The agency picked up the Land Rover account in March and recently completed two spots which were launched in July. The most recent spot, "Bikini," shot in LA by Leslie Dektor out of Dektor Films, has an attractive lady steering her Land Rover Discovery to the beach, clearly flustered at the prospect of mixing it up with the young bikini-clad crowd. Upon arriving at the sandy terrain, she disembarks from the vehicle wearing an elegant bikini outfit - and great with child - illustrating her previous apprehension within the cozy car. The feel-good campaign highlights personal courage with the line: always be yourself.

GSD&M seem to know itself rather well, clarifying its clients' needs with an abundance of creative visions. The agency was founded in 1971 by Tom Gilmore in unison with other students fresh out of the University of Texas. Gilmore's aim at the time was to do the circuit in Austin, ignoring the New York and LA scene in favor of gathering local accounts. How times have changed; today GSD&M embraces clients on a national level, attracting the likes of Southwest Airlines, MasterCard International, Pennzoil, SBC Communications, Dreamworks SKG and an upcoming campaign for Charles Schwab. One arresting spot that demonstrated the agency's interest beyond selling is last year's "Power Lock" ad for The Peace Council, a non-profit organization that produces commercials on issues of social consequence. The foundation was created in 1996 by Daniel Clay Russ and Brent Ladd, GSD&M's senior VPs/creative directors.

Directed by Peter Darley Miller, out of Stiefel & Company in LA, "Power Lock" follows a driver's observational POV as his vehicle slows to a stop within an urban landscape. As the image frames both window and exterior, the vague background hum of street action can be heard. Various people slide by until an African American male approaches the car. He stands patiently while awaiting his opportunity to cross the street; a sudden loud clunk reverberates inside the vehicle as the power lock slams down. It is a stark yet powerful tale that highlights the oft-subtle nature of prejudice in America today. The ad was funded through donations to the Peace Council.

These days, Jan Wieringa, fresh on the scene as executive producer, brings some rich experience and production knowledge from RSA USA Inc. and Satellite/Propaganda Films to the shop. Wieringa aims to bring a healthy new approach to the company by upgrading the quality of production in addition to attracting new young directorial talent to agency projects. "GSD&M is growing very quickly, and as a result the creative content of our projects will become increasingly important," explains Wieringa. But with close to 30 national clients, GSD&M knows what flavor suits it best, and maintains a small shop's focussed attention on clients. Internally, the agency is divided into various shops allowing specific creative talent to focus on individual clients' needs to get the best creative possible.

Says Brent Ladd, senior vice-president and creative director: "I have been here for 11 years and have seen GSD&M's philosophy of fewer is better come alive."

"We had over a hundred clients when I first arrived, but now we have a lower clients ratio that allows us to brainstorm creatively," Ladd explains. "We've moved from doing Texas tourism commercials with directors mandated by the state, to shooting spots in places like Spain (the beautifully composed "Split Second" ad for Steel Alliance). We are about coming up with great ideas, not just doing ads."