BMW

As creative director of BBA I had the privilege of working on a wide variety of projects for their blue chip client, BMW (GB). In one of their most challenging briefs we were asked to produce a direct mailer to announce the launch of the new, top of the range, BMW 6 Series. Our solution was '6 by 6' - a presenter containing six limited edition photos, shot and signed by six leading photographers including Ken Griffiths, Dennis Waugh and Pete Lavery (all old mates of mine from the RCA that I managed to rope in), together with a 'gallery guide' brochure.

After completing the job, I resigned. 

Later, unbeknown to me, BBA entered '6 by 6' for the prestigious D&AD awards. When I discovered it had been accepted by the design jury, I wasn't at all surprised.

However, what did surprise me were the design credits. These listed about a dozen people, ten of whom had no involvement with the project at all, and the eleventh listed as creative director (what?!), while my name was dumped at the bottom of the list - scant reward for almost single-handedly designing and art directing the whole thing. And spiteful retribution for resigning I suppose.  

 
BMW JAPAN
When BBA became BGA, they (somewhat surprisingly) invited me to join the new regime, and (even more surprisingly) I agreed to join as creative director. A new client was BMW Japan and one of their first briefs was for a 30 second TV ad which I scripted and art directed - a valuable first experience in TV commercials. Some time later (after I'd left the company for a second time, not on the best of terms - no surprise there) BGA were tasked with another TV ad for BMW Japan. The BGA creatives had failed to solve the brief so a top advertising freelance duo were hired to produce some ideas - none of which were successful. Probably as a last resort BGA asked if I'd have a crack at the brief. Resisting the temptation to tell 'em to go take a running jump, I set to work and came up with an idea. Luckily, it was accepted so I wrote the script, art directed the shoot and helped produce the soundtrack.
BRIEF: Announce a new, easy payment, BMW finance scheme (wasn't quite that simple but it'll do).
SOLUTION: Your dream can now become a reality. Open with two sequences of a BMW approaching in rear view mirror (black and white but colour in mirror). Car overtakes but doesn't appear ahead (just a dream). Third BMW appears in mirror and as it overtakes we zoom into the mirror and enter the world of BMW (all full colour). Shoot a few 'hero' car shots then zoom back out of the mirror and we're in a BMW dealership (part of the brief). 
Job done, the BGA creatives took over and produced the Japanese voice-overs and end titles, then probably took all the credit for the idea and its execution.
Ah well, ç'est la vie.