It’s been a whirlwind of a week for our new PM and his team arriving in No 10 (of the South) – and we are already starting to get some interesting insights into how he plans to communicate with the nation. Swiftly and via social media seem to be two of the key themes emerging. Burnham is very actively engaged on his socials, frequently responding to comments and really likes a velfie. He also loves a 90s “Madchester” soundtrack, seems to have found an authentic tone of voice and is not one to shy away from jumping on social media trends (‘hot new bombshell entered the villa’, anyone?!).
Alongside this excitement, we all knew Burnham was a big fan of buses and were impressed to see two of our members, WPP and JC Decaux, swiftly activating his first ad campaign as PM, delivering a fully wrapped bus and bus shelter to support the new £2 bus fare initiative. And that’s not even the only bus-related effort to impress this week, as Bauer Outdoor Media launched its new range of all-timber bus shelters in Bournemouth, along with a documentary to showcase the British team behind one of the UK’s most ambitious pieces of sustainable public infrastructure.
Our statement on his appointment on Monday included a call for Mr Burnham’s government to recognise advertising as a powerful engine of economic growth and protect our world-class self-regulatory system, amongst other key priorities for our sector. It’s certainly a full inbox for Mr Burnham and team – and let’s hope the wheels of his new government bus go round and round swiftly and smoothly.
Our must-reads:
- Our President Andria Vidler and CEO Stephen Woodford went on the Marketing Week Podcast to discuss how the industry can build trust in advertising, and how our new Trust Action Plan aims to tackle the problem head on. (Marketing Week)
- Catch up on the outcome of our Business Media Course, where speakers argued that a campaign’s success depends on its cultural relevance. (Media Leader)
- Read our President’s full speech at last week’s Parliamentary Reception focusing on trust, our centenary year and how the advertising industry is rapidly changing. (Media Leader)
- In light of the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s latest report on tackling the UK’s obesity problem, which reiterates a focus on advertising restrictions, our Director of Public and External Affairs, Chris Walker, highlighted why this was a missed opportunity for real change. (The Grocer)
Our pick of the ads:
- Our Ad in the A is Bauer Media Outdoor’s latest evolution of its pioneering sustainable milestone bus shelter range in Bournemouth, including the UK’s first installation of two new ‘All-Timber’ shelters.
- Havas London has launched ‘The Infinite Can’ for Asahi Super Dry on the Piccadilly Lights, designed by Japanese-born artist Hisham Akira Bharoocha.
- VCCP has created a TV and OOH campaign for Allwyn, operator of the National Lottery, designed to drive nationwide excitement for Powerball by asking, ‘What would you do?’.
- T&P and Pets at Home have teamed up to create ‘We’re All For Pets Nutrition’, a 40-second film about how to find the right food for your pet.
Dates for your diary:
- If you’re involved with an inspiring scheme, school outreach programme, partnership initiative or social enterprise you have until 31 July to enter our Talent Trailblazer Award with Marketing Week. It’s free to enter and celebrates inspiring organisations and individuals opening our industry up to new talent.
- Entries for the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards close on 6 August. The awards are all about progress over perfection, celebrating the teams, companies, creative campaigns, and innovative thinking driving the advertising industry’s transition to a net zero economy. If you think there may be a piece of work you or your team could enter, click 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, we are very happy to announce Netflix as the newest member of Front Foot – our exclusive member network of over 100 businesses from across advertisers, media owners and agencies. Find out how to join here.
