Campaign Podcast

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 under 16s to improve digital safety, following Australia's ban in December, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying we “have to act”.Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms rely on advertising to make money. So whether a government ban or strict regulation of the platforms is the solution, this episode questions how much responsibility should the brands funding these platforms have.Jake Dubbins, managing director at Media Bounty and co-chair of Conscious Advertising Network, joins the episode alongside Campaign's UK editor Maisie McCabe and editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier. This episode is hosted by tech

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 produced an in-depth global report, The Inside Job, looking into what disciplines brands are in-housing, why they are luring agency talent and how they are collaborating with external agencies. In this episode, Niki Garner, director of ITV Creative, joins The Campaign Podcast to discuss the in-housing evolution, why she hires from agencies and how in-house teams can provide the most value. Garner was also named In-house Agency Leader at Campaign’s In-House agency awards last year.Joining from the Campaign team is data journalist Jamie Rossouw, co-author of The Inside Job, and premium content editor Nicola Merrif

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 provide 12% more food globally? How did the UK become a global leader in small satellite manufacture after the British Government said, “there’s no future for the UK satellite industry”? How did Elon Musk turn reusable rockets from science fiction to science fact in less than 20 years? What else are “Elon and Jeff” going to allow us to do? And why is SpaceX still “the elephant in the room”? Join Alice as she talks to Will Whitehorn, chair of giant space tech investor Seraphim and former president of Virgin Galactic, and they discuss the implications of “The Elon Musk show” and its legacy, “the beginnings of a com

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 satisfactory; 5 is adequate; 4 stands for below average; 3 is poor; 2, a year to forget and 1 warns that the shop's survival is in question. For the last two years, no 9s were given, but this year, there were four awarded. In this episode, Campaign's journalists discuss what the data revealed about individual agency health, how agencies fared in this year’s reports against difficult conditions and what goes into achieving a top score of 9. Premium content editor Nicola Merrifield, editor Maisie McCabe and media editor Beau Jackson join the episode hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley. Further r

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 in London.In this sponsored episode of The Campaign Podcast, Dentsu’s global head of gaming, Brent Koning, builds on that conversation and goes further. He delves into gaming’s role as an immersive social space, and why it remains one of the most underutilised channels in the marketing mix. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 wider business? How does this manifest as tech connectivity in telecoms and why do farmers care about that? What did we learn about the benefits of extreme cold in manufacturing laboratories and why do pharmas care about that? How vulnerable are global logistics to the spoofing of navigation signals? And why is the UK government centralising space strategy in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology? Join Alice and Jonners as they reflect on the UK space sector’s largest trade event and the “energy, diversity and …sheer scope of what this industry has to offer”. Contributors:Alice Bunn, 

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 the mistakes brands make when approaching gaming and how to capitalise on the audience's active engagement.Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joined by the event’s host media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further reading:McDonald's taps into nostalgia with trading card promotionReplacing the funnel: the three pillars of modern gaming marketing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Levi's iconic denim ad and Apple Watch and Rebook's "Belly's going to get you" in 2000.Some creatives argue that ads can get away with copying if it's "over five years old and 5000 miles away", while others suggest it is "lazy" and creatives should be "named and shamed".Host tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joined by deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe.Further reading:Is there such a thing as an original (OOH) idea?Is pre-testing a ‘no-brainer’? With Martin BeverleyComing up in the Campaign calendar:Influencer360 on 28th April

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 and astronauts. But it's actually about sustainability, infrastructure, observation, communication and increasingly, manufacturing. Not a lot of people know that. For the space industry to fully realise its potential it needs more of the right people to understand what’s happening and get involved. People like policy makers, investors, regulators, planners, lawyers and consultants.In this first episode of The Karman Line, Dr Alice Bunn, the president of UK Space, and her panel of guests, Sam Alden co-CEO of Space Solar, Nick Shave managing director of Astroscale and Anushka Sharma founder of Naaut, di

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 from a holding company structure to a single company with four core divisions – WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions. These will be led across four regions globally.In this episode, the Campaign team breaks down the announcements and what it means for WPP’s agencies, look at how the company compares to its competitors and discuss if Rose's plan will work. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode which includes Spanier alongside editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further reading:WPP Media and VML drive 8% UK decline for WPPWPP Cr

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 Campaign team discuss some of the A Listers' perspectives, including how to be innovative in uncertain times, and what outfits they wear to a pitch.Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes deputy editor Gemma Charles, editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading:The 2026 A List: 'Massive fuckin' traitors', 'Method Pitchers' and AI-induced boredomHalf of VCCP's current jobs didn't exist at launch, CEO saysThe A List and it’s completely different but it’s also still the A ListCampaign A List 2026: How leaders a

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, Pinterest, Omnicom, WPP, Publicis and the National Theatre joined to share their perspectives from the top.Campaign's media journalists hosted the event: media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis. The pair join tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley to discuss the future of the media planner and buyer, what part creativity plays in the media plan, how media planners work alongside AI and what challenges media agency leaders are facing this year.Further reading:What does it take to be a media agency chief investment officer?'Frustrating' and 'disappointing': media buyers on Google's act

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, Anthropic, Squarespace, E.l.f Cosmetics, Pringles, Dove and Bud Light. They also comment on whether this year’s ads are better than those of previous years. Kolbusz said: "The theme for me this year was that people are starting to figure out the Super Bowl again. I think the last five or so years have just been an absolute tragedy."Further reading:Super Bowl 2026 round-up: watch the adsPringles "Can hands" by Grey London Campaign calendar:Audio Advertising Awards: final entry deadline on 12th February, with multi-entry discounts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 director at Octagon to discuss some of the biggest mistakes brands make when creating brand experiences around the World Cup, and why advertisers should be thinking community first, not country first.Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with Campaign's deputy editor Gemma Charles and creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:Beyond borders: why countries don’t define modern fandomFifa 2026’s longer tournament window presents a golden opportunity for fan activationsIdentity launches global sports propositionThe Year Ahead 2026: Cultural trendsThe Year Ahead 2026: Experiences

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 episode of The Campaign Podcast is hosted by Lucy Shelley and features editor Maisie McCabe, creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further reading:Eight new agencies to watch in 2026Seven creative agencies to watch in 2026Eight media agencies to watch in 2026If 'agencies to watch' grow into 'top agencies' and other conundrumsLePub launches in London led by Gina Hood‘The Grey-naissance’: Helen Rhodes plans ‘dollop of stupidity and naivety’ in Grey's return to creative gloryAce of&nb

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 Mother, and Magnus Djaba, chief client officer and Publicis Groupe. This bonus episode of The Campaign Podcast features the entire panel which discusses the impact of AI, structural shifts within agencies and how people should care for each other during timed of change.The Year Ahead Breakfast Briefing featured adland leaders talking about the trends and strategies for 2026, across creativity, technology, leadership, brands and media.Further reading:Agencies need to be AI literate to keep up with clients, Gravity Road global ECD warnsCreativity will see a return to ‘raw human honesty’ in 2026, Kyle Harman

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 of fandom as consumers are wanting more from brands. Gravity Road's global executive creative director said agencies need to be AI literate to keep up with clients, while creativity will see a return to "raw human honesty" in 2026, said Kyle Harman-Turner, creative partner and executive creative director at FCB London.In this episode, Campaign's journalists who were at the event and on the panels dig into what the industry’s leaders predict for 2026, and why. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joined by deputy editor Gemma Charles, premium content editor Nicola Merrifield and deputy creativity and culture ed

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 the shortlist for IKEA was announced with Just Eat also yet to conclude. In this episode, Campaign digs into the state of new business last year, and where the opportunities lie in 2026, examining which sectors and disciplines will likely see more pitches over the next 12 months.Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode featuring Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, data journalist for Campaign Red Jamie Rossouw and deputy news editor, Marianne Calnan-Holland.Further reading:The CMO Outlook 2026UK new-business rankings: latest 2025Two-thirds of CMOs 'definitely' pitching in next

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 resolutions should be, what the industry should give up and what is coming up in 2026. Over the next few weeks, Campaign is releasing essays on the year ahead and the top agencies to watch.Editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis join the episode, hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:The Year Ahead 2026: Media agenciesThe Year Ahead 2026: StrategyThe Lists 2025: Top 20 film adsThe Lists 2024: Top 10 campaignsHas 2025 been the year f

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.