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The Campaign Podcast

Campaign

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

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  • 28 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 29 min
  • English

Episodes 28

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  • S4 · E106
    Tuesday · 42 min

    Which TV campaigns have defined the medium?

    Campaign's TV Advertising Summit took place in September, in partnership with Netflix, Sky Media and Dailymotion, questioning how the TV ad landscape has been remodelled, and what advertisers need to do to get ahead. Brands, media owners and agencies spoke at and attended the event, which ended with a session hosted by Lindsey Clay, chief executive of the TV marketing body Thinkbox, with three panellists: Elisabetta Farroni, brand director and executive creative director at Visa; Regan Warner, executive creative director at M&C Saatchi UK; and Aidan McClure, co-founder and chief creative officer at Wonderhood Studios. This episode features a recording of the session, where the panellists take us through their top TV campaigns that have defined the medium, both from their own work and the ads they wished they made. Before the session, Campaign’s deputy media editor Shauna Lewis joins tech and multimedia editor to discuss the top takeaways from the day, including competition with Big Tech and how Sky's acquisition of ITV impacts media buying. The ads mentioned: Waitrose & Partners "The perfect gift" by Wonderhood Studios Visa "Level up your game" by VaynerMedia EMEA The Department for Education “Get out of the everyday. Get into teaching” by M&C Saatchi Group UK Magnum ad shows how buying copycat ice-cream can destroy a relationship Confused.com brings familiar sayings to life through puppetry Monzo “Get busy living” by BBH London Nike “Stairs” by Wieden & Kennedy Portland Anthropic Super Bowl ad highlights its AI assistant Claude Twix "Camping" by Adam & Eve/DDB Further reading: Netflix UK's Ed Couchman: You can build a whole media plan on SVOD Channel 4 calls for 'robust scrutiny' of ITV-Sky merger UK competition watchdog launches inquiry into Sky/ITV deal Will ITV generate enough ad revenue to earn £200m payout from Sky? 'One of the biggest shake-ups in UK TV': the potential impact of Sky-ITV 'I don’t think advertisers care enough yet': ITV's Kelly Williams on Meta Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E105
    September 22 · 32 min

    What happens when DEI is centralised?

    Omnicom has moved to centralise impact and inclusion capabilities at group level. This led to Lucky Generals cutting its social impact lead Lameya Chaudhury. Other holding companies including WPP and Publicis also have central DEI teams, so in this episode we are asking what it means to “centralise inclusion” and the impacts of doing so. Hosted by Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes Dino Myers-Lamptey, founder at The Barber Shop and trustee of Brixton Finishing School, former media editor Beau Jackson and data journalist Jamie Rossouw. Further reading: Professor Arday’s death should make brands consider the media ecosystem they fund Podcast: Should an agency be judged by its diversity? Xavier Rees: Adland leaders have “responsibility to speak up for inclusivity” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E104
    September 15 · 26 min

    Does Publicis' PepsiCo coup mean pitching is changing?

    Over the last two weeks, adland has seen some major changes for two of the biggest global media accounts: PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. In a shock move, Publicis Groupe took PepsiCo’s global media account from longtime incumbent Omnicom without a pitch, and pulled out of the contest for Coca-Cola’s international media, tech and data account in a two way pitch against WPP. As a result of Publicis taking rival Pepsico’s global account, Coke’s North America media account is now set to review with Omnicom and Dentsu understood to be in the running, and WPP not competing. In this episode, Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joined by editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and UK editor Maisie McCabe to look into how Publicis managed to swipe PepsiCo's business without any pitch and what it means for purpose and value of the pitch process. Further reading: Omnicom ‘proud’ of PepsiCo media work as it reels from global loss and stock drops 5% WPP closing in on Coca-Cola’s international media, data and tech account Pepsi-Publicis coup will change how other brands and agency groups behave Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E103
    September 8 · 23 min

    What should adland prioritise for the final quarter of 2026?

    The final three months of the year are some of the most important in adland. Known as the golden quarter, the year closes with a final push to meet targets, helped by some of the biggest commercial moments of the year including Black Friday and of course, Christmas. In this episode, Campaign is looking into how agencies and advertisers should approach the final three months, what their top priorities are and how this golden quarter will be different from previous years. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, the episode includes Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, UK editor Maisie McCabe and creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun. Plus, Campaign has today (8 September) launched a new website with a refreshed look and revamped navigation. Further reading: Will Andy Burnham’s social media strategy work? UK competition watchdog launches inquiry into Sky/ITV deal Will ITV generate enough ad revenue to earn £200m payout from Sky? 'One of the biggest shake-ups in UK TV': the potential impact of Sky-ITV Is there a new 'big four' in adland? Publicis pulls out of Coca-Cola global media pitch after PepsiCo win PepsiCo appoints Publicis Groupe to global media without a pitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E102
    September 1 · 30 min

    Does Dish from Waitrose’s success prove branded entertainment works?

    Waitrose's branded podcast recently passed one billion downloads, views and listens, staking a claim as the world’s most successful branded podcast, while also receiving the most nominations for this year's British Podcast Awards. Media and entertainment are becoming more ever closer, so in this episode, Campaign digs into why branded content is on the rise, what makes it good and questions whether Dish’s success can be achieved by other brands. The team discusses how brands don't want to "rent" their audiences, but own them, the struggle of too many chief executives wanting to be on the podcast and how branded content performs compared to other forms of media. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Lucinda Rouse, multimedia editor of Campaign’s innovation team, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading: Aardman moves into branded content partnerships LBC sees record quarter amid geopolitical unrest British Podcast Awards 2026 shortlist revealed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E101
    August 25 · 35 min

    Will Andy Burnham’s social media strategy work?

    Since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July, he has been producing social media content with creators and has garnered over half a million followers in TikTok and over 700,000 on Instagram. But will a social media-focused strategy work for the PM? Benedict Pringle, partner and global client lead at T&P and host of The Political Marketing Podcast, joins the episode this week to discuss why Burnham has chosen social media to speak to voters, the risks involved and if it will work or not. Hosted by Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode also includes UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading: What Andy Burnham's social-first strategy teaches agencies Andy Burnham is 'proactive' towards online safety, Ian Russell says Adland reacts as Andy Burnham reappoints Lisa Nandy as culture secretary Could Andy Burnham's rise put the accent on regional pride in adland? Which party won the social media election? Alastair Campbell on combative politics, social media and who will lead the UK ‘A headache to enforce’: What does adland think of Andy Burnham’s subscription crackdown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E100
    August 18 · 28 min

    Q2 results: Is Cindy Rose’s Elevate28 plan working?

    WPP reported its Q2 results in the last few weeks, six months after chief executive Cindy Rose launched its three year Elevate28 plan to turn the holding company’s fortunes around. Now almost a year into her role, Rose said the network has “everything it needs” to achieve its plan, with analysts calling the results “better than expected” and a “glimmer of hope”. In this episode, Campaign's journalists look at how Rose is “fighting” for business, whether the Elevate28 plan is actually working and how the holding company and its competitor set are doing. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Campaign's UK editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis. Further reading: Five key charts behind WPP’s Q2 2026 results Cindy Rose more than doubles WPP's bonus pool Can we talk about WPP's cuts? Is the agency sector ‘in a good place’? Havas' Yannick Bolloré: Agency sector is now ‘in a good place’ as perceptions have ‘flipped’ Omnicom records 6.1% increase in organic growth in Q2 2026 Publicis raises 2026 guidance and reports 4.8% growth in Q2 Publicis’ Arthur Sadoun: 'We have never wanted to be an AI company' Havas reports 2.5% expansion in Q2 but UK growth 'slightly negative' Will Cindy Rose's plan save WPP? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E99
    August 11 · 36 min

    Is AI making pitching more stressful?

    Pitching is what many call the “lifeblood” of agencies, but also the cause of their biggest strain. Almost three-quarters of adland employees have considered leaving the industry due to new-business-related stress, found research from The Great Pitch Poll 2026 published this summer, which also revealed that client expectations and demands relating to AI have increased pressure. AI and LLMs are also impacting the search and selection process for pitches, with clients using them to suggest agencies to shortlist. This episode of The Campaign Podcast features Campaign's journalists discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching and making it more stressful. Campaign's media editor Beau Jackson, senior reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe. we are discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching, making it more stressful and if the process still works. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode. Further reading: ChatGPT is telling clients to invite my agency to pitch – it's shifting the playing field Are clients becoming more demanding? Can we talk about the ingredients of VCCP's new-business potion? Netflix ad tools could see 'agentic AIs talking to each other' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E98
    August 4 · 26 min

    Is media becoming more like entertainment?

    At Cannes Lions this year, the Media Lions grand prix went to Uber Eats’ “Build your own Super Bowl commercial” by Special US, a campaign which acts as a form of entertainment for the viewers. This win followed Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect and Chief Growth Officer of Media at dentsu, who was a juror on the Media Lions and said on The Campaign Podcast that judging the media category was more like judging an entertainment category. Plus, Publicis Groupe acquired sports and entertainment agency 160over90 this year, which will sit in the holding company's media division. Campaign's journalists discuss how much media is becoming more like entertainment, with insights from the jury press conferences. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with media editor Beau Jackson, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading: Adidas UK wins Entertainment Lion Grands Prix for Oasis work Cannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning work Cannes 2026 Cannes Lions debrief: how did the UK work perform? Cannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation' Mindshare New York wins Media Lions Grand Prix Gut’s 'Handshake hunt' takes home Media Lions Grand Prix for Mercado Libre Media Lions Grand Prix goes to Leo Burnett Sydney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E97
    July 21 · 36 min

    What’s in an agency name?

    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 Seat Richard Huntington launches Feral Can we talk about strategy, Feral and untethered in space? Lynsey Atkin, Chris Watling and Rebecca Lewis launch start-up Baby Teeth Richard Brim, Martin Beverley and Polly McMorrow launch Ace of Hearts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E96
    July 8 · 36 min

    World Cup ads review: Nike, Adidas, Palace, BBC, Paddy Power and Uber Eats

    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 Creative Nike Football “Rip the script” by Wieden & Kennedy Adidas “Backyard legends” by Lola US Paddy Power “Nobody does football better than us” by BBH London Uber Eats “Who could cook at a time like this?” by Mother Further reading: Nike vs Adidas: Who won the battle of the World Cup ads? World Cup 2026 round-up: Snapchat, Deliveroo, Hilton, Asda and more How brands hijacked Fifa's logo ban to earn attention and share of voice Nike’s 'Rip the script' to become longest ad ever to air on ITV World Cup kick-off draws 7.7 million as ITV 'breaks record for commercial success' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E95
    July 2 · 26 min

    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 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 2026 Cannes Contenders: Coinbase Cannes Contenders: Anthropic Cannes Contenders: Waitrose & Partners The Cannes taste debate: David Kolbusz, Lynsey Atkin, Chaka Sobhani and Rick Brim Wieden & Kennedy's Ana Balarin: Craft can be a distraction from weak ideas Cannes Lions 2026: final UK winners table Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 30 · 28 min

    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 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 work Cannes Lions 2026: final UK winners table Ogilvy, LePub Milan and Heineken win network, agency and brand of year at Cannes Lions 2026 Can we talk about taste? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 25 · 21 min

    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, 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 table Cannes Lions round-up: UK Grand Prix wins, shortlists & high mane-tenance horses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 19 · 28 min

    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 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E94
    June 16 · 32 min

    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 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: Instacart Cannes Contenders: Waitrose & Partners Cannes Contenders: Anthropic Cannes Contenders: Bournville Cannes Contenders: McDonald’s Coming up in the Campaign calendar: The Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards second entry deadline has been extended to Thursday 28 May. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E93
    June 9 · 29 min

    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 introduced a set of "integrity standards" to ban agencies for up to three years that submit "wilfully false" campaigns. Campaign's UK editor Maisie McCabe recently spoke to Cannes Lions on the new awards process and "necessary" reset to the standards. In this episode, Campaign's editorial team discuss how the awards will be different this year, both for those that have entered and the juries that are judging them, and what the industry makes of the changes. Plus, the team reveal how the Cannes Lions is making efforts to reduce bias in the judging rooms. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes McCabe, creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun and reporter Eszter Gurbicz. It was edited by Haymarket's producer Inga Marsden. Further reading: Cannes Lions retires Creative Company of the Year Award Decade-old Sainsbury’s ad used in Gut’s 2024 Media Grand Prix-winning case study Cannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation' Icaro Doria steps down as co-president and CCO of DM9 following Cannes controversy Adland’s ‘New Year's’ resolution should be to revive its integrity at Cannes Lions Maybe Cannes Lions isn't capable of picking all of the best work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S4 · E92
    June 2 · 31 min

    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 highlight and critique an agency’s efforts to improve its diversity, which has received some criticism for focusing too much on race and gender and overlooking class. In this episode, Campaign's journalists are asking whether, in a time of declining DEI initiatives, an agency should be judged by its diversity, how much do clients care, and is agency diversity becoming less of a priority. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes premium content editor Nicola Merrifield, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and UK editor Maisie McCabe. Further reading: Why has adland's gender pay gap got worse? School Reports 2026: The end of “performative window dressing” for diversity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Showing 1–20 of 28 episodes