The Campaign Podcast
Campaign's weekly award-winning podcast interrogates and analyses the biggest stories, campaigns and important issues in UK advertising, marketing and media. Presented by Campaign's editorial team. Read more at http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/resources/podcasts.
Episodes
Cannes Lions debrief: How did the UK work perform?
The Campaign editorial team are back after spending last week (22 June - 26 June) at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026.It was a week packed full with panels, parties and prizes and this episode of The Campaign Podcast sees tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley speak to the editorial team about their highlights as well as the work that took home the awards.Shelley is joined b
The Campaign Podcast: Could complexity be marketing's next competitive advantage?
PARTNER CONTENT: Media fragmentation is often painted as one of marketing's biggest challenges. But what if the real issue isn't complexity itself – it's how organisations respond to it?Recorded from Campaign House during Cannes Lions, this special episode of The Campaign Podcast, sponsored by Camphouse and hosted by Campaign tech editor Lucy Shelley, brings together:Bridget Evans, global head of
Campaign Cannes Global Podcast, episode 3: Review of festival and big winners
The Campaign team looks back on Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2026. Editors from Campaign's sites around the world pick their highlights, including the Film Lions and Titanium winners and the big themes of the festival, plus the best parties.Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast, alongside Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Jameson Fleming, editorial director o
Campaign Cannes Global Podcast, episode 2: first Lions wins and debating taste
The Campaign team has been busy in Cannes Lions and reports what's been happening so far at the festival, which runs from 22 to 26 June.Editors from Campaign's sites around the world discuss a 25% drop in award entries, the work that has been winning from their region and some of the key sessions in the Palais and at Campaign House.Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast,
Campaign Cannes Global Podcast, episode 1: Lions preview and top festival tips
The Campaign team looks forward to Cannes Lions in this preview episode about the festival, which runs from 22 to 26 June. Editors from our sites around the world give their tips for the festival and discuss everything that’s going on at Campaign House, our dedicated venue at Cannes. Plus they talk about how the Lions award entry rules have changed this year, the work from their region that they w
Lord Heseltine: "You’re just playing in toy town”
Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million. Why the birth of ESA was driven by the self-interest of three major countries. Why the US general with a $29 billion budget for the Star Wars project wanted to invest in Heriot-Watt University in Edinbu
What are Cannes Lions jurors expecting from this year's awards?
Ahead of Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity taking place next week, Campaign catches up with three jurors to give us an insight into the judging process and what they expect from the festival and its winners this year. Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London; Amanda Morrissey, global brand president at iProspect and James Brook-Partridge, head of production at WPP Production UK j
How will Cannes be different this year amid greater awards scrutiny?
In 2025, Cannes Lions was dampened by controversy after three awards were withdrawn over fabrication of case studies and concerns around their legitimacy.DM9’s “Efficient way to pay” was retracted after the DDB agency was caught using AI to fabricate news coverage and misleading the jury. Two others Lions were also removed from the agency. In response, Cannes Lions updated the entry process and in
Should an agency be judged by its diversity?
In 2025, there was a major rollback of DEI initiatives, and in 2026 the gender pay gap widened in advertising, while it shrinks in other sectors. However, the IPA Census reported the proportion of women in C-suite surpassing 40% in adland for the first time, and ethnic minority representation at senior levels improved following two successive years of decline.Campaign’s School Reports highlig
Media 360: What's the biggest change impacting media this year?
Campaign's Media 360 opened its doors last week to a room of senior marketers, media owners and agency leaders. Food critic and Masterchef presenter Grace Dent opened the two-day conference in Brighton with speakers including co-host of The Rest Is Politics, Alastair Campbell, The Guardian's global chief advertising officer Imogen Fox and Michelle Spillane, managing director, Paddy Power Online at
Is adland in danger of undervaluing mentoring?
The advertising and media industry is going through a period of massive change, as a result of AI, economic and global pressures, organisational restructures and redundancies. In the latest market report from Campaign Red called “The Great Reboot”, we reported that the top holding companies cut 12,000 people from their businesses.As the industry is contracting, how are the people within it, its le
What’s wrong with being a holding company?
Adland’s agency networks have been forced to think differently, after a challenging year for holding companies with economic instability, a mega-merger and AI disruption.Publicis began calling itself a “platform organisation” years ago, while Omnicom restructured to become a “premier marketing and sales company” after the acquisition of IPG last year. In February, WPP’s chief executive Cindy Rose
What do the ITV, Warner Bros and Telegraph deals mean for advertisers?
Media has seen a string of deals in the last year, poised to consolidate key areas of the market. Paramount Skydance seeks to complete its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros., and in the UK, Sky ponders its bid to acquire the broadcast and ad sales division of ITV. In publishing, after several other attempts fell through, European media group Axel Springer, which owns Business Insider and Politi
Does sports marketing need "disrupting"?
Publicis Groupe acquired sports marketing and entertainment agency 160over90 this month, in a move it claims will “disrupt” the sector.In this episode, the Campaign team discusses why Publicis has made this "big bet" now, whether the sector needs disrupting and how influencers are changing the game. The team discusses why some say "the gap between brands and consumers is widening" and how ath
Does being in the office more increase productivity?
Last year WPP, Apple and Amazon increased their in-office days, with the latter two tech companies mandating five days in office. In February this year, adland’s best-performing holding company Publicis Groupe increased its mandated staff attendance from three days to four.In the age of AI and efficiency, this episode of The Campaign Podcast is asking if being in the office more does actually
How responsible are brands for online safety on social platforms?
In March, Meta and Google were found liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young user's mental health, a verdict both platforms disagree with and plan to appeal. Channel 4 also released its documentary called Molly vs The Machines about a 14 year old girl who took her own life after seeing harmful content online. Plus, the UK Government began a consultation for a potential ban for
Why are in-house teams taking top talent from agencies?
In-house agencies have been growing over the last few years, as brands have been taking more work in-house and building bespoke teams. In the last few weeks, Allwyn launched an in-house studio, ITV shifted its retained creative account from Uncommon to ITV Creative and Uncommon’s executive creative director Richard Biggs jumped to BBC Creative. Campaign Red analysed this trend and last month
Will Whitehorn: “We have to industrialise in space. It is an imperative”
In a break from the usual listen, we're bringing you the first three episodes of The Karman Line, a new podcast about the UK space industry from Haymarket Media Group, the owner of Campaign. This burgeoning sector is keen to communicate the extraordinary things it is doing to wider, complementary audiences.How do we solve population pressure and climate crisis in space? How has GPS allowed us to p
How can an agency score a 9 in Campaign’s School Reports?
Campaign's annual School Reports scrutinise and assess 80 UK agencies from across the industry, giving them each a score between 1 and 9.Released last week, agencies across creative, media, social, digital, CRM and experiences are evaluated based on their individual history. The top mark of 9 is awarded to an agency that has had an outstanding year; 8 for an excellent year; 7 for a good one; 6 is
Live from Campaign’s gaming summit: Dentsu on where brands are missing out
Gaming has firmly entered the mainstream, with more than three billion players worldwide and engagement levels that now rival – and often exceed – social platforms. What was once seen as a niche channel is now a dominant cultural force, commanding time, attention and participation at scale.These shifts, and what they mean for brands, were explored in depth at Campaign’s recent gaming summit, held
Space-Comm Expo: Jamming, spoofing, FOMO and farming
In a break from the usual listen, we're bringing you the first three episodes of The Karman Line, a new podcast about the UK space industry from Haymarket Media Group, the owner of Campaign. This burgeoning sector is keen to communicate the extraordinary things it is doing to wider, complementary audiences.What did the Space-Comm Expo conference and exhibition tell us about connecting space and wi
Why is gaming not a media channel?
If gaming is not to be considered a media channel, what is it? Campaign hosted the Gaming Summit this month, and many speakers at the event asserted that gaming should be considered more than just a channel to activate to make the most of its 3.5 billion global audience.In this episode, Campaign's journalists from the event discuss why media should not be considered as as media channel, some of th
Is imitating other ads really a form of flattery?
The quote “good artists copy, great artists steal” also applies to advertising. Some ads are paying homage while some simply rip others off when creatives spot a good idea.In this episode, the Campaign team takes a look at some of the recent ads that look noticeably similar, including British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research, Crocs and the V&A, Experian and an Amazon ad from 2023, Primark and
Why the business of space is everyone’s business
In a break from the usual listen, we're bringing you The Karman Line, which is a new podcast on the British space industry from Haymarket Media Group, the owner of Campaign.The UK space industry is a significant and strategic driver of the UK economy contributing over £19 billion in direct revenues. And it needs brilliant communicators to help tell its story.For most people, space is about rockets
Will Cindy Rose's plan save WPP?
WPP announced a new strategy and structure last week, on Thursday 26 February, as the company hopes to turn its fate around, while reporting its worst financial performance since the pandemic. Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier interviewed WPP's chief executive officer Cindy Rose on the three-phrase plan "Elevate28" which includes £500m in cost savings and transitioning the business fr
How do leaders lead in challenging times?
Campaign has released the A List – a compilation of over 200 industry leaders and their musings on the year gone and year ahead. In 2025, the advertising and marketing industry underwent some huge organisational shifts. With revenue declines and share price drops, job cuts, leadership changes and legacy agencies changing their names, 2026 marks a new era for the industry.In this episode, the Campa
What will the media planner of the future look like?
Media planners and buyers, like many in adland, have been tackling a period of immense change. AI, media fragmentation and budget restraints are all impacting the roles within media. At the end of January Campaign hosted Media Week Live, a conference for media planners and buyers, discussing how their roles are changing and what the future of the media agency looks like. Leaders from X, Pinte
How do creatives rate the Super Bowl LX ads?
Following the Super Bowl LX over the weekend, David Kolbusz, chief creative officer at Orchard Creative; Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London; and Josh Green, chief creative officer of Elvis review a selection of the ads in this week's episode of The Campaign Podcast. Hosted by Campaign’s creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, the trio critique work from Instacart, Anthrop
What does the fan experience of the Fifa World Cup look like from the UK?
The FIFA World Cup really is bigger this year, taking place in Summer across 39 days, taking place in 16 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada. While all the on-pitch fun is happening across the Atlantic, how can brands across the pond engage UK audiences effectively and authentically?In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, Campaign welcomes guest Lizi Hamer, the global executive creative direc
What makes an 'agency to watch'?
Campaign's "agencies to watch" lists the top media, creative and new shops that are likely to have an impact in the next 12 months. This episode discusses the chosen agencies, how the lists have changed from 2025, and what makes an agency worth watching, or not.While these lists are not an endorsement of each agency, they have been chosen because these shops went through big changes last year.This
What is effective leadership in a time of change? With Mother, Publicis and Omnicom
2025 saw an incredible amount of change and pressure for the industry and its agencies – steering the ship through heavy storms has become even tougher.At Campaign's Year Ahead Breakfast Briefing in The National Gallery, editor Maisie McCabe led a discussion on leadership in a time of change, interviewing Dan Clays, CEO of Omnicom Media EMEA, Katie Mackay-Sinclair global chief brand officer at Mot
What makes adland ‘optimistic’ for 2026?
Adland leaders announced their optimism at last week's Year Ahead Breakfast Briefing in The National Gallery, talking about the trends and strategies across creativity, technology, leadership, brands and media for 2026.Martin Beverley, co-founder and chief startegist at Ace of Hearts spoke about the importance of joy, while Netflix's head of advertising sales Ed Couchman said 2026 will be the year
Where are the new-business opportunities in 2026?
Campaign LOVES a pitch story, and the tail end of last year was very busy with many pitches taking place or being won right up to the final week. WPP won the £1.5bn government media pitch and the expanded review for Jaguar Land Rover, as well as media for Kenvue, while Publicis Groupe picked up the creative for the consumer healthcare company. Aviva's creative account went to Saatchi & Saatchi and
What should adland’s new year resolutions be?
As the "happy new years" ring out, what resolutions are those in adland setting for 2026?Last year unleashed a relentless wave of change across the advertising and media industry, from agency mergers and closing shops to restructures, the growing prominence of social and tech platforms, and some great creative work. Now, in 2026, Campaign begins the year with a look at what adland’s new year
How brands can build stronger connections through values, not generations
From Gen Z to Boomers, age has long been a marketing shortcut – but is it still useful? Campaign’s Lucy Shelley and Amazon Ads’ Carly Zipp unpack how brands can connect through shared interests and values instead.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Traitor or faithful – what will adland remember about 2025?
Does January feel like a week ago or five years? The past 12 months have brought with them a lot – a mega-deal, cyber attacks, agencies renamed, new chief executives, trends fading in and out, redundancies and, of course, AI.In the final podcast episode of the year, Campaign takes a look back over 2025 at some of the most memorable moments of the year, revisiting the top stories, reviewing who was
Christmas ads review 2025 with Brim, Kolbusz and Sobhani
Waitrose, John Lewis, Tesco... the Christmas ads are all out and it's time for them to start selling. But what do adland's creative leaders make of the campaigns?Creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun hosts this extra Private View episode of The Campaign Podcast, reviewing the top festive ads with David Kolbusz, chief creative officer at Orchard, Chaka Sobhani, the newly appointed global chief
Will the new Omnicom work?
Omnicom completed its acquisition of IPG on Wednesday 26 November after clearing EU regulation. On the Monday that followed (1 December) the new holding company revealed a huge restructure including 4000 job cuts to happen by the end of the year, agencies merging, new leadership announced and some networks ceasing to exist.In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, Campaign's editorial team discuss
Has 2025 been the year for independent agencies?
At the start of the year, 2025 was predicted by some adland commentators to be the year for independent agencies. Omnicom was beginning to acquire IPG to make the largest holding company, redundancies occurred across some of the networks and WPP had a more-than-difficult year on top of a new chief executive.2025 has seen the launch of many independent agencies including Ace of Hearts, Studio.One a
Is TV still the main channel for Christmas ads?
Christmas ads keep snowing down across TV, social, live experiences and digital channels. With the multiplicity of formats and audiences fragmenting, does TV still reign as the top channel for festive films?In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, Campaign's editorial team gather to discuss the next round of Christmas ads, including Waitrose's "The perfect gift" by Wonderhood Studios, Tesco's "Tha
How are the LHF restrictions impacting Christmas ads and beyond?
Where are all the mince pies? Still in Christmas advertising it seems, despite the Less Healthy Food and drink (LHF) restrictions.The voluntary period banning foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) began on 1 October this year for paid online ads and TV with a 9pm watershed, just in time for a snowstorm of Christmas advertising. As of 5 January 2026, the voluntary period ends and it wil
What trends are shaping this year's Christmas ads season?
Christmas has hit adland like a snowball in the face, with the festive ads coming in thick and fast, so what can be gleaned from the first phase of holiday advertising?In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, the editorial team break down the themes that emerged in the first batch of Christmas ads and the industry’s reaction to the campaigns so far. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joine
Do newsbrands matter to advertisers?
Advertisers have been pulling investment from newsbrands and trusted journalism for years. The latest AA/Warc figures show that national and regional newsbrands, along with magazines, have suffered the steepest declines in adspend across all channels, while tech platforms continue to claim a growing share of the market.However, the figures suggest this decline will slow in 2026, and this year's Me
Is there a new 'big four' in adland?
WPP, Publicis Groupe, Omnicom, Interpublic, Havas and Dentsu have hitherto been known to adland as the "big six". However, the past year has brought the announcement of a proposed merger between Omnicom and IPG, while Havas and Dentsu have become comparatively smaller.So, the "big six" become the "big three", but is there another challenger? Accenture Song's latest results reported revenues of $20
Are marketers replacing agencies with AI?
This episode of The Campaign Podcast explores whether marketers are using AI to do work traditionally done by their agencies and examines what clients are – and aren’t – doing with AI.It comes as Campaign launches the Power 100, the list of the most powerful marketers in the UK. This year they were asked questions designed to tease out where they are on their AI journeys.Presented by deputy editor
Is adland working for its junior staff?
Campaign published its Faces to Watch list for 2025 last month and also canvassed the cohort on a range of topics both on and off-the-record. From hybrid-working and salary through to the rise of AI and diversity, the Faces – all of whom have worked in adland for eight years or less – gave their views freely.This episode not only dissects their thoughts but also offers the perspectives of adland l
Why are diverse minds more suited to advertising?
Neurodiversity exists in between 15 and 20% of UK adults, but recent All In data counts over half of adland’s UK workforce as neurodiverse, at 55%.This week is dyslexia awareness week, and to mark the occasion this episode looks into neurodiversity in adland, and how the industry supports people with different ways of thinking, both internally and in the ads it produces. Hosted by Campaign's
What's next for Accenture Song? CEO Ndidi Oteh at Campaign Live
Ndidi Oteh, the new global chief executive of Accenture Song, was interview on stage by Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier at Campaign Live in her first UK interview.24 days into the new job, Oteh discussed navigating change and scale, plans to expand in media buying, and how the agency arm of consulting giant Accenture compares to the big holding companies. This episode features the f
Is there an ideal client mix?
Cars, airlines, FMCG brands and banks used to be some of the most desirables clients to have for an agency. Some clients are still more desirable to agencies than others, but is it based on size, market, sector or another factor? In this episode, Campaign's editorial team question if prestige sectors still exist and to what extent agencies actually choose their clients. Tech editor Lucy Shell
What will the next 70 years of commercial TV look like?
Podcast: What will the next 70 years of commercial TV look like?This September, the UK celebrates 70 years of commercial TV since the launch of ITV on September 22 1955.A lot has changed since the very first TV ads. Not only are they now in full colour but the very definition of TV has evolved and keeps on changing with the addition of new formats and introduction of new digital competitors.In thi
Will agencies lose out to AI solutions at media platforms?
Media platforms, including Meta, TikTok, X, Spotify, Pinterest and others, have been advancing their own AI capabilities to improve the advertising process of creating and serving ads to an audience. So where does this leave media and creative agencies?Meta, has gone so far as to call itself a “one stop shop” for advertisers, by reportedly aiming to fully automate advertising, including the creati
What's next for Omnicom's takeover of IPG?
Omnicom and IPG have kept their cards close to their chests while nearing completion of the biggest acquisition in advertising history. Set to close in the second half of this year, the merger-acquisition has now secured 15 out of the 18 regulatory approvals required, including recently with UK watchdog the CMA, in early August. Under the terms of the all-share deal, Omnicom said at the
Can a CMO and a CFO truly get along? With ex-Unilever bosses Keith Weed and Graeme Pitkethly
Campaign releases an unpublished recording from the inaugural Campaign Live conference last year. Unilever's former chief marketing officer Keith Weed and chief financial officer Graeme Pitkethly are interviewed on stage by Campaign’s editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier. They discuss how to keep the peace in the infamously tense CMO and CFO relationship that they said requires "mutual respect" from bot
Is this the moment brands commit to women’s sport?
It is the summer of women’s sport, or ‘simply sport’ as Campaign's deputy editor Gemma Charles put it, and records are being broken both on and off the pitch.The Women’s Euro’s, which was viewed by 16.2 million people during the final, has been touted as the most commercially successful football tournament ever — women’s or men’s — with 30,000 more ads per day than last year’s men’s tournament. Th
Can in-house production companies and independents co-exist?
The long-term row between independent production companies and those that sit within holding companies has resurfaced in recent weeks over best practice when it comes to bidding and being selected for work. Production craft festival Ciclope ended its sponsorship contracts with holding companies, which began an online debate between the Advertising Producers Association and the IPA on LinkedIn
What will the Cindy Rose era mean for WPP?
WPP announced this month that Microsoft executive Cindy Rose will succeed outgoing chief executive Mark Read. Rose is currently chief operating officer, global enterprise, at Microsoft and will be WPP’s third CEO and the first female leader of a major agency holding company. The announcement, which came sooner than expected, came one day after the holding company issued a shock profit warning
Is Cannes Lions 2025 a watershed moment for awards?
Three awards have been withdrawn from Cannes Lions 2025 over fabrication of case studies and concerns around their legitimacy. In the weeks that have followed Cannes Festival of Creativity, the integrity of advertising awards has been questioned and what was once widely accepted in advertising awards, has now been exposed.DM9's “Efficient way to pay” was the most notable withdrawal as it won the G
Beyond generations, beyond gaming: inside Twitch’s creative revolution
From custom emotes to immersive live streams, this sponsored episode of The Campaign Podcast explores how Twitch is enabling brands to participate in culture firsthand versus watching it happen.
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Why did brands drop out of Pride Month this year?
As 2025's Pride Month comes to a close, Campaign reflects on how the global DEI rollback has impacted the way brands show up for LGBTQIA+ communities.Gay Times' chief executive Tag Warner said the news outlet has lost £5m in ad revenue this year due to eight of its top ten advertisers pulling their contracts, and Thinkbox's head of marketing Chris Dunne, who is also chief executive of Outvertising
What makes an ad long-lasting?
Campaign asked this year’s A List cohort to name their favourite TV ad ahead of the upcoming 70th anniversary of commercial television. Guinness “Surfer” by AMV BBDO came out top.One trend that emerged from the choices was that many of the most popular ads were more than 25 years old. Armed with this finding, Campaign reporter Eszter Gurbicz wrote a feature exploring the industry’s love of old ads
Campaign Cannes Global Podcast Episode 3: Festival review & big winners
Campaign’s editors from around the world come together after the Lions festival for the final episode of the Campaign Cannes global podcast in partnership with Ocean Outdoor.We review the festival and talk about the work that won, the big trends that emerged, the first year of Campaign House and the best parties.Gideon Spanier (far left), the UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast and i
Campaign Cannes Global Podcast Episode 2: Live from Campaign House
Campaign’s editors from around the world come together at Campaign House at the Lions festival for the second episode of the Campaign Cannes global podcast in partnership with Ocean Outdoor.Gideon Spanier, the UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast and is joined by Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Nikita Mishra, editor of Campaign Asia, Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada, a
Campaign Cannes Global Podcast Episode 1: Lions and Campaign House preview
Campaign’s editors from around the world come together ahead of the Lions festival for the first episode of the Campaign Cannes global podcast in partnership with Ocean Outdoor.We preview the festival and talk about the work we want to win, the mood in the ad industry and Campaign House – our exciting new venue at Cannes. Gideon Spanier (centre in picture), the UK editor-in-chief of Campaign,
CTRL, ALT, CREATE: The new era of AI, content and digital storytelling
What is WPP Media?
Group M, the world's largest media buying group, has undergone a titanic course correction and "simplification", re-emerging as WPP Media. While the destination "makes sense", according to Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, the reorganisation is coming at a huge cost to those that work there.In February this year, The Campaign Podcast asked 'What is Group M?' and in the three months since,
What kind of Cannes Lions will it be in 2025?
Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2025 is only a few weeks away. With the prejudging completed last week, Campaign speaks to three jurors on what they're expecting this year at Cannes and what purpose the festival serves in a year of economic turbulence.Tech editor Lucy Shelley speaks to Kate Stanners, president of the Film Lions and global chief creative officer and chair of Saatchi & Saatchi;
What do companies need to win the talent race?
VCCP London’s chief executive Andrew Peake is the special guest in the studio, joining Campaign’s creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, deputy editor Gemma Charles and features editor Matt Barker.Andrew explains why VCCP are moving out of their home in London’s Victoria after 23 years and heading over to Fitzrovia, prompting a conversation among the quartet around the role that offices – and
Media360: Has social media killed the TV star?
Campaign hosted its star event Media360 in Brighton this week, gathering together leaders from UK media agencies, owners and businesses to discuss and question where media is headed in 2025.Hosted by the chief executives of Essencemediacom and Hearts & Science, Natalie Cummins and Garrett O’Rielly, the two days covered connecting with gen Z, what to do about AI and urged advertisers to support tru
Private View with Laura Rogers, Caitlin Ryan, Jonny Parker and Chris Birch
In this special episode of The Campaign Podcast, Charlotte Rawlings, deputy creativity and culture editor at Campaign, chats to four of the industry’s top creatives about some recent ads. Rawlings is joined by Laura Rogers, executive creative director at AMV BBDO; Jonny Parker and Chris Birch, joint chief creative officers at VCCP; and Caitlin Ryan, creative partner at Dentsu Creative. T
Is burnout getting worse in advertising?
The darker side of agency life reveals that burnout is still an issue in advertising. Adland is infamously known for late night calls, weekend pitch prep and a culture of long working hours being the norm. Four years ago Campaign launched an investigation into the darker side of agency work and in this year’s follow up, it seems little progress has been made.This week is Mental Health Awareness we
Why are brand experiences bucking the decline in marketing budgets trend?
Live experiences couldn't get more real. They provide consumers with a tangible connection to a brand. But in an era of declining third spaces, consumers need to be wowed if they are to venture out their homes to attend an event.Louisa O'Conner if the founder and managing director of experiential agency Seen Presents. She joins the podcast to discuss the change in consumer behaviour, why consumers
What happened to the progress in female creative leadership?
Women in creative leadership roles have been leaving adland. The IPA Census reported a decline in both of the last two years, down from 30% in 2022 to 25.6% in 2024. On top of this, the Census reported a widening pay gap, increasing to almost 20% in 2024.This episode welcomes Laura Jordan Bambach to the studio, founder and chief creative officer of female founded Uncharted. Alongside editor Maisie
Why are brands overcomplicating gaming?
Last week, the greats of UK media gathered in London to celebrate the Campaign Media Awards 2025. The coveted Commercial Team of the Year award went to LADbible while Spark Foundry’s Mondelez Team took home Agency Team of the Year.The winning Campaign of the Year was awarded to PHD and "Stream of (un)consciousness" for the British Heart Foundation. The gaming campaign worked with Twitch creators,
Will government AI regulation harm creative industries? With Omnicom's Michael Horn
In February this year, the UK government published a consultation on AI, proposing a change to current copyright legislation. It would allow tech companies to use creative works including film, TV and original journalism to train AI models without permission of the creators, unless they have opted out.It was met with harsh criticism, rallying "Make it fair" campaigns and rejections from both creat
Is there such a thing as an original (OOH) idea?
What links McDonald's "Iconic needs no explanation" by Leo Burnett, KFC's gravy take over of the BFI and Kellogg's "See you in the morning" also by Leo Burnett? These three ads are the latest in a line of out-of-home posters that zoom in on products, alter or remove logos and have minimal text. Tesco, Heinz and B&Q have also created similar ads.While this might be a trend, it certainly isn't new.
What happens to an agency after it wins an Agency of the Year award?
Campaign's Agency of the Year Awards took place last week celebrating the best shops in adland across creative, media, independent, customer engagement, start-up and more.This episode chats to three of the big winners: Mother, who took home Creative Agency of the Year, MG OMD which won Media Agency and Rapp which celebrated five awards with three golds: Performance Marketing Agency, New Business L
Why is principal-based media buying so controversial?
Principal-based media buying, which includes inventory media and proprietary media, has become a key practice for large agency groups, but it remains opaque, with finance trails and pricing structures largely in the dark. In March this year, ISBA updated its media services framework calling out media agencies for lack of transparency and "non-compliance", which it said has been leading to "te
What do Campaign's 2025 School Reports reveal about adland?
Campaign has released its biggest project of the year, reviewing and marking the top 92 agencies in the UK for Campaign's 2025 School Reports, in partnership with Nielsen.In this episode, Campaign's editorial team reveals its overall impression on the reports, what they divulge about the health of the industry by analysing the billings across media and creative and how diversity has been impacted
Is pre-testing a ‘no-brainer’? With Martin Beverley
"There is an unofficial reason why pre-testing is so popular, and that's that clients work in very complex organisations with lots of stakeholders," says Martin Beverley, former chief strategy officer at Adam & Eve/DDB.Beverley joins the Campaign team on the podcast to discuss the efficacy of pre-testing and its contentiousness in adland: some say data can stifle creativity while others argue it’s
Five years on from Covid, has the industry changed for the better?
"Unprecedented","furlough" and "bubbles" are a few of the words that are reminiscent of 2020. On 23rd March five years ago, the UK prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK was entering a lockdown as a result of the spread of Coronavirus. Now in 2025, the way in which we work has been upturned and a "new normal" is being established. As for the advertising industry, has it changed fo
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