Random Advertising Lessons No.1

Getting into advertising is bloody hard work. Having spoken to lots of placement students this year, I stressed to them the need to be active and dedicated towards finding an opportunity.

This led me to thinking about random advertising lessons, and where I learnt them. This first one was from watching Nigel Mansell in Formula 1.

Sadly it wasn't a lesson in the artistry of moustache care, but that cliche of all cliche's... Never Give Up.

My first overiding memory of Formula 1 was the last race of the 1986 season, when he needed to finish third to win the World Championship. He was in third until about three quarters of the way through the race, his tyre exploded spectacularly and he finished runner up; probably saving his own life with some incredible car control. Mansell always seemed to suffer from horrific luck, I remember him running out of fuel on the last lap of a race.

He was a fast and fearless driver who won races but could never quite manage to win the title. But he kept on racing, never gave up, and kept on driving at his very best (see this clip, one of the greatest overtakes ever, and the first overtake in this one) until 1992, when he finally achieved the championship title in style, winning the first five races and dominating the season.

I learnt a valuable lesson from watching F1, if you keep at it, if you put the effort in, it will pay off in the end.

See also: Johnny Herbert winning his first ever victory at the British GP after nearly losing his legs in a huge crash.