The Campaign Podcast

From Catbird Seat which was unveiled earlier this month through to a few other recent launches such as Baby Teeth, Ace of Hearts and 05:37 Brand Studio, agencies are thinking long and hard about their branding. But how much do these monikers matter, is it just about the work and the people? And what what are some of the pitfalls when you get it wrong?Campaign's editorial team explore these questions and more. Deputy editor Gemma Charles hosts the episode and is joined by UK editor Maisie McCabe, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:Can we talk about the indie surge?Larissa Vince and Andy Jex launch Catbird SeatRichard Huntington launches FeralCan we talk about strategy, Feral and untethered in space?Lynsey Atkin, Chris Watling and Rebecca Lewis launch start-up Baby TeethRichard Brim, Martin Beverley and Polly McMorrow launch Ace of Hearts

As the Fifa World Cup gets closer to crowning the winner, Campaign invites advertising creatives to review a selection of ads that are celebrating the football tournament.The episode includes Richard Brim, founder and chief creative officer at Ace of Hearts; Carren O’Keefe, chief creative officer at Digitas, and Dan Watts, chief creative officer at Pablo London. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, the guests critique six ads, including the rival Nike and Adidas films, and discuss whether it was a vintage year for World Cup ads.The ads discussed are:Nike x Palace "England x Palace" (in-house)BBC “Let’s make it iconic” by BBC CreativeNike Football “Rip the script” by Wieden & KennedyAdidas “Backyard legends” by Lola US Paddy Power “Nobody does football better than us” by BBH LondonUber Eats “Who could cook at a time like this?” by MotherFurther reading:Nike vs Adidas: Who won the battle of the World Cup ads?World Cup 2026 round-up: Snapchat, Deliveroo, Hilton, Asda and moreHow brands hijacked Fifa's logo ban to earn attention and share of voiceNike’s 'Rip the script' to become longest ad ever to air on ITVWorld Cup kick-off draws 7.7 million as ITV 'breaks record for commercial success'

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 by Maisie McCabe, Campaign's UK editor, Gurjit Degun, creativity and culture editor, and Charlotte Rawlings, deputy creativity and culture editor. The team discuss whether taste is an objective truth, which was the topic of a debate hosted by McCabe during the festival, Campaign’s daily livestream Live in Five, and how the UK performed.The guests also reflect on Campaign’s Cannes Contenders, the pieces of work the editorial team thought deserved to win big at the awards such as Claude’s “A time and a place” by Mother and Coinbase’s “Your way out” by Isle of Any.Further reading:Claude and Mother win Film Grand Prix at Cannes 2026Cannes Contenders: CoinbaseCannes Contenders: AnthropicCannes Contenders: Waitrose & PartnersThe Cannes taste debate: David Kolbusz, Lynsey Atkin, Chaka Sobhani and Rick BrimWieden & Kennedy's Ana Balarin: Craft can be a distraction from weak ideasCannes Lions 2026: final UK winners table

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 advertising business marketing at SpotifyAlexander Högman, CEO of CamphouseLucie Guillerminet, vice president of marketing at Match Group.Together, they unpack why today's increasingly busy media landscape may actually present marketers with a competitive advantage. From changing consumer behaviours and the evolution of media planning to the growing importance of campaign data, the discussion explores how brands can embrace complexity instead of trying to simplify it.Whether you're grappling with audience fragmentation, looking to get more value from your campaign data or considering how AI can support your marketing operations, this conversation offers practical insights into why the marketers who organise for complexity today may be the ones who outperform tomorrow.

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 of Campaign US, Nikita Mishra, editor of Campaign Asia, and Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada.This is the last of three Campaign Cannes Global Podcast episodes. We previewed the festival in episode one and reported on the ground from Campaign House at Cannes in episode two.Further reading:Cannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning workCannes Lions 2026: final UK winners tableOgilvy, LePub Milan and Heineken win network, agency and brand of year at Cannes Lions 2026Can we talk about 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, alongside Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Jameson Fleming, editorial director of Campaign US, Vinita Bhatia, editor of Campaign India, and Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada.This is the second of three Cannes global podcast episodes. The third episode will look back on Cannes and be released in the week after the festival.Further reading:Cannes Lions 2026: rolling UK winners tableCannes Lions round-up: UK Grand Prix wins, shortlists & high mane-tenance horses

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 would like to see win and the mood in the ad industry.Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast, alongside Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Nikita Mishra, editor of Campaign Asia, Jameson Fleming, editorial director of Campaign US, Vinita Bhatia, editor of Campaign India, and Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada.This is the first of three Cannes global podcast episodes. The second episode will be recorded at Campaign House and published during the festival and the final episode will look back on Cannes and be released the following week.See the full agenda for Campaign House at: https://www.campaignatcannes.com/

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 Edinburgh. Why, the idea that Britain could compete alone with the technologies that were accumulated and available to the American capitalist system was “simply laughable”. Why “being European is not selling out British interests”. And why Margaret Thatcher told him: “If you want to get on and put your budget into this, you can, but you're not getting any of mine." Join Alice and Lord Heseltine as they pick apart the negotiating contrivances and the wheeling and dealing to circumnavigate “turkeys not voting for Christmas” that ultimately put European space on the map.Contributors:Alice Bunn, President of UKspace Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedInUKspace: Overview | LinkedIn Lord Heseltine, Member of the House of LordsKey topics covered:Creation of the European Space Agency (ESA)US "Star Wars" program and brain drainGeopolitical case for European R&D collaborationImpact of Brexit on science and technology

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 join the episode. They discuss the new transparency guidelines and how it's impacted the judging process, the added AI subcategory in the craft awards and which work they think will win. Morrissey who is judging the media lions said that the entrants are leaning more towards entertainment this year, while Brook-Partridge and Rhodes argued that craft becomes even more valuable with the insurgence of AI.Campaign will be at Cannes with a full week of sessions at Campaign House, including interviews with WPP chief executive Cindy Rose, Publicis Groupe chief executive, Arthur Sadoun, will.i.am, and a chat with Ian Russell, chair of the Molly Rose foundation on the safety and accountability of digital platforms.Further reading:Cannes Contenders: InstacartCannes Contenders: Waitrose & PartnersCannes Contenders: AnthropicCannes Contenders: BournvilleCannes Contenders: McDonald’sComing up in the Campaign calendar: The Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards second entry deadline has been extended to Thursday 28 May.