It’s that time of year again…the campaign that informs and reminds the public that UK advertising is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority hits screens, print, online and radios across the nation from next week. With brilliant creative by Leith Agency using famous brand straplines and savvy media planning by WPP Media’s EssenceMediacom, it’s a testament to what can be accomplished when our industry pulls together.
This is my third year working with our members on the campaign and each time I am impressed by the generosity of everyone involved, whether it’s lending their brand assets or donating inventory – as well as the time and effort involved to help make it a success. And the results speak for themselves. Research by Credos and the ASA shows that people are twice as likely to trust advertising when they have seen or heard the campaign, whilst overall trust in advertising has risen from 30% in 2022 when it began, to 40% by the start of this year.
What I think is particularly impressive about the campaign this year is how many media owners have pledged to increase their donations in such challenging economic times. ‘Scale up the ASA industry awareness programme’ is Action 1 of our Trust Action Plan announced in Westminster last month and it’s brilliant to see that coming to fruition.
So do look out for it on a screen, page or poster near you next week and take a moment to be proud of our industry’s collective endeavour.
Our pick of the ads:
- Our Ad in the A comes from the ASA. The latest wave of their UK-wide awareness campaign kicks off next week.
- Coca-Cola’s new campaign ‘taste every second’, created by VML, showcases the unpredictable nature of football at the start of the Premier League season.
- Rennie has partnered with McCann London and Initiative Media to launch ‘Stop the blame game’ for their first dedicated trapped wind product, using humour to call for justice for dogs who currently take the blame.
- Sony has unveiled the newest chapter in its global campaign ‘It Happens on PS5’ by adam&eve/TBWA to celebrate the ‘unforgettable moments that PlayStation 5 makes possible’.
Our must-reads:
- Despite this summer’s record-breaking temperatures and a lack of rainfall, two thirds of UK news articles about the wildfires haven’t mentioned climate change at all (Media Leader).
- Media owners, agencies and experts have reviewed some of the most impactful OOH spaces in Europe and how to use them (LBB).
- As he reflected on our work on trust at our flagship summit LEAD, Graham Alexander, from With, argued that now is the time to insist on safeguarding, transparency, and accountability that will protect our industry (Media Leader).
- Through the Ad Accessibility Network, ISBA has released new resources to help advertisers and their partners embed accessibility into their day-to-day (Ad Accessibility Network).
Dates for your diary:
- The ASA has launched new LHF training on 10 September. AA members can take advantage of an exclusive 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.
- 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 applied for bookings of 5 or more in-person tickets.
- Our flagship summit, LEAD, will be held at the QEII Centre in Westminster on the morning of 28 January 2027. Help shape the agenda by taking 2 minutes to fill in our survey here.
And finally, Channel 4 have revealed that they are the only broadcaster able to offer campaign-level emissions data, helping advertisers better understand the carbon impact of their media investment, whilst collaborating with Ad Net Zero to reduce their carbon emissions. You can find out more in their Sustainability Summary out now.