The Campaign Podcast
Campaign
Recent Episodes
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 and Baby Teeth, while Ark Agency and Uncharted came into their second year. Plus, IPG sold R/GA and Huge separately to private equity, also becoming independent.
So now the year is almost up, Campaign's editorial team discuss whether independent media and creative agencies have benefited from distraction caused by the holding companies. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode and is joined by creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, media editor Beau Jackson and editor Maisie McCabe.
Further reading:
Omnicom reveals huge agency shake-up, unveils new leadership, cuts 4000 jobs
Ace of Hearts: dealing adland a new hand
Troy Ruhanen: 'I wouldn't have taken OAG job if it was all about efficiency and smashing things'
Group M tells staff about redundancies as restructure hits UK
Omnicom cut 3000 roles during 2024 ahead of IPG takeover move
Mega merger adds to existing questions for Interpublic
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 "That's what makes it Christmas" by BBH and Disney's holiday short by Adam&Eve/DDB. Tesco and M&S Fashion, Home and Beauty replaced their longer TV ad with a series of shorter videos, while Waitrose produced a four minute rom-com style short film.
Campaign's creativity team, creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, join editor Maisie McCabe to discuss why brands have altered the ‘typical’ Christmas ad format and it's role in the wider channel mix alongside social. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosted the episode.
Further reading:
Waitrose’s festive film the most watched 8pm slot on TV on 12 November
Why Waitrose's 'The perfect gift' went rom-com for Christmas cut-through
Waitrose & Partners turns BFI Imax into 'Piemax'
Give the people what they want: the strategy behind Waitrose & Partners' Christmas campaign
M&S celebrates beauty of hosting in next phase of festive campaign
White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood will no longer appear in M&S Christmas ad
How are the LHF restrictions affecting Christmas ads and beyond?
What trends are shaping this year's Christmas ads season?
Christmas 2025 round-up: watch all the festive ads
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 will be compulsory for brands.
In this episode, Campaign's editorial team discuss the festive ads from big brands like Waitrose, Tesco and M&S Food, and how the restrictions have impacted their creative campaigns and media plans. Are the ads devoid of Christmas food, or have brands found loopholes to feature their less healthy food products?
Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings and media editor Beau Jackson.
Further reading:
Christmas 2025 round-up: watch all the festive ads
Is adland ready for the less healthy food ad restrictions?
How to avoid detention over less healthy food ad rules
ISBA warns NHS' 10 Year Health Plan could mean more products may be covered by LHF rules
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 joined in the studio by creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings and editor Maisie McCabe.
This episode was recorded last week, and discusses the following ads:
John Lewis & Partners “Where love lives” by Saatchi & Saatchi
Sainsbury’s “The unexpected guest” by New Commercial Arts
Marks & Spencer Food “Traffic jamming” (in-house)
M&S Fashion, Home and Beauty "Give the gift" by Mother
TK Maxx "Festive Farm" by Wieden & Kennedy London (2023)
Amazon "Joy ride" (in-house) (2023)
Asda “A very merry Grinchmas” by Lucky Generals
Boots “Gift happily ever after” by VML/The Pharm
Further reading:
Christmas 2025 round-up: watch all the festive ads
John Lewis Christmas ad reaction: 'Soft nostalgia', 'middle of the pack', 'copy magic'
‘We made the music the gift’: Saatchis and John Lewis on nostalgia, emotion and 1990s bangers
'Brilliant brand fit' BFG stars in Sainsbury’s Christmas ad
What do you think of the first wave of Christmas ads?
What are your hopes for this year’s crop of Christmas ads?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 Media Week Awards was a successful night for many newsbrands, including The Telegraph, which took home the coveted Sales Team of the Year.
This episode of The Campaign Podcast asks whether advertisers are moving away from trusted journalism or alternatively whether newsbrands are fighting back and seeing a resurgence. James Bailey, UK chief executive of Dentsu’s iProspect, joins the episode alongside Adam Foley, chief executive of independent agency Bountiful Cow and former director of UK advertising for the Guardian as well as founder of the News Alliance, a cross-industry coalition to encourage advertisers to support trusted news and journalism.
Hosted by Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes UK editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.
Further reading:
'Utterly ruinous': media agency boss on the impact of ad blocking on news brands
Media 360: Media industry is ‘sentencing news to death’ and ignoring its effectiveness
Majority of execs believe brand safety in news harms advertisers
Ahead of Trump's second term, Meta to scrap fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram
Mars and Unilever on 'moral and business responsibility' to improve online safety
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.