FCO London’s It Also Sticks turned product demonstration into urban legend. The intent was to prove Araldite’s strength not through words or metaphors, but through sheer visual audacity.
Launched in 1983, the campaign featured a full-sized Hillman Hunter car glued to the side of a 48-sheet poster above London’s South Bank. The car was genuinely attached with Araldite adhesive, proving the product’s strength beyond question.
The installation required no tagline beyond “It also sticks handles to teapots,” a wry understatement that made the feat even more striking. Crowds gathered daily to see if the car would fall – it didn’t.
Advertisement
The campaign won four major creative awards and went on to become one of the most referenced OOH stunts of the 20th century. It demonstrated that spectacle can be both literal and brand-led when backed by engineering confidence.
It Also Sticks proved that the best way to convince consumers isn’t to tell them what your product can do – it’s to show them, boldly and unmistakably.
Despite its scale, the execution reportedly cost under £10,000 in production – an astonishingly small sum for a stunt that generated months of earned media coverage. And it was Mark Ritson’s top nomination for this list.
FCO later evolved into FCB, who need no introduction. If you’re ever looking for an idea that sticks, look no further.
See the rest of The Drum’s 50 Best Out of Home Ads Ever here.
And if you like this, you should sign up for The Drum Daily Briefing where there is great work first, and deep insights to back them.