The Campaign Podcast

"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 for the better, or is it still looking back to years gone by?In this episode, the campaign team will answer the question if adland has indeed changed for the better, how hybrid working has affected creative and media teams, what has happened to DEI and the impact that new ways of working has had on young people.Hosted by Campaign tech editor Lucy Shelley, the episode includes editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, deputy editor Gemma Charles and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:Five years after Covid, live events are thriving – what’s fuelling the resurgence?Will return-to-office mandates push back inclusion?When will adland go back to five days in office?WPP employees push back on return-to-office policy with petitionA year that has changed the ad industry for the betterThe coronavirus crisis: countdown to the fastest advertising downturn in historyRead Campaign's May 2020 issue in full

Holding company solutions are on the rise, particularly for large clients whose spend is in the £100 millions. Publicis Flame is the latest to ignite, created after Santander appointed Publicis Groupe to its global creative and media business. Ongoing pitches include Natwest which is also looking for a single holding company to take on its media and creative business.Holding companies have been expanding their offerings across creative, media, tech and data to service client needs, but do these solutions really work? And what becomes of the individual agency brands when amalgamated into one solution? Campaign's journalists gather in the studio to discuss.This episode features editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, creativity and culture editor Alessandra Scotto di Santolo and media editor Beau Jackson. It is hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:Santander on its shift to one global agency, why it picked Publicis and how ‘data is key’Will more agencies move to a holding company solution for their biggest clients?Pfizer moves creative from IPG to Publicis after just 10 monthsWPP’s Mark Read on client demand for AI and fewer agency partnersWPP triumphs over Publicis Groupe to win Centrica's integrated reviewBritish Gas turns up the heat with media, creative and below-the-line reviewBritish Gas appoints media and creative agenciesWPP wins majority of $4 billion Coca-Cola businessThe $100m question for agencies

One would think that the answer to "what is Group M?" would be a short one, but after many changes, mergers, shuffles and dissolutions at WPP's media arm in the last 12 months, the answer is not so.Group M is the largest media buying group in the world and in this episode, Campaign's journalists discuss what the company was when it began in the early 2000s, what has happened in the last 12 months including losing Sky, the closure of EssenceMediacom X and axing its global agency CEO roles, and what it is now. The team examines Group M's relationship with its agency brands, their identity, and what the future holds for the media group.This episode features media editor Beau Jackson, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and editor Maisie McCabe. It is hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:Henkel assigns €500m expanded European media accountUnilever announces result of global media review with six rivals sharing dutiesFormer Group M China executives to face Shanghai court over bribery allegationsGroup M upgrades UK advertising growth forecast from 4.4% to 7.7% in 2025WPP wants NCA's Midas touch as it battles to revive fortunesHow important are agency brands?Amazon splits global media between two networks after competitive reviewGroup M builds new global growth and marketing team under Toby Jenner

The advertising industry accounts for 3% to 4% of global emissions, twice that of the aviation industry, found research from the IAB. Is it truly making an effort to reduce its impact on the environment?In this episode, Campaign speaks to Stephen Woodford, chief executive of the Advertising Association, on its Ad Net Zero program, the power adland holds in making positive change and whether tech platforms really doing enough.Before we speak to Stephen, Campaign's journalists gather to discuss media's varying impact, what happens to agencies with fossil fuel clients, and AI's impact on the environment. Hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features creativity and culture editor Alessandra Scotto di Santolo, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Coming up in the Campaign calendar: Campaign Agency of the Year Global Awards deadlineFurther reading:Vodafone cuts media carbon footprint by a third‘Reputational damage comes from hypocrisy’: why some agencies are pulling back from fossil fuel clients – and others are notHalf of adland believes advertising has negative environmental impactNo lights, cameras or action: how adland is adapting to production interruption

In this bonus episode of The Campaign Podcast, Charlotte Rawlings, deputy creativity and culture editor at Campaign, is joined by Maisie McCabe, Campaign’s UK editor, to discuss the ads that aired throughout the 59th Super Bowl on 10 February. Rawlings and McCabe are joined by Lynsey Atkin, outgoing chief creative officer at McCann London; Noel Bunting, CCO at Publicis London; and David Kolbusz, CCO at Orchard. The trio of creatives discuss Buffalo sauce, Steve Rogers’ love for donkeys and whether the Super Bowl formula of celebrity cameos is truly effective. Listen to their opinions on Uber Eats, Squarespace, Stella Artois and more. Further reading:‘Fast and Furious’ stars chill out in Häagen-Dazs’ Super Bowl spotDon’t study the Super Bowl ads, study the fandomNike uses its first platform on the Super Bowl stage in 27 years to challenge double standard in women's sportsChannel 4 ad takes Super Bowl literallyAre advertisers over-investing in the Super Bowl?

When a new boss steps in to lead an agency, they must weigh up how much they change the business and how much the business changes them.Conrad Persons, president of Grey London, who joins the podcast team in this latest epsiode, says: "'That’s how we do things round here' is one of the most abominable phrases in business."Persons is joined by Campaign's deputy editor, Gemma Charles, and premium content editor, Nicola Merrifield. The episode, hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley, looks at balancing change, the importance of likability and technology's impact on leadership. Last year a raft of CEOs in the industry swapped seats, making news headlines across adland. They included Natalie Cummins, who left Publicis Media after 17 years to become CEO of EssenceMediacom, and Kate Rowlinson, who became Group M CEO. Xavier Rees left Havas as group CEO of UK creative to lead Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, and the subject of Campaign’s Top people move of the year, James Murphy, became group CEO of Ogilvy after selling NCA to WPP.So how does a new agency leader make their mark, and how much change is too much?Further reading:What advice would you give adland’s new crop of CEOs?EssenceMediacom UK CEO says media clients want answers, not theoryT&Pm appointed Victoria Appleby as UK CEONeverland promoted Josh Harris to CEOSaatchi & Saatchi hired Claire Hollands as CEOPaul Knight named CEO at PHD UK.

As we approach Covid's five year anniversary, much has changed about the world of work and where we do it.After WPP's chief executive Mark Read announced that the holding company will be mandating four days a week, adland has had plenty to say on the approach to hybrid working. A petition was started by WPP employees to revoke the order and has almost reached 20,000 signatures. (It is open for anyone to sign up).Three weeks since, the topic is still one of Campaign’s most read. In this episode Campaign's editorial team discusses what happens next and asks if and when adland will go back to a five day week. Hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features editor, Maisie McCabe, editor-in chief, Gideon Spanier and deputy creativity and culture editor, Charlotte Rawlings. They question whether there is a correlation between presence in the office and business success.Further reading:Revealed: Latest hybrid working policies across 'big six' agency groupsWhat does adland make of WPP’s four office days per week mandate?Is Publicis’ dismissal of staff for return-to-office violations a sign of things to come?WPP boss Mark Read hits back at employee vitriol over back-to-office mandateOne in six agencies increased number of office days in 2023

Sneezing, coughing and catching a cold from the other side of the Atlantic might be this year's theme for UK advertisers.In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, host and tech editor Lucy Shelley is joined by deputy editor Gemma Charles, features editor Matt Barker and culture and creativity editor Alessandra Scotto di Santolo. The team discusses brands' reaction to Trump's re-election, after his inauguration on 20 January, and to Meta's overhaul of its global DEI programmes and US fact-checking policies. From purposeful ad campaigns that will bridge divides in society, to the re-adjustment of media spend on social media platforms, the Campaign team reveals industry leaders' reactions to US politics' effects on adland. Further reading:Meta scraps fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram Outvertising announces it will no longer work with MetaAdvertisers need not fear a heightened political climate The short-sightedness of caving to the culture warFrom inauguration to insight: how brands can bridge divides in a polarised worldHow can UK adland champion DE&I in the Donald Trump era? The Year Ahead 2025: Brands

"It's time to ditch the 'R' word," said Nik Wheatley last year in an article on Campaign that exposed the regional divide that exists in adland, and the danger of categorising everywhere outside of London as the 'regions'. It was revealed that £250m in billings has been lost from the North West to London in recent years, due to agencies relocations and advertisers bulling their business from northern agencies.In this episode, Wheatley dials in from his Manchester media agency Notorious Communications along with deputy media editor Beau Jackson and editor Maisie McCabe. The episode is hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley. They discuss the regoinal divide, its impact beyond client wins and media investment and what role intermediaries play. They evaluate the edge that agencies outside of London have over shops in the capital, what is needed to level the playing field and if we will see a battle of the independents this year.Further reading:Popping the London bubbleManchester's media boom: 'Mancs genuinely believe they can change the world'London media should wake up to the power of the regionsWhy brands should look outside the London bubbleBrexit: It's time to get out of your London bubble and understand the nation