In the drive to write a winning bid, have you ever stopped to think how different your proposal documents would look if you treated them like adverts? If the honest answer is no, don’t worry - not many have. That’s exactly why, when we found ourselves with a blank page in the printed version of BQ magazine and a looming deadline, we called on Simon Wellstead. Simon is creative director at SMSW Media, the ad agency for bids. Yes, you read that right, an ad agency for bids.

How SMSW Craft a Winning Bid

SMSW’s approach is fuelled by the belief that the magical simplicity of messaging from the golden era of advertising (50s and 60s) should be applied to every bid and sales campaign. Simon and his team have been surprising and exciting clients for over 10 years by highlighting business differences through compelling, captivating and creatively intelligent winning bid campaigns. Simon is an exceptional storyteller and his work nods to some of the finest ad men including Ogilvy, Bernbach, Lois, and Arden. Getting back to that blank page in BQ magazine, it didn’t take long for Simon to transform the space into a self-promoting ode to the creatives of old. The ad didn’t appear in Bidding Quarterly's digital version so we wanted to share it here for anyone who missed it to enjoy. Click Here If you haven’t spoken to Simon yet and are tasked with improving bid quality and win rates, or want to inject first-class creativity into your bids or pitches, we would highly recommend getting in contact. He’s always happy to offer valuable tips and advice (stolen from the masters of course). If you enjoyed this content, then you might also get something from our, 'Ask the Expert' series of articles where industry leaders share their knowledge and answer your questions.