Ad Matters 2.05.25

It’s been a fascinating week in adland, marked by the release of our quarterly AA/WARC advertising spend figures. April’s edition provides the first full picture of the previous year and the data is indeed a treasure trove. 

What do these new figures tell us? We now know adspend increased 10.4% last year to £42.6bn, crossing the £40bn mark for the first time. We’ve also seen our analysts at WARC slightly downgrade growth expectations for this year from 6.9% to 6.3%, citing geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties, including the ongoing impact of the US tariffs.  

Yet, as you’ll read in our CEO Stephen Woodford’s commentary, our industry’s growth continues to outpace the wider UK economy, underscoring the importance of marketing spend in creating jobs.  

This was something we reflected on at our Reputation Working Group on Wednesday, where industry leaders discussed how we can further support the industry’s positive economic and social contribution. A key moment to look forward to is the much-anticipated publication of our Advertising Pays 2025 report at LEAD North on May 14, which clearly demonstrates the value of our industry to every corner of the UK. 

Our must-reads:  

• Take a deep dive into how industry leaders reacted to our quarterly AA/WARC Expenditure Report’s updated adspend forecasts and 2024 results. (PMW) 

• The ASA’s annual report was published this week, including the latest stats on total complaints and public trust in the watchdog.  (Campaign) 

• Our CEO, Stephen Woodford and Phil Smith, Director General of ISBA discuss how HFSS ad uncertainty is continuing to negatively affect industry-wide marketing plans. (The Grocer) 

• Our International Trade Director Aisling Conlon discusses the global growth of UK advertising and the trade missions she has led to showcase the best of British creativity and innovation. (New Digital Age) 

• Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon announced she is to step down from the broadcaster in the summer, joining live entertainment company Superstruct. (The Times) 

Our pick of the ads:  

• Our Ad in the A is Eurostar’s campaign ‘Reasons to Eurostar’, with Adam&Eve/DDB which urges people to ditch planes and cars for trains. 

• Royal Mail and Social Chain have launched influencer activation campaign ‘Send it your way’ promoting their OOH parcel services. 

• Created by VCCP for Kwik Fit,  ‘Road Happy’  is a campaign made with Ocean Outdoor’s  vehicle react technology and with jokes aimed at drivers stuck in traffic. 

• Pablo London partners up with The National Federation of Builders and Considerate Constructors Scheme for their UV-U-SEE vest campaign to reduce melanoma risks. 

Dates for the diary: 

• After a fantastic debut, LEAD North is back on 14 May at HOME Theatre, Manchester, with a great agenda of talks with senior leaders and journalists. Book your tickets here. 

• Join a stellar line up of marketers at Creative Equals’ RISE 2025. Speakers include Sir Lenny Henry, and industry experts from Diageo, Google, Unilever, the Financial Times and many more. Book tickets here for 15 May. 

• The Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards are back to celebrate the industry’s very best examples of work in support of sustainable behaviours and growth. Anyone from our industry can get involved – submit your early bird entries by 29 May here. 

And finally, there are just over six weeks to go until Cannes Lions. As UK reps, we’re pleased to congratulate our 31 UK Jurors and three Jury Presidents, who will be awarding the best creative work at the festival. Also in the Palais, LIONS has announced their 2025 Content Programme, including Bend It Like Beckham’s director Gurinder Chadha in conversation with Pearl and Dean’s Kathryn Jacob. The countdown to the Croisette begins!