"Ads that made me," by David Baldwin.

Thanks to the magic of writing this humble blog, I've gained relationships with luminaries in our industry. We usually connect via Linked In, exchange a few emails, then promise to meet for a drink or some soup dumplings down at Joe's Shanghai.

One of those luminaries is David Baldwin, formerly Chief Creative Officer of McKinney way down in Raleigh, North Carolina. And now the lead of small agency of the year, Baldwin & and author of a pretty terrific book called "The Belief Economy: How to Give a Damn, Stop Selling, and Create Buy-In."

Over a digital drink a few weeks ago, I asked David to send me some "spots that made him." Spots that inspired, that excited, that educated, that he uses to educate and sell.

Here are eight of David's picks.

Thank you, David. 

First, a couple from my Alma Mater, Ally & Gargano, by way of the unsurpassed Mike Tesch and director Joe Sedelmaier.

And another by Joe Sedelmaier, not sure who the agency was.

Then David picked one from Hal Riney's Henry Weinhard's campaign. "There's bunch of them," he wrote. "I tried to find the one where the chuckwagon catches on fire behind the cowboys talking about the beer but couldn't find it. It's so good." In any event, there's this one. Which doesn't suck.

Finally, writes David, "Three great product demo spots I use every time someone complains about having to do demos." 

"Pilkington Glass--This is the single best product demo for me. Volvo trucks has finally raised the bar but it's been forever."

Union Carbide's "Super insulation" spot. 

And American Tourister's Gorilla.