The Advertising Association promotes the role and rights of responsible advertising and its value to people, society, businesses and the economy. We represent UK advertisers, agencies, media owners and tech companies on behalf of the entire industry, acting as the connection between industry professionals and the politicians and policy-makers.

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The Advertising Association focuses on major industry and policy areas that have huge ramifications on UK advertising. This section contains our work around public health, gambling advertising, data and e-privacy, trust, the digital economy and more.

Credos is the advertising industry’s independent think tank. It produces research, evidence and reports into the impact and effectiveness of and public and political response to advertising on behalf of UK advertisers in order to enable the industry to make informed decisions.

Front Foot is our industry’s member network of over 90 businesses across UK advertising. It aims to promote the role of responsible advertising and its value to people, society and the economy through a coalition of senior leaders from advertisers, agencies and media owners.

We run a number of events throughout the year, from our annual LEAD summit to the Media Business Course and regular breakfast briefings for our members. We are also the official UK representative for the world’s biggest festival of creativity – Cannes Lions.

This Week: UK Advertising in the Media 15.12.23

/ December 15th 2023
Industry News

Generative AI, misinformation, declining trust in traditional media and institutions are creating a confusing environment for consumers and brands alike  

‘How can marketers navigate these shifting sands?’ asks LBB’s Zoe Antonov. 

How Arla and Guinness captured people’s attention to extend the reach of their OOH ads 

The two food and drink brands used consumer curiosity to create effective OOH campaigns, according to Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study. 

Snapping At Success: Saatchi & Saatchi’s Transformative Year 

A new CEO, the most coveted win of the year, and driving effective business transformation for clients – the agency is on a roll. 

Work Of The Week 

The best creative, curated by Creative Salon. 

Channel 4 to launch new streaming formats and consider lighter ad loads 

Channel 4 intends to launch solus takeovers and ‘lite’ ads that feature within shorter ad breaks on its video-on-demand service. 

Podcast: AI influencers are having a moment – with IMTB director general Scott Guthrie 

Scott Guthrie, director general of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, joins Jack Benjamin to talk through the opportunities and risks of developing and employing AI influencers. 

Brighton & Hove: Ban on fast food adverts to be introduced 

Fast food adverts on council-owned bus and taxi shelters are to be banned in Brighton and Hove. 

Channel 4 extends Snapchat partnership including first-look programming 

Channel 4 and Snapchat have been working together since 2018. 

ITVX one year on: good enough to fend off ‘super-hard competition’? 

In this year’s interim results ITV reported that its digital revenue was up 24%. 

Lucky Generals funds training for working class ad talent 

Creative agency joins with Effie to donate a collective £10,000 worth of training to Commercial Break. 

2023 has seen an uptick in funny advertising according to new research from Kantar. Lynne Deason discusses the creative effectiveness of comedy and what we can learn from this year’s Christmas commercials with LBB’s Laura Swinton. 

According to data from Kantar, in 2023 56% of British television ads used humour – up from a low of 43% during the pandemic.  

AI Briefing: As tech giants add more AI tools, Runway and Getty Images team up 

Last week was yet another frenetic five days in generative AI news and developments. 

Out-of-home in 2023: fakes, 3D, sustainability and growth 

Has out-of-home (OOH) firmly put the pandemic in the rearview mirror in 2023? 

How To Be Big And Great: VCCP’s 2023 

The agency ticked every box and topped the UK billings chart – it’s easy to see why. 

Even More Creative, Progressive And Fun: BBH’s 2023 

Growth of business, talent, clients and creativity – BBH has had it all this year. 

BBC appoints first chief brand officer 

Charl Bassil is currently chief marketing officer at Absolut Vodka. 

Spark Foundry names chief operating officer and managing directors 

Appointments mark a structural change for Spark Foundry. 

Connected Talent: The Key To Thriving In A Fast-Changing World 

Businesses and brands that deftly connect the right talent at the right moment will thrive, successfully navigating the complexities of a rapidly changing environment. 

Cop28 landmark deal agreed to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels 

Summit president hails ‘historic package to accelerate climate action’ but critics decry ‘litany of loopholes’ in final text. 

Why 2023 showed ‘video is the next most important thing in publishing’ 

Social media and publishing reporter Jack Benjamin reviews a tumultuous year for the social media market, while the rise of AI led publishers to defend their intellectual property. 

UK economy shrank faster than expected in October, new data reveals 

Economists warn ‘spectre’ of recession hanging over Britain, as GDP falls 0.3 per cent. 

Primark and JD Sports Christmas spots ‘most representative of black people’ 

While black people were broadly represented in Christmas campaigns, there was a stark misrepresentation of other minority groups, including Asians and LGBT+ communities. 

McCann Worldgroup global chief product officer to exit 

Her next venture will help organisations produce ‘the right conditions for creativity.’ 

Omnicom strategy chief Alex Hesz departs to focus on UK general election 

He leaves the holding company role after just over a year. 

Hellmann’s Illusion Campaign Draws Attention To ‘Fridge Blindness’ 

The global campaign by Ogilvy UK encourages people to use up food leftovers in their fridges. 

Coca-Cola Unveils ‘Santa Stories’ Short Films Featuring Octavia Spencer 

‘The Santa Stories’ short film anthology was created in collaboration with WPP Open X led by VML, Imagine Entertainment and Prettybird. 

Channel 4 Sales secures sponsorship for Channel 4 Comedy strand 

The previous sponsor was Coors Light. 

Christmas 2023 round-up: Watch all the festive ads 

Campaign rounds up the latest festive ads. 

Have We Lost Sight Of What Effectiveness Really Means? 

The industry shares its definitions of effective success. 

Ad of the Day: Touching animated tale sweeps Spain 

The relatable video has racked up nearly 10m views on YouTube alone.