Ad Matters 30.08.2024

From the Men’s Euros to the Olympics, we’ll be sad to see the end of this year’s summer of sporting extravaganza, which has kept adland very busy. Thankfully, it’s not all over yet!

On Wednesday evening, the world’s eyes turned back to Paris as the Paralympic Games officially began, setting the stage for 11 days of inspiring competitions.

At the Opening Ceremony, 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations along the Champs-Élysées were met by thousands of spectators, followed by a choreographed show highlighting superb talent and inclusion.

The advertising industry has been involved with campaigns such as ‘24 on screen’ by official Paralympic broadcaster Channel 4 in partnership with Bupa and Purple Goat, which aims to help improve the level of representation of disabled people in adverts. More great campaigns can be seen in our pick of the ads…

Meanwhile, this week we’re asking readers to help spread the word about an important survey from Creative UK. It’s particularly pertinent to SMEs who use finance and funding as they grow. As the new Government is building its understanding of the needs of our sector, there is a critical window of opportunity to directly inform their thinking. If you wish to remove barriers so creative businesses and organisations can access funding more easily, complete the Access to Finance survey by 13 September.

Our must-reads:

• First up, WARC’s global ad spend figures are projecting growth through $1trn barrier. (Campaign)
• Ofcom ‘needs emergency powers’ to tackle misinformation online, recommends a leading think tank after a conversation with government officials. (The Times)
• Adopt a ‘back to school’ mindset and grow your skills this September, says NABS. (The Media Leader)
• Growth, humour and digital brand building: 5 interesting stats from Language of Effectiveness 2024. (Marketing Week)
• The Market Research Society’s CEO has joined the AA and IPA’s calls to the Scottish government, urging them to consider the impact of the freeze on ‘non-essential’ public sector advertising. (Research Live)

Our pick of ads:

• The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, set to kick off in Sunderland is celebrating the one-year countdown with ‘This energy never stops’ by Havas Play.
• Xbox is furthering its commitment to accessible gaming with ‘This is how we do it’ by McCann London.
• Rightmove, with the help of Neverland, has released an autumn campaign exploring ‘Search terms’ people might use to find their perfect home.
• TBWAMCR has partnered with Blesma, a charity supporting limbless veterans, to launch a light-hearted fundraising campaign titled ‘Not Heroic, Human’.
• As athletes gather in Paris for the Paralympics, Ottobock, the market leader in prosthetics, has unveiled a powerful campaign called ‘Unofficial Discipline’, created by PRESENCE.

Dates for your diary:

• Our Head of Policy and Government Affairs, Chris Walker, will be sharing exclusive insights into the Labour party conference at Adwanted Events’ The Future of Media Manchester on 26 September! Register here.
• We are delighted to bring LEAD Scotland to Glasgow on 10 October. Book your tickets here.