advertising matters 19.01.18

LEAD – don’t follow!

There is less than a week to go now until our annual ad-world summit – LEAD – which will bring together over 300 delegates from agencies, brands and media to discuss – wait for it – Brexit! Or in this case, as we in the Ad Association are always a forward-looking organisation: Growth Beyond Brexit.

We are pleased to announce that former Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Chuka Umunna will be joining us to discuss his thoughts on Brexit; and International Trade Secretary Rt Hon Liam Fox MP will be delivering a special video message to delegates on the opportunities ahead for our sector to power export success.

Our speaker line-up also includes West Midlands Mayor Andy Street; Northern Europe Marketing Director at Procter & Gamble, Stefan Feitoza; and leading economist Vicky Pryce, alongside a host of others. It all happens on Thursday 25th January 2018, from 08.30-13.00 at Kings Place, Kings Cross, London.

Make sure you grab your place at the Ad-land event of the year! (Plus, going to the event of the year less than a month into 2018 will make the rest of the year so much easier on your diary).

You can find out more about LEAD and book tickets here.

More stars than there are in the heavens…

So boasted MGM of its stable of film stars back in the Golden Age of Hollywood, and you could have easily said the same thing about AA HQ yesterday, as we welcomed the top PR, Communications and Social Media Leads from across our membership to the building.

This galaxy of talent was at Artillery Row to meet the Association’s Communications team and to hear more about plans and key focuses for 2018, such as trust in advertising, the Government’s Industrial Strategy, Brexit, HFSS foods, gambling, Scotland – and not to mention the World Cup!

The team also outlined where the AA can provide members support through research from Credos, insight, Q&As and positioning statements. Thanks to everyone who came along and look out for more such get-togethers later in the year.

Promoting the UK is GREAT!

Yesterday, the ‘Promote UK’ group chaired by the IPA’s Janet Hull met at the AA to discuss the industry’s export strategy. DIT officials shared insights on the ‘Exporting is GREAT’ campaign and the Government’s inward investment strategy as part of the plan to work with industry sectors to raise the industry’s profile and reputation abroad.

DIT needs more case studies from industry sectors with good examples of international companies that are using British companies to provide them with advertising and marketing services. It’s not too late to get involved – contact Kate to find out more.

And finally…a lesson in creative risk taking

David Bernstein, advertising industry veteran, founder of The Creative Business and long-standing agency Creative Director died in August 2017 and was remembered at The Solus Club dinner earlier this week. He was awarded the Advertising Association’s 1982 Mackintosh Medal for “outstanding personal and public service to advertising”. In 1966, Bernstein was one of four of UK advertising’s most influential figures tasked by the Advertising Association to present at our annual conference in Brighton on the importance of creative risks for advertisers.

The resulting 50-minute black-and-white film presentation, titled ‘Risk and Responsibility’, remains as relevant today as it was then. It sets out to convince the advertiser that creative risk-taking is essential to effective advertising. So please take a look here.

At the dinner, an illustrious panel of Sir John Heggarty, Keith Weed and Robin Wright debated the original film and the merits of a new version some fifty years on… All we can say is WATCH THIS SPACE.

You’ve read the whole thing! You deserve a treat – our ad of the week:

https://youtu.be/vN50Vh82lBA