Happy Earth Day!

I’m a sucker for the podcast series, 13 Minutes To The Moon, and the latest on Artemis II is as good as ever. One of the common refrains from the people on the show is just how precious this little blue marble is that we live on. So, it feels timely to reflect on Earth Day which was marked earlier this week. First up, it always strikes me that Earth Day is both a brilliant and sad moment in my calendar – the home we live on should be front of our minds every day. I know many people already think like that, BUT it’s clear we can all do more to make the steps and changes needed to ensure Earth is a happy and healthy home for all.

Which is why I want to celebrate all those folk that are doing what they can in our industry through our trade body and its climate action initiatives. Check out the Ad Net Zero round-up here, and reflect on AdGreen’s sterling work to drive sustainable production practices forward – particularly with their Super Users. Check out the challenge laid down by one of our former Ad Net Zero staffers, Amelie Lambert, in her piece for Creative Review. And I’ve been sharing my thoughts on the importance of trusted, sustainable advertising with peers in the US market here. I’ll be talking to the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance next week about how we pave the way for advertisers to fairly compete through the promotion of more sustainable products and services.

So, here’s to Earth Day, to those lucky astronauts who’ve seen our home from the depths of space and returned safely, and to turning up the noise on taking care of the home we all share.

Our must reads: 

• Cannes Lions has announced the programme for June, including a global line-up of creative leaders from brands such as Google DeepMind and many more. (LBB)

• Find out how advertisers in regulated categories are driving effectiveness in light of the new LHF restrictions. (Marketing Week)

• The IPA’s latest report calls for a shift to joint-industry measurement when assessing effectiveness. (IPA)

• Media Smart and TikTok have taken their ‘Teens, Social Media & You’ campaign to community workshops in Bradford, with sessions designed by youth creative agency Livity to support the local community. (Creative Brief)

Our pick of the ads: 

• Our Ad in the A is VCCP’s ‘Your Little Slice of Joy’ for Walkers, showcasing the crisp sandwich as an office lunch whilst emphasising their guarantee of always using 100% British potatoes.

• Marketreach reframes the channel as marketing’s most powerful device in ‘Make it a Reality’ by The Gate London.

• BBH Dublin has launched Monzo in Ireland by taking the audience back to a photobooth 2005 in ‘A New Era of Banking’.

• Leo UK has challenged customers to ‘Betray Your Go-To’ for the McDonald’s McCrispy.

Dates for your diary: 

• Our President Andria Vidler will be having a fireside chat with James Longhurst at Future of Brands on 29 April at 180 Strand. AA members can get a 30% discount by using the code AA30 via this link.

• The first entry deadline is approaching for the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards, which celebrates the most impactful sustainability efforts across advertising, production, and media. Enter before 30 April here.

• Our CEO, Stephen Woodford, will be speaking at Westminster Insight’s annual UK Arts and Creative Industries Conference on Wednesday 6 May in London. Use our code SPKR5172 for 20% off here.

• CreatorFest 2026 on 14-15 July has a packed two-day agenda of networking and panels. Get 20% off your tickets using the code AA20OFF here.

And finally, I had the honour of attending the celebration of Dame Annette King’s life this week, along with Stephen and Sharon, and what a wonderful afternoon it was. All credit to her husband, Henry, and her long-time EA and friend, Natalie. They put together, with the help of some brilliant speakers from across the industry (plus Cancer Research U.K. and the creatives from Publicis UK) a wonderfully life-affirming tribute to Annette’s life and impact on everyone she worked with, including us at the AA when she was our Chair. it served as a powerful reminder of the importance of enjoying what we do – love, life, work, family and friends. Advertising can be a great industry to be a part of it, and one of the lessons of Annette’s career is to embrace it, to make the most of every opportunity our industry presents.

PS: good luck to all those in the advertising world running in Sunday’s London Marathon, including outgoing News Media Association CEO, Owen Meredith and our very own Office Dynamo, Sabrina Severino!