Film Director

High Sheriff

St Nicholas Church

Netherwylde Equestrian

Writer

Howard made his first film “Chalk” in 1967 as a student at Leeds. Shot on the precipitous cliffs of Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire it went onto be screened at the NFT and was listed in the BFI’s Top Ten Amateur Shorts of that year.

After graduating, he got his first job as a tea boy on “Alfred the Great”, which was shot on location in Ireland. He worked for five years as an assistant director on feature films before becoming a TV commercials producer in 1973 at Perkins & Partners.

In 1977 he founded Guard & Vittle and started directing TV commercials, moving into partnership with Tony and Ridley Scott at RSA2 in 1980. Throughout the 80’s he enjoyed extensive work in America, bringing many productions back to England to be produced by his own company Howard Guard Productions which he formed in 1984. A number of his adverts from this period are in the archives of MOMA in New York.

His international career involves work throughout Europe and his advert for Fry’s Turkish delight ran for fourteen years, an industry record.

His documentary, Eton at Work was screened on Sky Television in 1995.

Adverts 70s

This graphic style was referred to by Campaign magazine as the English New Wave of which Howard and Nick Lewin were the principle proponents, and opened the way for him to work in America during the 80’s.

Bigger Splash
Brutus
Smirnoff
Braun
YSL
Le Coq Sportif
Africola Planes
Margaret Astor
Bigger Splash
Bigger Splash
Brutus
Brutus
Smirnoff
Smirnoff
Braun
Braun
YSL
YSL
Le Coq Sportif
Le Coq Sportif
Africola Planes
Africola Planes
Margaret Astor
Margaret Astor
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Adverts 80s

Much of the 80’s was spent in America and Howard’s style became more filmic.

Black Magic
Turkish Delight
Maxell Room
Cougar Proud Mary
Maxwell Frog
Lincoln Mk VI
Philips Liberation
Coca Cola Horizontal Pour
Philips Memory
Lincoln Reunion
Pepsi Apartment
Lincoln Reach Out
Galaxy
Opel Vectra
Buitoni
Vietnam Veterans
Poloroid
Coca-Cola Tomorrows People

The ad ran constantly through Ronald Reagan’s negotiations with Gorbachev over Nuclear Arms reduction

Black Magic
Black Magic
Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight
Maxell Room
Maxell Room
Cougar Proud Mary
Cougar Proud Mary
Maxwell Frog
Maxwell Frog
Lincoln Mk VI
Lincoln Mk VI
Philips Liberation
Philips Liberation
Coca Cola Horizontal Pour
Coca Cola Horizontal Pour
Philips Memory
Philips Memory
Lincoln Reunion
Lincoln Reunion
Pepsi Apartment
Pepsi Apartment
Lincoln Reach Out
Lincoln Reach Out
Galaxy
Galaxy
Opel Vectra
Opel Vectra
Buitoni
Buitoni
Vietnam Veterans
Vietnam Veterans
Poloroid
Poloroid
Coca-Cola Tomorrows People
Coca-Cola Tomorrows People
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Adverts 90s

The first client exposed to the new “out of focus” style seen in the first films on this page apologized that there was something wrong with his projector, and when told that it was intentional replied “Oh, I rather like it”.

Courvoisier
Asda
Krys Wedding
TGV
Milton Keynes
Amora Mustard
EuroDisney
Asda Perfect
Courvoisier
Courvoisier
Asda
Asda
Krys Wedding
Krys Wedding
TGV
TGV
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Amora Mustard
Amora Mustard
EuroDisney
EuroDisney
Asda Perfect
Asda Perfect
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Adverts 00s

Born in 1946, Howard directed his first film in 1966, his first ad in 1976 and gave up running Howard Guard Productions in 1996. He was still working through Production International in 2006 when he retired from advertising. Between 2014 and 2018  he directed a documentary on Hertfordshire during World War 1 and has retired for the time being.
Nescafe
Ariel Big City
Fashion
Tom and Jerry
Nescafe
Nescafe
Ariel Big City
Ariel Big City
Fashion
Fashion
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
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