Martin Lambie-Nairn has died

I'm wondering how much creative input MLN had with this . . .

Well, it's on the Lambie-Nairn YouTube channel, albeit with the actual Hamlet bit at the end cut out, so I think it's safe to assume he was involved with it.

Did that ad actually go out - I'd have thought it would have fallen foul of the stricter distinction at the time between adverts and channel content.

Absolutely yes. I remember watching it.

I love that they didn't get the rights to Fourscore so they use a generic fanfare instead.

I notice his website has been updated. There is now a book of condolences: http://ml-n.com/condolence/

It may have had a not for broadcast on Channel 4 restriction put on it as well.
And notice none of the Dudas soundtrack is present, and at no point do the blocks go near to forming up the 4.

I do remember seeing that advert a couple of times. Back in the day where real thought was put into commercials, rather than some nowadays when are done on the cheap, so you end up with wrong ratio adverts with 'baked on' subtitles because the client is too tight to pay for a linar version and a social media version of the same advert.

Yes, back in the day that Hamlet ad was on the Lambie-Nairn website, with some copy that said something along the lines of how Hamlet were looking to do their advert a little differently, and it was a credit to both them and Channel 4 that they agreed on how to do it, and that Lambie-Nairn was delighted to be involved.

I do recall seeing it, and I'm sure it was on C4 and not ITV. Back in the early months of the channel I think ?
That would make sense, because C4 (and TV-am) were hampered for several months by not being able to show commercials involving Equity members, so there were quite a few 'out of the box' style ads.

I assume LN made this too?

Don’t remember that at all, but it may not have been shown in NI. Surprised the BBC allowed it.

It probably qualifies as a parody so the don't need to allow it, they have no choice.