So, I’ve been lucky enough to experience the UK ad sector’s creative power in full effect this week! First up, our brand new UK advertising campaign launched at Outernet on Monday morning. Hopefully, you’ve seen the creative, but if not check it out here. And if you like it a lot, please share it. Awesome stuff by VCCP, Girl&Bear and Bernadette. This campaign will be proudly on show at Cannes Lions next week.
Now, I’m always up for a trip to Manchester, (forever Madchester to me after studying there when the Roses, Mondays et al were doing their thing). So, it was great to be Ozone’s guest speaker at its inaugural Council North meeting where we discussed the creative challenges and opportunities of building brand trust through online advertising. Takeaways from that event here.
On Wednesday, The Times published the latest in our ‘Success Files’ series demonstrating the power of advertising to drive growth in the UK economy. It tells the story of the Sussex Charmer cheese with a starring role in the excellent Waitrose festive ad campaign – which not only gave a massive and sustained boost to its sales but increased the ambition of the whole business.
The creative power of the UK’s advertising sector was also showcased in full effect by Publicis at their celebration on Wednesday evening. Ad legend Leo Burnett’s line ‘At the end of the day, we are just people talking to people’ really caught my eye – find out more here. That was followed by a celebration on Thursday evening of the very best Out of Home work at the Campaign Outdoor Awards, of which I’ve very much enjoyed being one of the judges – congrats to all the winners.
Our must-reads:
- Kier Starmer announced a ban preventing under-16s from accessing social media, and our spokesperson described how marketing to children is already strictly regulated under the CAP Code. (LBB)
- For those of you attending Cannes Festival next week, here is a guide on where the business happens on the Croisette. (Media Leader)
- Publicis called on agency groups to stop making ‘wrong promises’ in pitches in their new film. (Campaign)
- Trust in news hits an all-time low globally, Reuters has found. (BBC)
Our pick of the ads:
- Our Ad in the A is from VCCP, who created “UK Advertising. Where creativity works” for our export arm, UK Advertising, ahead of our Cannes Lions trade mission.
- ‘Play Stations’ by Havas London has been launched for The Department for Education as part of the government’s ‘’Do Something Big’’ campaign, designed to inspire more people to explore a career in early years.
- Lloyds have paired with Publicis to create “Last Seen in 1996”, which focuses on helping young people become homeowners.
- Domino’s has partnered with Havas to urge World Cup fans to “wear their stains with pride”, featuring former England player Terry Butcher.
Dates for your diary:
- From 15 June until 5pm on 15 September, AA members can book the ASA’s live virtual advice sessions at an enhanced discounted group rate. Use code AAgroup35 for groups of 4–24 delegates to get 35% off, or AAgroup60 for 25+ delegates for 60% off. T&Cs apply
- Fancy being in sunny Eastbourne 7-10 July for a transformative career highlight? Then why not take one of the last places on our famous Media Business Course? Find out more and book 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, with all the brilliant creative work being produced by UK advertising right now – I have everything crossed we will see it rewarded in the shape of an extensive haul of Lions next week in Cannes! If you’re still putting the final touches to your plans for Cannes, do check out our UK Advertising Programme of Events to see if you’d like join us at any of them.