British Equestrian Saddles up for Sponsorship Boost
British Equestrian has hired global agency Mongoose to overhaul its sponsorship and partnership strategy. The review will map the sport’s £5 billion (~$6.3 billion) economic footprint and an additional £1.2 billion (~$1.5 billion) of social value into a structured rights‑package model. Mongoose will craft a global‑focused commercial narrative that highlights equestrian’s built‑in equality and tradition. The effort aims to secure long‑term financial stability while drawing non‑traditional brands into the UK’s most decorated horse sport.
Industry Targets Young to Make Sense of Political Ads
The advertising industry, through Media Smart and the Advertising Association, has released an updated "What’s the deal with political advertising?" guide aimed at young voters. The initiative includes a digital‑screen campaign that reaches over 250,000 university and college students each...
Premier Inn ‘Chief Kipologist’ Stars in Born Social Debut
Premier Inn has teamed with UK comedian Al Nash and its new agency Born Social to launch a social‑first campaign called “You Know What You’re Getting.” The series of short, comedic “sleep experiments” starring Nash as a “chief kipologist” dramatise the brand’s...
New Lottery Podcast to Quiz Celebs on £200m Question
Allwyn, the operator of the UK National Lottery, is launching season three of its “Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams” podcast, expanding to eight episodes with celebrities like Paloma Faith, Matt Lucas and Mo Gilligan. The series asks guests how they...
Toilet Rolls Star in Recycling Wrap TV Ad Funded by Sky
Wrap, a global environmental action group, launched the "Rescue Me, Recycle" TV campaign on Sky channels, funded by a £200,000 ($255,000) grant from Sky’s Zero Footprint Fund. The ad personifies everyday items like toilet‑roll tubes to tackle the confidence gap...
Next Hunts Head of Data Science for AI Search Shake-Up
UK fashion retailer Next is launching a global search for its first Head of AI and Data Science, based at its Leicestershire headquarters. The role will oversee the intelligence layer serving over 3 million daily customers across 80+ sites and drive...
Coca-Cola Uncanned Emotions: Not Quite ‘the Real Thing’
Coca‑Cola has unveiled the first installment of its three‑part “Uncanned Emotions” film series to reinforce its FIFA World Cup 2026 partnership. Developed by WPP OpenX and featuring commentators Peter Drury and Luis Omar Tapia, the spot showcases fans cracking open cans...
Agentic AI Assistants Set to Be Judge and Jury for Brands
The CX Horizons 2026 report identifies agentic AI assistants as a transformative force in customer experience, shifting brand evaluation from marketing metrics to operational performance. Over 340 global practitioners highlighted AI agents that can negotiate, rebook and purchase on behalf...
Body Parts Get Vocal in New Holland & Barrett Ad Push
Holland & Barrett, working with agency Lucky Generals, launched the "Back Your Body" platform to encourage a proactive health mindset. The multi‑million‑pound (≈ $3 million US) campaign features TV spots where body parts sing Robin S’s 1990s hit, complemented by creator‑led social and out‑of‑home activations. The...
Nectar Signs up Uber and Uber Eats in Ride-Hailing First
Nectar360, operator of the UK’s Nectar loyalty programme, has partnered with Uber and Uber Eats, letting members redeem points for rides or food deliveries. Customers can exchange 500‑4,000 points per transaction, equivalent to £2.50‑£20 (about $3‑$26). This is Nectar’s first...
Tesco Enlists 280,000 Staff for Trial of AI Shop Assistant
Tesco is piloting an AI‑powered shopping assistant within its mobile app, enlisting roughly 280,000 of its employees to beta‑test the feature. The assistant engages users in two‑way dialogue to generate personalized recipe ideas, then automatically creates a shopping basket using...
Publicis and Microsoft Plot Business-Wide AI Solution
Publicis Groupe and Microsoft are deepening a decade‑long partnership by creating a full‑stack, AI‑powered marketing platform that combines Microsoft Fabric, Azure and Publicis’ Epsilon data. The deal awards Microsoft an estimated $2 bn global media account to Publicis without a formal...
Macmillan Calls for Fairer Cancer Care in AMV Campaign
Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a year‑long “Fair Cancer Care” campaign developed by AMV BBDO to spotlight how geography, income and background shape cancer experiences. The initiative rolls out with a 60‑second TV spot aired during the Great British Bake Off ad...
Major Brands Back Tesco Premium Video Ad Placements
Diageo and PepsiCo have endorsed Tesco Media's new premium video ad placements after successful trials, highlighting the formats' ability to drive brand awareness at a crucial consideration stage. The Grocery Homepage slot reaches over 12 million unique monthly visitors, while the...
Superdry & Co Picks Verde to Style New Online Strategy
Superdry & Co, fresh from a brand‑centric rebrand, has hired SEO specialist Verde Digital to revamp its digital marketing. Verde will lead technical SEO, on‑page optimisation and emerging AI‑driven search tactics, targeting non‑brand, category‑level queries. The agency’s audit revealed untapped...
Lucozade Woos ‘Believers’ for Grafruitti Flavour Relaunch
Lucozade is re‑launching its Grafruitti flavour, first introduced as a limited edition in 2015, with a community‑centric campaign aimed at the brand’s self‑identified “Believers.” The rollout, crafted by We Are Social, began with teaser posts and a logo swap before...
SunLife Aims to Strike Gold with Frontman Martin Kemp
SunLife, the UK specialist for consumers over 50, has named former Spandau Ballet frontman Martin Kemp as its new brand ambassador. The move reinforces the insurer’s “Everyday Confidence” platform launched in 2025, which uses humour and warm storytelling to encourage...
Jungle Creations Appoints Kepler Chief as New CEO
Jungle Creations, the global social and influencer agency behind brands such as PepsiCo and Disney, announced Mallory Simmonds as its new chief executive. Simmonds arrives from Kepler Group, where she led the EMEA and APAC operations and built the firm’s...
Ex-Organic Chiefs Launch Digital Transformation Start-Up
Two former Organic executives, Ben Scoggins and Tim Burley, have launched Committed Citizens, a marketing consultancy aimed at eliminating the operational drag that hampers campaign performance. The firm uses six‑week, results‑focused cycles instead of open‑ended digital‑transformation programmes, promising measurable outcomes...
ICO Urges Parents to Treat Online Privacy Like Road Safety
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office has launched the “Switched on to Privacy” campaign, urging parents to treat children’s online privacy with the same vigilance as road safety and stranger danger. New research of 1,000 parents shows 75% fear their kids...
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Press Ads: Print and Be Grand
Cadbury’s latest Easter activation uses four bespoke print ads that double as hidden egg containers, created with VCCP and Girl&Bear. Each ad mimics a household object—books, wooden pegs, tea bags, or an alarm clock—so families can conceal chocolate eggs in...
Data Analytics Market to Top $1.4trn as Take-Up Surges
Data analytics and insight market projected to surpass $1.4 trillion by 2035, driven by a compound annual growth rate of up to 16.4%, far outpacing the advertising sector’s roughly 4% growth. Predictive analytics now represents over 40% of the market and...
New Ozone Unit to Crack How AI Will Shape Publishing
Ozone, the publisher‑centric digital advertising platform, has launched Ozone Labs, a collaborative R&D centre to investigate how large‑language‑model AI will transform publishing and marketing business models. The Labs will operate alongside Ozone’s core platform, offering a sandbox where partners can...
Crown Paints Ditches the Gloss in First Dinosaur Activity
Crown Paints has launched the "Looks like…" campaign, its first collaboration with Manchester agency Dinosaur, to capture the Easter DIY surge and attract a younger audience. The initiative merges consumer and trade communications under a single creative idea that celebrates...
Polestar Hires Influencer Agency as Ad Reviews Kick Off
Swedish EV maker Polestar has appointed Pulse Advertising as its first long‑term influencer agency, tasking the firm with global creator strategy across EMEA, North America and APAC. The partnership follows a competitive pitch and coincides with Polestar’s ongoing review of...
Škoda and Chelsea FC Women ‘Substitute’ Dull Weekends
Škoda UK has launched “Chelsea Vs Your Weekend,” a humor‑driven campaign celebrating its third year partnering with Chelsea FC Women. The initiative features a chaotic film, TV spots and social videos that give fans a playful excuse to skip mundane...
Missing People Charity Aims to Bust ‘True Crime’ Myth
Missing People, the UK’s sole charity for missing individuals, has launched the “Based on a True Story” campaign with BBH London and Merman to challenge the way true‑crime content portrays real disappearances. The initiative features a darkly humorous film set...
YouTube Is Top Media Brand but Sentiment Ceiling Looms
YouTube tops the 2026 Brand Influence Rank, reaching 2.7 billion monthly users and generating over $40 billion in ad spend, making it the world’s most influential media brand. All ten most influential global brands are tech‑led, with AI‑driven ChatGPT entering the list...
Heathrow Highlights Role as Gateway to Emotional Joy
Heathrow has launched a new out‑of‑home and digital campaign, created by St Luke’s, that spotlights the emotional rewards of travel rather than just its destinations. The "LHR > XXX" concept pairs the airport’s three‑letter code with words like WOW, NOM and ZZZ to...
Brummie Business Bashed for Barrage of Badgering Calls
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office fined Birmingham‑based TMAC £100,000 (about $127,000) after the firm placed more than 260,000 unsolicited calls to people on the Telephone Preference Service between February and September 2024. The calls, which masqueraded as crime‑prevention outreach, specifically...
Revolut ‘Welcome To My Bank’: Norton in the Saddle
Revolut has rolled out its first advertising campaign as a fully licensed UK bank, featuring Irish TV star Graham Norton in a 30‑second film titled “Welcome To My Bank.” The spot, created with agency Anomaly, positions Revolut as a "Banking...
Lengthy Middle East War ‘to Cost Ad Industry $93.9bn’
A new WARC study warns that a prolonged Middle East conflict could erase $49.9 bn of advertising growth in 2026 and total $93.9 bn over the next two years. The baseline forecast still expects a 10.4% rise to a $1.32 trn global ad...
Lipton Drafts in Ice-T to Kick Ass and #RespectThePeach
Lipton has tapped legendary rapper Ice‑T to lead its pan‑European #RespectThePeach campaign, aiming to correct the widespread misuse of the peach emoji for butt references. The initiative rolls out a video message, a new “buttmoji,” TikTok‑friendly audio remixes, and digital...
Lastminute.com Appoints BBH to Be ‘Bigger and Better’
Lastminute.com has engaged advertising agency BBH to create a new brand platform for key European markets, aiming to capitalize on a surge in last‑minute travel bookings. The partnership replaces Trouble Maker and follows a strategic shift toward AI‑driven personalization, automated...
Industry Fumes as Govt Plans to Beef up LHF Crackdown
The UK Department of Health & Social Care has opened a consultation to apply an updated Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to the existing less‑healthy food (LHF) advertising restrictions, extending the ban to a wider range of high‑sugar products such as...
GoDonate Brings in Non-Execs to Boost Leadership Team
goDonate has strengthened its board by appointing payments veteran Scott Gray and digital‑commerce leader Vanessa Cartwright as non‑executive directors. Gray brings over 25 years of expertise in payment technology and regular‑giving strategies, while Cartwright adds deep AI and e‑commerce experience....
Brands Blame Rise of Dark Data for ‘Engagement Divide’
The 2026 SAP Engagement Index reveals a widening "engagement divide" in the UK, with 56% of consumers demanding seamless, omnichannel experiences while 82% are frustrated by disjointed interactions. Although 80% of brands believe they deliver such experiences, only 20% acknowledge...
Onken Hires New Agency to Build on ‘Inner Happiness’
Onken, the German yoghurt brand owned by Swiss dairy group Emmi, has selected Neverland as its lead advertising and marketing agency after a competitive pitch. The new partnership will develop a fresh creative platform building on the recent “Feed Your...
Dulux Revives Shaggy Mascot for Transformational Blitz
British paint giant Dulux is reviving its iconic Old English Sheepdog mascot, now a cheeky puppy named Dorothy, to mark the 65th anniversary of the original “Dulux Dog” appearance. The integrated “Life is what you paint it” campaign, created by...
Monument Hires Starling Chief to Target ‘Mass Affluent’
Monument Bank has hired Rachel Kerrone, former head of marketing at Starling Bank, to lead its brand, marketing and communications as it pursues the "mass affluent" segment—about 8 million households holding roughly $11.4 trillion in wealth. Kerrone helped grow Starling from a...
Tech Giants Cough up as ASA Seeks Funding Overhaul
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is overhauling its funding model after decades of reliance on legacy media agencies. A new taskforce, backed by Google and Meta, will design a sustainable financing framework to match the digital‑first ad market that...
‘Wowzers’ Asda Goes Big for Easter with New Campaign
Asda has launched a new Easter campaign built around its revived “That’s Asda Price” platform, featuring two 20‑second films produced by Lucky Generals. The ads, titled “Easter Bonnet” and “Eggcited you’re here,” portray families creating elaborate celebrations while emphasizing the...
Brands Urged to Dive Deeper as Use of QR Codes Soars
QR codes have become near‑universal, with 98% of marketers seeing a positive impact and 71% of consumers finding them useful, according to Uniqode’s State of QR Codes 2026 report. While 56% of marketers expect revenue growth from QR codes, only...
Online Publishers Mount Fightback Against Social Giants
Ozone, a collaborative ad platform built by leading UK publishers, now reaches 42% of the UK population weekly and 66% of the US population monthly, rivaling Instagram and surpassing TikTok. The network claims 228 million global monthly users and delivers over...
Foxy Reveals the Secret to a New Fulfilled Life (Honest)
UK psychologist Sophie Mort cites a new survey of 2,000 Britons revealing that nearly half habitually sit on the same sofa each night and a third repeatedly use the same tea mug. The study finds 95% of respondents consider themselves...
BA ‘An Original British Briefing’: The Great Escape
British Airways unveiled “An Original British Briefing,” a surreal safety‑video‑style campaign that reimagines the pre‑flight briefing as a guide out of everyday stress. Directed by Jeff Low, the film places flight attendants in mundane settings—traffic jams, dentist chairs, chaotic homes—to...
Goodwood Revival Revs up with First Campaign by Ark
Goodwood Revival has partnered with Ark Agency for its inaugural campaign, “There’s Nothing Like Goodwood Revival,” rolling out across social, print, out‑of‑home and radio. The campaign draws on the event’s own archive and features hand‑stamped, one‑off ads that celebrate the...
Traditional Channels Beat Digital as ‘Super Touchpoints’
A new DMA and Jicmail report finds traditional media outperform digital in trust, creativity, targeting, and measurement. Channels like TV, radio, out‑of‑home and direct mail—dubbed “Super Touchpoints”—deliver 25% higher effectiveness but are used in only 55% of campaigns. Effectiveness rises...
Global Signs Nectar Deal to Boost Digital Audio Activity
Global Media has struck a data partnership with Sainsbury’s Nectar360, merging first‑party shopper information with its own listener data on the DAX digital audio platform. The integration lets advertisers target UK audio audiences using anonymised purchase insights and directly measure...
Lottery Operator Launches In-House Agency, Studio 59
National Lottery operator Allwyn is establishing Studio 59, an in‑house creative and content studio slated to open in April. The unit will unify creative, social, production, planning and brand marketing to accelerate content creation across retail, digital and communications channels....