HAT will be publishing a tribute to Sir Alan Parker shortly on our website featuring many more extracts from his 2018 interview talking about his work in advertising, his inspiring stories behind some of the campaigns and his take on how the industry has changed over the years.


Sir Alan Parker talking as part of Inspiring Minds
 
These Inspiring Minds interviews record unique memories of some of the most wonderful trail blazers of the advertising industry's colourful history and are a valuable legacy as a resource to inspire future generations.

HAT will always be grateful to Sir Alan Parker for his time, support and enthusiasm for being involved in our Inspiring Minds project.

Jane Jarvis

« All News Articles