This Week: UK Advertising in the Media

Coinbase’s bouncing QR code Super Bowl ad was so popular it crashed the app

Coinbase just made its Super Bowl debut with a remarkable clever QR code ad that might have been too popular: the company’s “Less talk, more Bitcoin,” campaign appears to have temporarily knocked out its app following the ad airing during the broadcast.

Don’t be a ‘clickhead’: IAB warns against click-through rates for Valentine’s

The Interactive Advertising Bureau has released a Valentine’s Day-themed campaign pushing advertisers to move away from click-through rates and instead use different digital metrics.

ITV’s ‘Eat them to defeat them’ summons up zombie-style veg

ITV and Veg Power’s “Eat them to defeat them” returns for its fourth (re)incarnation, this year with a TV ad bursting with zombie horror references and veg attacking grown-ups.

Watch adland’s favorite Super Bowl LVI commercials as Coinbase & Uber Eats steal show

The stars were out tonight. Seemingly every Super Bowl LVI commercial featured an A-Lister trying to ‘out funny’ the celebrity before them. Yet it was Coinbase’s low-tech QR code that arguably took advertising’s Lombardi Trophy tonight. Nine top advertising and marketing executives explain which ads won the night and why.

Ad of the Day: Attenborough AR brings plant perspective to Piccadilly Circus

Sir David Attenborough is taking his latest work communicating the power of plants to the urban heart of London by presenting the issue in a new dimension.

Tommy, Leslie and Rashida Jones Race Off in Super Bowl Spot for Toyota

The stars align in Toyota’s second Big Game ad, ‘The Joneses’, as Tommy Lee Jones, Leslie Jones, Rashida Jones and Nick Jonas try to keep up alongside the biggest star of them all, the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra.

Super Bowl 2022: touchdown for brands that regained focus

Often seen as a bellwether of wider marketing trends, this year’s Super Bowl campaigns point to corporate America and the marcomms industry rediscovering confidence and direction after a slightly haphazard 2021.

Every 2022 Super Bowl Ad

Every. Single. One.

Uber, Morrisons and TalkTalk spread the love for Valentine’s

Sexual wellness brand Lelo UK opens restaurant for ‘throuples’.

Tesla charges to top of fastest-growing brands list

For The Drum’s latest Deep Dive, Marketing Secrets of Fast-Growth Brands, we partnered with Interbrand to compile a list of the fastest growing brands from around the world. From Tesla and Tiffany to Discord and Dapper Labs, these brands have powered through the pandemic to win new customers and share of market.

A data gold mine: how Amazon could become the world’s biggest ad seller

Amazon has come a long way since launching as an online bookshop in 1995.

Levelling The Playing Field

The advertising scene is bigger than London alone and needs to be bigger still.

Send Help! The Robots Are Taking Over

Having always been a mainstay in UK ads, robots are making an impression in this year’s Super Bowl ads too. We take a look at their enduring popularity.

Flopsy, Mopsy & Cottontail: Aline Santos’ Ode To Creative Renewal

The Unilever chief brand officer on finding possibilities and opportunities at The V&A Museum.

Discovery breaks Winter Olympics records as ad sales ‘on track’

The Beijing Games has so far proved successful in attracting eyeballs and paid subscriptions.

‘Walking the walk and talking the talk’: behind the scenes of Virgin Media’s ‘Skatergirl’

Adam & Eve/DDB copywriter Edward Usher and planning director Claire Strickett talk authenticity in their three-part series for Virgin Media.

‘I am fiercely proud of the profession’: David Wheldon on marketing’s opportunity

Fresh from being awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list, former RBS and Coca-Cola marketer David Wheldon explains why his award is good for marketing and why marketers should be proud of what they contribute to society.

Halifax called out for ‘community’ ad that airbrushed town

Halifax’s latest ad extolling the brand as being at the heart of the community has come under fire for airbrushing over a derelict high street.

Mercedes-Benz “Immortal Love x G-Class” by Antoni Garage

Mercedes-Benz has immortalised the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, to signify its timeless G-Class.

Can an advertising creative ever give up their smartphone?

Life without a smartphone can seem daunting for a creative who needs to stay connected, but losing the device can also open the door to inspiration and a healthier work-life balance.

Publicis Media hires head of addressable TV offering from WPP

Publicis Media has appointed Rachel Hall to lead its new Advanced TV solution in the UK, PMX Lift.

Specsavers on its plan to escape the marketing talent ‘squeeze’

With an eye on what the marketing function should look like by 2025, Specsavers is firmly on the front foot when it comes to building a pipeline for future talent.

Marketing must get better at supporting women’s careers

If brands really are serious about closing the gender pay gap forever, embracing full flexibility – not just hybrid working – would be a good place to start.

adam&eveDDB Leads Shortlists at British Arrows

adam&eveDDB has been shortlisted for 44 awards at the British Arrows. The agency has the most shortlists from any one agency.

The Call for Sustainability in the Industry across the Asia Pacific Region

Experts from various countries across the region speak on the ways in which APAC can progress towards better sustainable practices in the industry and beyond, writes LBB’s Zoe Antonov.

McCann Promotes Barrie Robinson to Creative Director

McCann has promoted Barrie Robinson to Creative Director within its Birmingham office. Robinson, who has been with the integrated agency for ten years, was previously senior art director.

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment scores Barclays sports sponsorship

Barclays has appointed M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment as its sports marketing partner.