This week: UK advertising in the media

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!

The month in advertising: why the industry must change to stay relevant

All the big issues in adland this month and a demonstration of how our RESET conference has shaped the agenda for the year ahead.

All In: Why the UK Ad Industry is Taking its Biggest Census on Inclusion

Kathryn Jacob and Sharon Lloyd Barnes of the Advertising Association’s Inclusion Group explain how the March 10 census will work and why everyone in UK advertising needs to stand and be counted.

What made Weetabix baked beans a viral hit – from the agency behind it

Activity was handled by Frank PR.

Marmite Dynamite Makes a Crash with Explosive Special Build

Out of home from adam&eveDDB sees Marmites newest flavour cause some damage for its launch.

Brands Against Humanity: The Card Game Calling Out Brands’ Dirty Deeds

Creative team Ellie and Elisa highlight marketing hypocrisy in cheeky unofficial Cards Against Humanity expansion pack.

L’Oréal, ad stereotypes, ONS: Everything that matters this morning

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

Advertising still has a way to go in tackling negative representations of men

Despite progress, young men are still highly likely to believe that representations of them in advertising cause harm.

My mortgage broker wrote a porno: Habito creates erotic novel with Rocky Flintstone

Campaign by Uncommon aims to reignite the spark between home-buying couples.

To make business more sustainable, focus on what you can change

Sustainability is not just a ‘hygiene factor’ for businesses but a crucial opportunity for change, so brands need plan their approach systematically.

IPG predicts 2021 bounce back, but visibility is limited

Q4 y-o-y organic revenue was down slightly compared to Q3, thanks to heavier project work in the quarter – IPG was down 4.8% across the full year.

Pick of the Week: Elton John and Michael Caine strike right tone in vaccine push

The stars front a campaign from the NHS encouraging people to get the coronavirus vaccine.

PSA sees Harry Potter and The Joker ask US citizens to mask up

You may not be anywhere near the office water cooler right now, but we still want to spotlight the most talked about creative from the brands that should be on your radar.

Ex-Primesight bosses return to media

Naren Patel and Matt Teeman have launched GeoProve with Blis as a launch client.

Why would they want to work in advertising?

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, which runs until 14 February, Campaign hears from four apprentices on a specialist scheme as they start out on their adland careers.

What adland really needs to know about the Brexit deal

Now that the Brexit deal has been concluded, opinion is divided on the effect it will have on the UK ad industry and its relationships not only with the EU but also the rest of the world.

TikTok advances faster than social rivals on media responsibility measures

Social-media platforms have improved in Mediabrands’ periodic measure of responsible behaviour, with TikTok leading the way. But work remains to be done.

Industry urged to develop ‘cohesive strategy’ on apprenticeships

The DMA is urging the data and marketing industry to make a “concerted effort” to open up opportunities for apprentices, as it calls for greater flexibility and clarity from the government.

Media buying’s ‘race to the bottom’ on price may be over, finds study

There has been a “dramatic shift” in their priorities of media buyers, from focusing on cheapest ad space to quality and effective targeting as Google’s third-party cookie plans and incoming privacy regulation alter the business landscape.

Production Line: “Getting it Done” with Trudy Waldron

The head of production at MullenLowe Group UK talks about how Covid has changed production forever, the enduring relevance of ‘traditional’ media like radio and how to nurture production talent.

Why business transformation is critical for long-term success

Rob Pierre, co-founder and CEO of Jellyfish, explains why the digital agency’s new infrastructure has done away with line managers and put career progression back into the hands of its employees.

How levelling the playing field can allow talent to shine

In football, empty grounds result in better on-field decisions from match officials and may draw better performances from players. Creating a non-hostile culture of belonging in the workplace brings its rewards too.

The purpose of advertising

The industry talks a lot about purpose but just where does it start and end?

Great minds don’t think alike: How to tap the neurodivergent talent pool

Embracing neurodiversity, from ADHD to dyslexia, gives adland a creative edge.

Inside CornerShop at The Drum Labs, a retail experience designed for the ‘new normal’

Head to The Drum Labs in London for a peek at CornerShop, the new live testing environment for brands, retailers and shoppers.

Betting on a future for TV without gambling ads

Following news that the Government is considering banning gambling logos from sports shirts, Ray Snoddy looks at the problematic relationship between gambling and media.

The Story Behind Uber Eats’ Wayne’s World Revival

William Gelner, CCO, Special Group US, SMUGGLER director Guy Shelmerdine, and Casey Smith, composer at New Math Music, speak to LBB’s Addison Capper about getting Wayne and Garth back together.

Lockdown opened ‘astonishing’ generation gap in media habits

Commercial broadcast TV lost the attention of 18- to 34-year-olds to online video during the first coronavirus lockdown but was re-embraced by over-55s, IPA TouchPoints finds.

Ad agencies will resolve their identity crisis

Creative agencies are in a state of flux but they will emerge stronger, albeit perhaps in a different guise, because the role of creativity itself remains paramount.

Super Bowl 2021 round-up: Oatly’s banned jingle and Reddit ‘crashes’ the party

Attracting an average of 160 million fans each year, the Super Bowl is traditionally the biggest advertising event in the calendar. But how do things differ during a global pandemic? The Drum rounds up the best ads rolling towards this particularly different Super Bowl Sunday.

Consumer spend sees sharpest decline since May 2020 as lockdown 3.0 takes hold

Consumer spending has suffered its largest drop since May 2020, slumping 16.3% in January due to a national lockdown that badly hit retail, hospitality and travel.

Hasan & Partners Shares Humorous Response to GM Ad and Will Ferrell’s Hate for Norway

Hasan & Partners played up the rivalry between the Nordic Countries, and continues the campaign’s mission that ‘everybody else needs to play more in order to stop Norwegians from winning’.