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

/ January 8th 2021
Industry News

In this weekly series we pull together, in one place, a selection of must-reads from across our industry media. Hope you find it a useful edit of another week in advertising!

A message to the UK ad industry: let’s make this lockdown count

As the UK enters yet another lockdown, our Chief Executive, Stephen Woodford, implores adland to make this time count and secure a better, brighter future for the industry.

Time to stand and stare…

IPA director general Paul Bainsfair takes a moment to think on the challenges and opportunities for agencies in the year ahead, from tackling climate change to agency models and pricing strategies.

The year ahead for adspend: get ready for the comeback

The UK should see a strong recovery in adspend in 2021 after the coronavirus slump of 2020. Group M estimates the overall decline in ad expenditure was not as bad as previously feared.

Sir Martin Sorrell sends a message with US deals

Sir Martin Sorrell has predicted a bounce in advertising spending this year after acquiring a pair of American agencies for about $200 million.

7 things the industry must change to remain future fit, according to its rising stars

It’s no secret that adland has come under pressure of late. So what should the industry be doing to remain future fit? Campaign asked the industry’s future leaders from our Faces to Watch 2020 what they think the industry should change to remain a relevant, powerful force.

Fortune Favours the Frugal in IKEA’s Sustainability Spot

Mother positions The Wonderful Everyday to bring to life IKEA’s commitment to sustainability, aimed at putting an end to wastefulness and highlighting the benefits of living slow.

Cadbury enlists ‘lickers’ and ‘eggsperts’ to celebrate 50 years of Creme Egg

Campaign urges customers to find golden eggs.

London Advertising launches industry’s first January sale with OOH campaign

Push follows campaign last summer featuring voices of Helen Mirren and Liam Neeson.

All fired up for a changing world by the trials of 2020

Seven of Britain’s most prominent bosses spell out what they hope for, expect and fear in the year ahead.

Technology brings with it opportunity and a greater responsibility

In this challenging environment, with the added confusion of British withdrawal from the European Union, there is one common denominator – digitisation.

The year ahead for strategy: the only certainty will be uncertainty

Planners may like a plan, but 2021 is likely to be another year of uncertainty.

The year ahead for media: an opportunity to grow

Did Covid-19 give us a year of “peak media” as so many spent more time at home and lived online than ever before?

The year ahead for ad agencies: time to start with a clean slate

Advertising agencies have an opportunity to reset in 2021. This is the time to explore new models, different ways of working, and additional offerings. But don’t forget to look after your people – without them, agencies are nothing.

Unilever, Ladbrokes, Morrisons: Everything that matters this morning

Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world each day.

As we map out a return to the office, let’s take some time to reshape our culture

As we welcome a year that could usher in some form of workplace normality and perhaps even a return to office space, Uzma Afridi, head of careers at Nabs, says 2021 is the perfect time for adland to reshape its culture.

Ozone Project launches Manchester-based regional hub

News UK’s Bill Dennett joins as senior agency partner to lead new operation.

The year ahead for tech: change how you think and act

As privacy, brand safety and competition remain high on the agenda, the tech platforms will have many challenges to navigate in 2021.

2021: The Year Media’s Mightiness Emerges from Creative’s Long Shadow

Zenith’s chief strategy officer Richard Kirk gives insight into the potential power of media in 2021.

What does the end of the Brexit deal saga mean for culture?

Do we feel like ‘it’s all over’ now and time to move on?

PPA aims to boost diversity in magazines with first industry-wide survey

Data-gathering effort will help benchmark progress and identify challenges.

The Drum names Cameron Clarke editor

The Drum is starting the new year with a new editor as long-serving journalist Cameron Clarke takes up the post.

Want a job? Pretend you believe in ‘digital marketing’

You’re a talented, out-of-work marketer but every job ad seems to buy into the worst digital claptrap, so what do you do? Pretend you do too.

Advertisers pause media spend in wake of Capitol Hill riots

Brand safety concerns abound as the U.S. reels from Wednesday’s chaos.

The Capitol coup shows online harms are now real-world harms – are your ads funding them?

Jake Dubbins, managing director of media buying group Media Bounty and co-chair of the Conscious Ad Network (CAN), takes a look at an uncomfortable truth – that advertisers have helped fund the misinformation that stoked fires in the US Capitol this week.

Adam & Eve/DDB’s new DE&I chief warns that diversity is being ‘deprioritised’

Bukola Garry has joined the Omnicom agency from Havas.