Eyes on the prize

We held our quarterly Industry Reputation group yesterday here at the AA offices, and it was a great 90 mins with communications peers from across the industry, all discussing the key topics that shape the reputation of UK advertising, good and bad, and what we can do to help build the most positive reputation possible. We discussed trust, responsibility, the use of AI in comms, the new PM and government priorities that may impact advertising (Chris also delivered a great in-depth session on what the new PM means for our industry, if you’re an FF member you can watch it here), as well as the importance of supporting the professional development of influencers, the latest ad spend figures and much much more.

I found it heartening that people are investing their time in supporting our industry’s reputation, not just that of the business they represent, with an eye on the bigger prize. One where the industry is held in higher regard, attracting and retaining the best creative, strategic and technical talent and delivering on its responsibilities by working practically and constructively with government to address key challenges.

The group is made up of comms leads from across our members and meets quarterly – if you’d like to know more, please drop me a line.

Our must-reads:

• UK advertising investment rose 9.3% to £11.7bn in Q1 2026, with AA/WARC forecasts predicting an increase of 8.2% to £50.5 billion in 2026. (LBB)
• Our Public Policy and Regulation Director, Konrad Shek, has described the online advertising privacy debate and why he thinks regulators are asking the wrong question. (IAPP)
• ISBA’s outgoing director of communications Abi Slater talks about her plans for what’s next after nine years in the role. (Campaign)
• Check out the interview I gave to Nick Elliott in Cannes about creativity, trust and the public, for his video series, backed by The Marketing Society. (Booster On Youtube)
• Josh Bullmore, CSO of Leo Burnett, has championed the importance of difference and the role our All In Action Plan plays in helping to make that happen. (Campaign)

Our pick of the ads:

• Our Ad in the A is Ogilvy’s ‘Workplace Ready’ for Boots, created with help from WPP’s The Pharm, which raises awareness for how hygiene poverty affects young people seeking jobs.
• BBH London has launched their next phase of digital growth in the UK with ‘Get Busy Living’ for Monzo, narrated by Olivia Colman.
• VCCP has set influencers GK Barry and Paul Olima against each other on an assault course while blindfolded, for Muller and MyProtein in ‘Together Hits Different’.
• Leo UK have made the public rethink their pronunciation of Skoda in ‘Shhhkoda’.
• System1 has analysed the most effective ad campaigns this July and explained how marketers looking to promote sustainable messages can draw from the work. (System1)

Dates for your diary:

• Join the ASA’s Industry Summit on health and wellbeing advertising on 1 October to explore the challenges, risks and opportunities facing this rapidly evolving sector. Register your free place here.
• Our flagship summit, LEAD, will return to the QEII Centre in Westminster on the morning of 28 January 2027. Help shape the agenda by taking 2 minutes to fill in our survey here.

And finally, I’m sure, like me, you’re looking at the heatwaves here in the UK and abroad this summer, and thinking, well, we can’t really call this ‘good weather’, can we? One of the best ways our industry can respond is to show how and where advertising is helping build the use of more sustainable products, services and behaviours. Luckily enough the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards were designed to do exactly that! Now’s the time to step up; get your entries in here!