It’s the National Year of Reading and I was lucky enough to attend a lunch this week hosted by Damian Collins, former Tech Minister and MP, where the speaker was the Booker Prize winning author, Sir Ben Okri, to learn more about the Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words 2026. Ben was an inspirational speaker, sharing his creative process with us including how much he valued the power of a good walk to help him think and allow ideas to develop.
I’ve always loved reading (and writing and walking!) and am rarely far from a book. My mum used to moan at me when I was a boy because I’d have multiple books on the go at the same time and leave them scattered around the house, picking the nearest one up wherever I might have been.
One of the buzz phrases in advertising which has emerged in recent times is the ‘Attention Economy’, the idea that attention spans have shortened and that there is a premium in holding people’s attention for longer than a few seconds.
I think the experience of reading a great book is the most compelling evidence you can find for that. When you finish that final page, close the cover and reflect on the story you’ve just been told, how it looked and felt in your mind, and what you’ll take from it, what you’ll remember. Isn’t that what the best ads are supposed to do? The National Year of Reading is a well-timed reminder that the best stories in any format are to be savoured and enjoyed.
And if you’re interested in learning more about the Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words 2026 which takes place this May, drop me a line.
Our must reads:
- Radiocentre have shared their compliance tips for brands navigating health and wellness ads in the new year. (LBB)
- The Alliance of Media Independents are celebrating their one-year anniversary and have reflected on their year of growth and collaboration. (Media Leader)
- ITV and Global have joined forces to launch the Birthday Draw, a new national weekly prize draw offering the chance to win a £1 million jackpot every week for a £1 entry. (LBB)
- A new study by Newsworks has found that 90% of Brits say journalism is important to society. (Media Leader)
- As the Less Healthy Food advertising ban goes live, how can FMCG brands navigate a restricted ad landscape? (Campaign)
Our pick of the ads:
- Our Ad in the A is “For the love of it” by BBH for Tesco, promoting their iconic household brands in its Everyday Low Prices scheme.
- Warner Bros Discovery are showing how easily you can stream the winter Olympics on HBO Max in “Your Olympics. Your way.”.
- British Heart Foundation has used benches to celebrate cardiac survivors in “In Living Memory” by Saatchi & Saatchi.
- Leo UK have emphasised the benefits of drinking a Moju health shot in “Bring on the boom.”
- Lloyds have unveiled their new brand strategy designed to build trust, inspire consumer confidence, in ‘Bank on Lloyds’ by Publicis Go.
Dates for your diary:
- Registrations for the third cohort of the Newsworks Academy are now live, with the free learning course going live on 2 February. Register here.
- Talking of reading… Trusted Advertising: How to harness the value of trust in your brand is a new book written by myself and James Best, Chair of CAP, that comes out on 3 February. Pre-order your copy here.
- It is not long to go until LEAD, the annual industry summit which will celebrate our centenary year. Join us on 5 February here.
- Safer Internet Day is taking place on 10 February. Find out more here.
- Early bird tickets are selling fast for our Media Business Course, taking place from 7-10 July. Learn about the art and craft of media planning from the best in the business. Book your place here.
And finally… credit to the team behind the Campaign Year Ahead this week which proved to be a thought-provoking morning at the National Gallery.
It included stand-out presentations from adam&eveDDB/TBWA’s Mark Shanley, on AI and how proper advertising needs people to make it, NABS CEO, Sue Todd, on the shift from time management to energy management to help teams perform without burnout, and Martin Beverley from Ace of Hearts with a fantastic 26.5 reasons to be cheerful about 2026.
Who knew hedgehog corridors in garden fences would be such a success?