The strategy and idea - beyond petroleum, was introduced by account man John Seifert and writer, David Fowler. BP was a challenge from the very beginning. When Jeroen Bours and Ken Shuldman took it over there was no real voice or clear mission, but the intro campaign was pulled quickly when everyone in England thought that BP was leaving the oil business. Not anyone’s fault; the British press were simply too fast to attack and missed the point.

They made BP a radically open company. It quickly became a completely different brand from its competitors. It is now open, not protective. It lives where its stakeholders live, not in the boardroom. BP wants to create engagement instead of propaganda. The BP brand is simple, clear, candid and direct. Not complicated. This could only work with the clear direction and blessings of its leader Lord John Browne and the tireless diplomacy of John Seifert. It took over two years of patiently waiting and planning to bring this campaign out in the open. The campaign is now running world-wide.