Ad Matters 19.04.2024

It’s been another big week for our Climate Action workstream here at AA Towers.

We’ve launched this year’s Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards (huge thanks to Gideon and the Campaign/Haymarket team), hosted a preview of AdGreen’s new Annual Review (that’s crammed full of good stuff about reducing the environmental impact of ad production), and I’ve taken my Sustainable Advertising book in a backpack to Paris on the Eurostar to speak with our European colleagues. The goal’s to see if we can galvanise a coordinated response across the continent (incidentally the fastest-warming of all continents) with the help of our supporters, including EACA.

Meanwhile, our AA team has yet again been into the Palace of Westminster, this time showcasing the power of our industry’s exports to MPs and to remind them of just how important the UK’s ‘soft power’ of its creative industries can be on the world stage.

Oh, and we’ve also run our latest AI Taskforce meeting as we gather intel and views on the very best way this new technology can be used by our industry.

Ooh, the next few weeks are shaping up to be packed full of exciting updates, I’d love to tell you them all now, but hey, you’ll just have to stay tuned in to further editions. ‘Til next week…

Now for our must-reads:

• Are you a brand or business in the advertising industry that is helping reduce emissions and driving progress towards a net zero economy? If yes, enter the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards now! (Campaign)
• IPA’s latest Bellwether Report is out: Marketing budgets have expanded but main media weakens. (The Media Leader)
• The ASA has released its latest insights into environmental claims with a focus on food and drink brands. (BusinessGreen)
• With the Palais programme just announced, #CannesForAll returns to take two cohorts of diverse talent to experience the magic (Campaign)

The ads that caught our eye:

• Our ad in the A: Ogilvy UK have teamed up with Reality TV stars urging young people to vote in the upcoming elections with their  ‘My Vote My Say’ campaign.
• All aboard! DairyLea, Trainline, VCCP, Publicis Media and Channel 4 have united to encourage children to discover the great outdoors with ‘Dairylea discovery days’.
• Frontline19, a charity that offers emotional support to healthcare workers, has released a campaign called ‘sicker than patients’ to spotlight the mental-health crisis gripping the NHS.
• And Lucozade has brought together their Sport and Energy drinks in the same campaign for the first time to ‘Bring the Energy’ by Adam&EveDDB.

A key date for your diary:

• Three weeks to go for LEAD North! Speakers include Councillor Bev Craig, Gamal Fahnbulleh, Sarah Jenkins, and Jonathan Warburton, amongst others. Join us on May 9 in Manchester and book your tickets here.

And finally, team AA held a rather unusual work social this week exploring the hidden London Underground station near our office in Aldwych. From learning how the tube station acted as a shelter during the Blitz to its modern-day use in film sets, we were particularly fascinated by the old advertising posters which featured on the forgotten station’s walls. Worth a trip for any London history enthusiasts…