Ad Matters 23.05.25

It was great to be involved in launching the (dare I say hotly-anticipated?) latest Advertising Pays report in a sunny Manchester last week. It’s the ninth in the long-running series by Credos – and the first one to reflect on a quarter of a century of advertising. And what a twenty-five years it has been. The UK and global media landscape has changed significantly, as has society, the economy and politics – and we have all listened to plenty of presentations and read many reports noting that ‘change is the only constant’.

AdPays 2025 clarifies how dynamic and vibrant an industry advertising remains – and quantifies how significant its contribution is to the UK economy. With 60% of all UK businesses investing a total of £66.6bn in advertising in 2024, and £109bn of gross added value (GVA) attributed to advertising, we also sit in a unique position across creative and professional services and rank above many more feted industries in direct GVA.

We also must not ignore the soft power that advertising brings to our country, helping support the UK’s growth agenda. To that end, this week UK Advertising, backed by their industry partners and the Department for Business and Trade, announced their return to Cannes Lions next month. More detail to come on that next week, but their Government-backed trade mission will champion the UK’s world class creativity and aim to accelerate international growth – an ambition that we can hopefully all get onboard with.

Our must reads: 

• Government clarifies rules around less healthy food advertising, with advertisers and broadcasters voluntarily agreeing to comply with new rules from October. (Marketing Week) 

• UK Advertising is returning to Cannes Lions with a Government-backed trade mission. (The Media Leader) 

• Channel 4 has launched ‘Coast to Coast: The Scenic Route’ featuring Tourism Ireland on their YouTube in collaboration with The Guardian and with the support of OMD UK. (Campaign) 

• Nick Stringer, former Director of Regulatory Affairs at the IAB, explains the role of trust and privacy in brand advertising. (New Digital Age) 

• Alec Moores, Five by Five’s Head of Digital Creative, discusses the use of AI in advertising and the impact on the planet. (LBB) 

Our pick of the ads: 

• Our Ad in the A is the ‘Made with heart’ for Costa Coffee by WPP Open X, led by VML, spotlighting an evolving mother-daughter relationship as the daughter prepares to fly the nest to university. 

• adam&eveDDB shares ‘Words Are Permanent’ for the Cybersmile Foundation to highlight the impact of online abuse on children and young people.  

• VCCP shines a light on the importance of local community in ‘Strength baked in’ for Hovis, paying homage to Hovis murals past and present. 

• Football manager José Mourinho stars in T&Pm’s ‘José Vikings’ for Snickers, at the heart of a humorous Viking battle scene. 

Dates for your diary: 

• The Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards are open to entries which celebrate the industry’s very best examples of work in support of sustainable behaviours and better business outcomes. One week left to submit your early bird entries by 29 May. 

• Tickets are still available for SXSW London, taking place 2-7 June in Shoreditch. Front Foot members can use the discount code here to get 25% off Platinum and Conference Passes. 

• UK Advertising is back on the Croisette from 16-20 June. Find out more about our packed schedule here.  

And finally, on Wednesday evening the Advertising Association hosted The Debating Group’s latest debate in Westminster on the motion ‘Merit is the most important consideration when hiring.’ Speakers included Grace Blue’s Sarah Skinner, Havas’ Ewen MacPherson, Baroness Neville-Rolfe of Chilmark DBE CMG and Baroness Goudie of Roundwood. The notion of ‘merit’ was deemed subjective and contextual, leading to the motion being opposed.