The 30 best ads from Campaign Brief’s 30 years. 1986: Murphy’s Mufflers ‘Shhh’ outdoor

Campaign Brief WA turns 30 this month, so over the thirty days of June we’re looking back and choosing the best ad done in each of our 30 years.

The early years for Campaign Brief were also halcyon days for outdoor in WA. This poster for Murphy’s Mufflers from Dick Baynham & Friends was Australian Posters national poster of the year in 1986. Created by Basil Antonas, Colin Anderson and Dick Baynham, its single-minded simplicity would make it a standout even today.

And think about it. The product is mufflers – hardly what springs to mind when looking for a creative opportunity. But as we said of the Piper West billboard, they come from the unlikeliest briefs. Great work by the Baynham crew to make the most of this one.

The poster and a long-running radio campaign made Murphy’s famous – and very rich when they sold to Midas.