The Advertising Association promotes the role and rights of responsible advertising and its value to people, society, businesses and the economy. We represent UK advertisers, agencies, media owners and tech companies on behalf of the entire industry, acting as the connection between industry professionals and the politicians and policy-makers.

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The Advertising Association focuses on major industry and policy areas that have huge ramifications on UK advertising. This section contains our work around public health, gambling advertising, data and e-privacy, trust, the digital economy and more.

Credos is the advertising industry’s independent think tank. It produces research, evidence and reports into the impact and effectiveness of and public and political response to advertising on behalf of UK advertisers in order to enable the industry to make informed decisions.

Front Foot is our industry’s member network of over 90 businesses across UK advertising. It aims to promote the role of responsible advertising and its value to people, society and the economy through a coalition of senior leaders from advertisers, agencies and media owners.

We run a number of events throughout the year, from our annual LEAD summit to the Media Business Course and regular breakfast briefings for our members. We are also the official UK representative for the world’s biggest festival of creativity – Cannes Lions.

Ad Matters 17.11.2023

/ November 17th 2023
Industry News

LEADING FROM THE FRONT

LEAD, our premier industry summit where advertising and politics collide, is breaking new ground by heading north!

LEAD North is set to rock Manchester’s HOME Theatre on the afternoon of 9 May 2024 in collaboration with ITVTeads and Mail Metro Media.

Joining forces with over 200 senior leaders from the advertising and political scene in the North of England, our objective is to showcase the region’s creative hubs and dive into discussions about its challenges and opportunities.

Stay tuned for the exciting agenda, coming in early 2024.

Secure your place at LEAD North (pssst, there’s discounts for AA and our Front Foot membership) here.

AD NET ZERO MARKS 3RD ANNIVERSARY WITH CALL TO ACCELERATE CLIMATE ACTION

Ad Net Zero, the climate action programme that began as a UK-based initiative, marked its 3rd anniversary this week with a special event at the McCann Group HQ in central London. 

The event was packed with key insights from its first annual report, highlighting the industry’s path to net zero and calling for even greater collaboration. The message from the stage was clear: set ambitious targets, reduce emissions, and create work that champions a sustainable future.

Inspirational speakers including McCann’s Fernando Fascioli and Jaclyn Kaminski-Beneche, dentsu’s Angela Tangas, and ITV’s Kate Waters shared their wisdom, alongside Ad Net Zero’s Sebastian Munden and Elle Chartres, and our CEO Stephen WoodfordSandy Trust, co-author of “The Emperor’s New Climate Scenarios,” painted a vivid picture of the financial risks if we don’t act now.

It was a gathering of celebration, learning, and action – a testament to the work our Ad Net Zero team is doing every day to drive positive change across our industry here in the UK and internationally. 

If you want to know more about what you can do to be part of this change, download the Ad Net Zero Annual Review here.

SHARING SUPPORT FOR MULTIBANK

Following Gordon Brown’s visit to LEAD Scotland earlier this year, our CEO, Stephen Woodford, and Commercial Director, Sharon Lloyd Barnes were honoured to attend the London launch event for Multibank yesterday evening.

We were proud to be co-sponsors, alongside Enders Analysis and ISBA, with the aim of rallying support for Multibank – an initiative spearheaded by the former Prime Minister that donates surplus goods to families in need, reducing waste and landfill usage.

It was heartening to see business and charity leaders display their commitment, including the CEO of Comic Relief, Samir Patel who pledged £1 million to accelerate Multibank’s rollout across the UK.

It certainly left us inspired! Join the growing community of businesses supporting the cause by heading here.

META TO BE LEAD 2024 PLATINUM PARTNER

We’re thrilled to share that Meta will be our platinum partner for the highly anticipated LEAD 2024 in London, presented as a tripartite event by yours truly, along with the IPA and ISBA.

Sophie Cartwright, Industry Relations Lead EMEA at Meta, says: “We’re delighted to be LEAD’s Platinum Sponsor for 2024. As the advertising industry plays a pivotal role in helping the UK economy return to prosperity, our role to do so responsibly, and efficiently has never been more important.”

LEAD promises a full day of insights and networking, with over 400 senior industry professionals set to attend.

Find out more and grab your tickets here.  

CANNES LIONS 2024 IS OFFICIALLY OPEN

As the proud UK Rep for Cannes Lions, we are excited that the Call for Content is now open.

The team at Cannes Lions can’t wait to receive your content proposals and speaker nominations, and they have curated some handy resources to guide you through the process.

So, what can you do next?

Read the Cannes Lions Call for Content Guide and get submitting.

OUR LATEST FRONT FOOT MEMBER – TOTAL MEDIA

Introducing Total Media as our newest member of our Front Foot network!

Total Media is an award-winning independent media agency which specialises in connecting brands to people. Bringing together principles of behavioural science and the use of technology, Total Media helps improve marketing effectiveness by addressing the real influence of people’s behaviour.

Our Front Foot Membership boasts over 90 companies who enjoy extensive benefits, including early access to research, invitations to exclusive events, and participation in our Policy and Government Affairs briefings.

If you’d like to find out more about joining the Front Foot community, head here.

THIS WEEK: UK ADVERTISING IN THE MEDIA

It’s our specially-curated selection of must-reads from across our industry media.

Check it out here!

AD OF THE WEEK

You made it this far – why not check our ad of the week? 

Want the full edition to land in your inbox every Friday? Drop us an email on aa@adassoc.org.uk and quote ‘Ad Matters’.