Weight Watchers Hires Media Shop to Bulk up Business
Weight Watchers International has appointed Omnicom’s Hearts & Science agency to run its international media planning and buying across nine markets, aiming to accelerate its digital‑first strategy after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The agency will handle both brand and performance media in Western Europe, Australia/New Zealand and Canada, with the UK and Germany acting as lead coordinators. The restructuring eliminated $1.15 billion of debt and refocused the company on its app, telehealth services, and emerging "fat‑jabs" market. Executives say the partnership will boost member acquisition and media efficiency during the critical New Year period.
Sacked Postie’s Start-Up Takes on Royal Mail and Whistl
Former Royal Mail postman Mark Redmond has launched The Private Postman, a start‑up that claims its Core One Step software can verify leaflet delivery down to the individual letterbox. The company now delivers over one million leaflets each week across...
Lads, Lads, Lads? Forget It, Footie Fans Are Far More ‘Sick’
GWI surveyed 26,000 UK male football fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup and found only 9% feel represented by current advertising, which still leans on the outdated "lager lout" stereotype. Nearly half now choose non‑alcoholic beer and 10% abstain...
It’s Complicated: Trust in All Ads Rises but There’s a Snag
New Credos Trust Tracker data shows public trust in advertising climbed to 40% in 2025, the strongest level in five years. Trust is strongest for TV (46%) and traditional channels, while online, social media and influencer ads lag behind at...
Influencer Marketing ‘Must Grow up to Thrive in 2026’
The SAMY Marketing Trends 2026 report shows that 87% of CMOs will maintain or increase influencer marketing spend despite tightening budgets. While the channel remains resilient, executives are demanding clearer performance metrics, tighter integration, and demonstrable ROI. The study highlights...
AA Signs Times Media Deal to Big up £66.6bn Sector
The Advertising Association has struck a strategic partnership with Times Media to launch “The Success Files”, a campaign that will turn the findings of its “Advertising Pays 25” report into real‑world case studies. The report showed UK businesses invested £66.6 billion...
Industry Urged to Adopt New GenAI Best Practice Guide
Advertising Association, backed by the UK government’s Online Advertising Taskforce, has released a voluntary “Best Practice Guide for the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Advertising.” The guide translates eight core principles—transparency, data use, fairness, human oversight, harm prevention, brand...
Dentsu Appoints Duo to Bolster Leadership Media Team
Dentsu UK&I announced James Bailey as media CEO and Shenda Loughnane as Ireland market lead and global president of Dentsu X. Bailey moves up from leading iProspect UK, where he secured major accounts such as Kering, eBay, Netflix and Tapestry....
‘Incestuous’ and ‘Harmful’ Mobile Ad Ripped Down by ASA
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a mobile ad for the game Animals Solitaire: Protect after finding it promoted a potentially incestuous scenario and objectified a step‑daughter character. The ad featured a lingerie‑clad woman with text suggesting sexual...
‘Ill-Prepared and Work Shy’ Graduates Being Left Behind
A Regent’s University London study of 552 recruiters reveals that recent marketing and advertising graduates lack the work ethic and soft‑skill maturity employers demand. Strong work ethic, communication, decision‑making and accountability rank as the top missing competencies, while 82% of...
‘Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid’: Pot Noodle ‘Slurp’ Returns
Unilever’s Pot Noodle has re‑introduced its infamous “slurp” sound in a new advertising campaign developed with Adam & Eve TBWA. The 30‑second cinema spot, set among horror‑movie fans, emphasizes the brand’s “Nothing Satisfies Like Pot Noodle” platform and will run...
Brands up Loyalty Spend as ROI, Data and Retention Soar
Brands are channeling more than half of their marketing budgets—51.5%—into loyalty and CRM programs, driven by a third‑year streak of rising returns. The Antavo Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026 shows an average ROI of 5.3:1, with 83% of program owners...
Elvis Is King as Next 15 Takes Axe to House 337 Brand
Next 15 has retired the House 337 brand, folding it into its longer‑standing Elvis agency as part of a “simplification strategy” that cut its portfolio from 22 to 12 brands. The change saw Elvis CEO Tanya Whitehouse step down after...
Omnicom Media Appoints UK Influencer Marketing Chief
Omnicom Media has appointed Stevie Johnson as head of its UK influencer arm, Creo, to steer the agency group’s creator‑marketing capabilities. Creo, launched in 2025, unifies Omnicom’s influencer services and taps data partnerships across the creator ecosystem. Johnson, formerly managing...
Motorsport UK Picks Agency to Steer Transformation
Motorsport UK has selected digital agency Engage to spearhead a long‑term strategic transformation, beginning with a comprehensive website refresh. The governing body, representing over 100,000 members across grassroots to elite racing, aims to modernise its digital presence, improve accessibility, and...
Havas Helia Beats Off Four to Retain Avanti West Coast
Havas Helia has secured a three‑year extension—potentially up to 2030—to continue managing Avanti West Coast’s CRM and loyalty programmes after a five‑agency pitch. The renewal builds on a partnership that began in 2020 and includes full‑service delivery from acquisition strategy...
Exposed: Why Launching an Agency Is a Risky Business
A new analysis by digital‑marketing firm Avid Panda shows that 39% of marketing companies launched between 2021 and 2025 cease trading within five years, with advertising agencies the most vulnerable at a 41% failure rate. The study compares incorporation data...
DfE Woos Bored Professionals in VCCP Training Debut
The Department for Education has launched "Give Your Skills New Life," a national recruitment drive created by its new agency VCCP to entice professionals to become further‑education teachers. The campaign uses authentic stories of real trainers and students across colleges...
Ain’t No Stopping Us Now: 2026 Adspend to Top £50bn
The Advertising Association and WARC report projects UK advertising expenditure to surpass £50 billion in 2026, following a 10.1% rise to £46.9 billion in 2025. Q3 2025 saw ad spend climb 11.4% to £12.5 billion, with search and online display making up 83%...
Fintech Thisbank Plays on Heritage Through Equimedia
JN Bank, a 150‑year‑old Jamaican financial institution, has been rebranded as Thisbank following a takeover by UK and US investors. The new digital platform, designed by Equimedia, showcases a customer‑centric interface that highlights fixed‑term savings, competitive loan products, and interactive...
TMW Reigns Supreme in Major Accenture Song Shake-Out
Accenture Song has officially retired the Unlimited brand, a move that follows TMW’s earlier decision to drop the name and marks a broader restructuring of the firm’s UK marketing practice. Nelson Bostock, Sport Unlimited and Unlimited Health have been folded...
Medialab Raids Brainlabs for New Chief Product Officer
Medialab has appointed Mark Syal, former global chief product officer at Brainlabs, as its new chief product officer. Syal will sharpen the agency’s product vision, scale digital delivery, and enhance its Apollo operating system. He brings five years of product...
Meta Cleans up as ‘High Risk’ Dodgy Finance Ads Spread
Meta’s ad platform is exposing users to an estimated 15 billion high‑risk finance advertisements each day, generating roughly $7 billion in annual revenue. A study by BrokerChooser of over 1,200 active finance ads found that 43.36% of UK‑targeted ads are classified as...
How Brands Can Drive Change in the Automotive Space
In 2026 vehicles will evolve from static media channels into rolling operating systems that deliver real‑time, contextual brand experiences. Early pilots in China already show drivers receiving traffic‑aware prompts and personalized content, a model that can expand globally as connected...
IPA Reveals Why Investing in Trust Pays Big Dividends
The IPA Effectiveness Databank analysis of 812 campaigns shows that advertising focused on building brand trust delivers markedly stronger business results. Ninety‑three percent of campaigns reporting very large trust gains also recorded at least one very large business effect, compared...
Oreo Creme Egg Cookie Channels the Spoilt Nepo-Baby
Mondelez International is rolling out a limited‑edition Oreo Creme Egg Cookie, blending two iconic UK confectionery brands. The “Born of Two Icons” campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, leans into a tongue‑in‑cheek nepo‑baby narrative across OOH, DOOH, radio, social and podcast channels throughout the...
Krispy Kreme Jumps Aboard Ark for Advertising Rethink
Krispy Kreme has hired Ark Agency as its lead creative partner for the UK and Ireland, aiming to revamp its advertising in response to the UK’s new Less Healthy Food (LHF) legislation. The law, effective Jan. 5, imposes a near‑total ban...
From Cringe to Fandom: Social Media Reigns Supreme
We Are Social’s "Think Forward 2026" study finds 95% of marketers view social media as essential for brand building, with 63% already leveraging social selling and another 17% planning to start. AI‑generated content is flooding feeds, prompting a pivot toward...
NCA Hires Creatives Behind Just Eat and Moonpig Ads
New Commercial Arts (NCA) has added four senior creatives—Adam Taylor‑Smith, Steve Yeates, Rose Power and Niamh McBride—to its team. Taylor‑Smith and Yeates bring experience from McCann London, including the viral Just Eat ads, while Power and McBride have shaped brand...
Scottish Widows Taps Gen Z Creators for Pensions Push
Lloyds‑owned Scottish Widows has launched the “Get Pension Ready With Me” campaign, enlisting Gen Z creators like Anastasia Kingsnorth and Lauren Sarah to demystify pensions for young women. The influencer‑driven videos mirror the popular “Get Ready With Me” format, linking personal...
Herdify Aims to Milk Rory Sutherland for Scale-Up Advice
Consumer‑influence platform Herdify, backed by brands such as Who Gives A Crap and the RSPCA, has enlisted behavioural‑science guru Rory Sutherland as an ad‑hoc advisor. Sutherland, president emeritus of Ogilvy Consulting, will counsel the leadership on go‑to‑market and scaling strategies...
IPA Launches Initiative to Help Agencies Unpick GenAI
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has launched a free, online platform called IPAi Forum to help agencies cut through generative AI hype and apply the technology responsibly. The forum delivers real‑world case studies, deployment tactics, and guidance on...
Zamora Books Into Motel for Premium Limoncello Brand
Spanish family-owned Zamora Company has appointed creative agency Motel to develop an integrated global campaign for its premium limoncello brand, Villa Massa. The partnership follows Zamora’s €2 million investment to double production capacity at its Sorrento plant, targeting expansion into the...
Lloyds Expands AI Training Scheme to Entire Workforce
Lloyds Banking Group will roll out AI training to its entire 67,000‑strong workforce over the next 12 months, aiming for 100% AI literacy as part of a £4 billion digital transformation agenda. The programme will deliver bite‑sized modules on ethical AI...
Five Tanning Firms Scorched as ASA Turns up the Heat
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned five tanning‑related advertising campaigns after finding them to be misleading and irresponsible. The ads, from SunShine Co, Tanbox Towcester, The Sun Company, Tan & Deliver Home Hire Sunbeds and Byrokko, claimed sunbeds...
Liverpool FC Signs SAS to up the Club’s Marketing Game
Liverpool Football Club has signed a multi‑year global partnership with SAS, appointing the tech giant as its official AI marketing automation partner. The club will roll out SAS Customer Intelligence 360 and SAS Viya to power real‑time analytics, campaign management...
Two Firms Whacked for Illegal Marketing Bombardment
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has imposed £225,000 in fines on two firms for massive unsolicited marketing campaigns. Allay Claims was fined £120,000 after sending more than 4 million text messages without valid consent, while Bristol‑based ZMLUK received a £105,000...
Dinosaur Wins Task to Cook up New Breville Ad Strategy
Breville has tapped UK creative agency Dinosaur to overhaul its advertising and marketing strategy, launching a long‑term partnership that will run through 2026 and beyond. Dinosaur will craft a new brand platform and integrated campaigns aimed at injecting colour, creativity...
Cheil UK Hires Ex-MSQ Chief Nimmo to Head New Unit
Cheil UK has appointed former MSQ/MBAstack chief Nicola Nimmo to head a new data‑driven offering called Intelligent Engagement. Nimmo brings more than two decades of agency transformation experience, most recently launching MBAstack’s London office and expanding it to New York....
Influencer Spend Set to Soar Despite Brands ‘Flying Blind’
Kantar’s 2026 Marketing Trends report finds that 61% of marketers will increase creator budgets even as they admit to lacking clear ROI evidence. The UK influencer market, valued at £1.8bn in 2024, is projected to surge to over £17.8bn by...
BBD Perfect Storm Secures Majority Stake in St Luke’s
Independent agency BBD Perfect Storm has taken a majority equity stake in UK creative shop St Luke’s, creating a new agency group that blends international reach with local cultural expertise. The deal preserves both brands, leadership teams and cultures while...
Big Table Group Restaurant Giant Hires New Media Shop
The Big Table Group, owner of Bella Italia, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas and Banana Tree, has appointed the international agency DAC to run its paid‑media operations. DAC will unify strategy across the four restaurant brands, replace pure awareness campaigns...
Shopping Lists Ripped up for ‘in the Moment’ Purchases
Tesco Media’s "Moving Mindsets" study of 7,000 shoppers reveals that only 24% of grocery purchases are routine, while 70% of buying decisions occur "in the moment" during the store visit. Shoppers cycle through an average of 2.5 emotional mindsets, with...
Budgets on Life Support as Trump Gives Firms the Willies
The IPA Bellwether Report shows UK marketing budgets flat‑lined in Q4 2025, with 57.4% of firms keeping spend unchanged amid heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty, including Donald Trump’s protectionist stance and a gloomy Autumn Budget. Direct‑marketing growth stalled and most categories...
Get Your Kicks in 2026… by Getting Audio in the Mix
Audio advertising is emerging from the background to become a central pillar of the 2026 media mix. In the UK, commercial radio reaches 40 million adults weekly, while streaming and smart speakers extend reach across daily environments. Radiocentre’s analysis shows radio...
Lidl GB Promotes Insider to Lead Its Customer Business
Lidl GB has elevated long‑time insider Louise Weise to chief customer officer, adding her to the board of directors. In her new role she will steer brand, marketing, loyalty, customer insight, in‑store experience and care. The promotion follows Lidl's strongest...