Designed for Life - In conversation with Robin Wight CBE

Published 10th March 2021

Podcast brought to you by The Design and Technology Association in partnership with The Edge Foundation. Listen now.

Robin Wight was a co-founder of the advertising agency Wight, Collins, Rutherford, Scott (WCRS) in 1979 and was President of its parent company Engine until 2019.

WCRS and Robin were responsible for some of the most memorable advertising campaigns of the 80s and 90s including campaigns for Orange telecommunications "The future is bright, the future is Orange," the 118 118 adverts that people either loved or loathed at the time...either way, there is no doubt they were memorable and effective. BMW sales in the UK overtook Audi for the first time as a result of a targeted advertising campaign that labelled BMW's as 'the ultimate driving machine' and those of us of a certain age will fondly remember the 1990 Carling Black Label 'Dambusters' adverts that have achieved legendary status within the industry.

WCRS was one of the most successful marketing and advertising agencies of its time and both the agency and Robin have achieved iconic status within the industry. In 2004 Robin was part of the WCRS management team that led the buyout from parent company Havas Advertising. He was subsequently made joint chairman of WCRS under the new structure and then President of Engine in 2008. In 2010 Wight stood down from the board of Engine to focus on his charitable interests.

Robin was Chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award's Charter for Business and in this role helped to raise over £50 Million to support the Duke of Edinburgh Award. In 2003 Robin founded the Ideas Foundation a charity that helps identify and nurture creatively gifted young people from some of the countries most deprived social groups.

It was an absolute pleasure to talk to such an iconic figure within the advertising industry, someone with a lifetime of experience within the industry who for a number of years has concentrated on paying back. So pull up a chair, sit back with a coffee and listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Robin Wight CBE.

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