Ad Matters 26.07.24

Big week for numbers as we release the latest ad spend figures, in partnership with our friends at WARC. Positive news – spend has increased again, with £9.2bn spent in the first three months of 2024. That’s a new high for a first quarter. The Men’s Euros and snap General Election are set to boost figures for April-June to £9.7bn. Total spend for 2024 is now forecast to grow to nearly £40bn. All positive signs of how our industry can support the government’s ambitions for responsible growth.

Funnily enough, Responsible Growth was the theme for February’s LEAD 2024 (it’s almost like we had a suspicion of what might happen later on this year), and we’ve just announced a ‘Save The Date’ for LEAD 2025. We’re back at the QEII Centre in Westminster on Feb 6. Pop it in your diary and watch this space for the theme once we’ve consulted our mystical adland gurus.

If you need a bit more LEAD in your life before then (you do, you know do), we’ve got two options for you.

1. Tune in now to our special 2-part podcast series from LEAD North, which includes a brilliant interview with the Chairman of Britain’s biggest bakers, Jonathan Warburton who uttered the now legendary line ‘would an advertising agency bake its own bread?’
2. Buy yourself a ticket for LEAD Scotland which will take place on October 10 in Glasgow. It’s sure to be another brilliant agenda-setting gathering for leaders in the Scottish advertising industry.

Our must-reads:

• Our AA/WARC results are the talk of the town, as the forecast for this year reaches £39.4bn. (Campaign)
• The Diversity in Advertising Awards are back! Channel 4 challenges brands to prioritise inclusive design with its £1m award fund. (Marketing Week)
• The industry and regulators respond to changes in Google’s plans for the deprecation of third-party cookies. (BBC)
• Deep dive into advertising and politics across the pond in this focus on Kamala Harris’s marketing strategy ahead of the election. (The Drum)
• IPA Effectiveness Guru Lawrence Green discusses the 32-year high in entries for best-in-class work at the Effies. (Media Leader)

Our pick of the ads:

• Samsung stuns commuters with its ‘Fold Street’ takeover to promote their Fold and Flip phones, by Taylor Herring and TfL.
• Do you know your Cadbury Era? VCCP launches an AI-powered 200th anniversary campaign for chocolate-lovers which lets users upload a selfie to create their own historic ad.
• Oxfam unveils its first major TV campaign a decade, which “interrupted” Channel 4 news to encourage UK citizens to take action for a fairer world, in ‘just us’.
• We all need more friendship in the world. Snapchat marks International Friendship Day with its ‘Less Likes. More Love’ OOH campaign.

Dates for your diary:

• AA Members are invited to the launch of our new report ‘Advertising in AI’ at 9am on Thursday 1st August at VCCP’s offices. Sign up here!
• Adwanted UK’s ‘The Future of Media’ is back on 8 and 9 October. The event will be all about delivering a future of media, and has its feet firmly planted in practical examples. Use the code PARTNER_AA50 to nab 50% off when you register here.
• We are delighted to bring LEAD Scotland to Glasgow on 10 October. Book your tickets here.

And finally, for all users of Clearcast’s CopyCentral – big news! In three weeks, they will be switching over to their Library system for all stages of clearance. This will happen over the weekend of Friday 16 – Tuesday 20 August, after which CopyCentral will permanently close down. To make sure you’re fully prepared, check out these handy resources here.