It’s been a week of awards and I love awards because it means we get a whole new bunch of stories to help explain and celebrate how and where advertising can make a real, positive difference. Earlier this week, we announced this year’s Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards shortlist with a whole heap of companies, led by frontrunners, MG OMD, Mobile Media, and Ocean Outdoor, being recognised for work that is both commercially successful and sustainable. Join the awards lunch on November 5 to find out more about this critical area of progress for our industry.
Then, it was the IPA Effectiveness Awards last night. These are particularly special for two reasons. Firstly, if you’re looking for concrete evidence of how advertising drives commercial growth, look no further. Secondly, if you’d like to understand why building trust through your advertising delivers larger business effects than your average campaign, read here.
Finally, I received an award this week. I was included in Membership World’s Top 100 Most Influential Membership Professionals for 2026 (this one’s for you, Mum). Top of the list was Sophie Devonshire from The Marketing Society (congrats!). She shared rightly how sometimes we might cringe inside when posting about things we’re up to, but if we want to see progress, then we have to share and reflect regularly on what’s happening around us. So, my thanks to all those, particularly the folk on the Campaign Ad Net Zero award shortlist, who have been brave enough to share what progress looks like, despite the pressures there might be on sustainability and net zero right now.
Our pick of the ads:
- Our Ad in the A is Publicis London’s  ‘It’s Your Haus’ for AEG, a 20-second film convincing consumers to purchase quality appliances for their own houses.
-  ‘The Stop Is Just The Start’ marks VCCP’s ten year partnership with TfL, and spotlights how every journey is a gateway to real-world experiences.
- VML’S new campaign for HSBC ‘The Right Wave’ highlights the bank’s role as a trusted partner for its customers.
- VCCP has named Sekonda’s watches as a staple for Gen Z in ‘Any. Second. Now’.
Our must-reads:
- We have announced the line-up for LEAD 2027, under the theme ‘Shaping Advertising’s Future’ which will take place on 28 January next year (The Media Stack).
- System1 have reviewed ads which aim to promote sustainability in either messaging or behaviour, including M&S, VCCP for Hovis and Liberty London (System1).
- AI use has reached 96%, as marketers have moved from generating efficiencies to building effectiveness (Marketing Week).
- Yannick Bolloré has described how Havas handles principal media buying and the challenges which agencies need to solve (Campaign).
Dates for your diary:
- History of Advertising Trust (HAT) are running a pop-up exhibition called ‘Teenage Kicks: Finding the Teenage Consumer’ as part of their 50th anniversary. The opening reception will take place at the Birmingham Business School on 5 October, register here.
- The renowned IPA Effectiveness Conference returns on 7 October in Shoreditch and online, bringing together diverse opinions and top strategists and industry leaders. Discounts are for bookings of 5+ in-person tickets.
- The Future of Media London returns to Kings Place on 3-4 November, bringing together more than 1,000 senior industry leaders. Under this year’s theme, ‘Media Means Business’, attendees will explore AI, media effectiveness, growth and investment. AA members can use code AA_FOML2620 for 20% off.
- The Marketing Society is hosting The Global Changemakers Conference on 11 November at the QEII Conference Centre in London, bringing together 500+ senior marketers to discuss this year’s theme: Ambition. Find out more here.
- Our flagship summit, LEAD, will return to the QEII Centre in Westminster on the morning of 28 January 2027.  Buy tickets here.
My colleague, Chris, has been covering off the party conferences – his latest Politics and Government Affairs Bulletin has all the details. For my part, I attended a lunch in Brighton yesterday, organised by Creative UK, with the Deputy Leader of The Green Party, Rachel Millward. There was much discussion about AI (concerns v opportunities) and how important the creative sectors are to our local and national culture and sense of identity. Get in touch if you’d like to know more about the latest political developments, following this year’s conference season.