On the eve of the New Year the time has come for me to announce my Ad of The Year. This year the honours go to FCB Inferno's"This Girl Can" for Sports England. From the insight right through to the execution, this campaign takes the crown in the face of stiff competition from the likes of BBH and M&C Saatchi. So hats off to all those at FCB Inferno, I hope 2016 brings you more brilliant ideas!

Sports England’s #ThisGirlCan fitness campaign 

Figures show that there are 2 million fewer active women than men in the UK. Sports England designed this campaign to address this disparity and encourage more women of all different sizes, ages and abilities to participate in physical activity.

Why was it effective? 

The campaign’s 90-second ad has thus far garnered 23 million views on YouTube and Facebook alone. However, the campaign’s real success was its ability to truly affect the behaviour of its target audience. 

By enlarge, women have engaged positively with the campaign, and Sports England has noted a significant rise in female participation in physical activities over the past 6 months. The campaign had generated over 250,00 social media interactions and developed a social media community of nearly 300,000 users. Women across the country are also sharing their stories on the official website.

Why did it work so well? 

Research undertaken by Sports England showed that 75 per cent of females say they want to be more active but their ambitions have been stunted by a fear of judgement. They feared that they would be judged on appearance, ability or how they chose to spend time on themselves. The campaign was designed specifically to address these apprehensions and help women get back into exercise.

It is aimed at all females, therefore it uses 'real' women’ of all different shapes, sizes, and abilities to communicate this important message. Watching other women, to use one of the ad's taglines 'sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox', with all their jiggly bits on show, makes the ads both believable and relatable. 

The use of humorous taglines also off-sets the uncomfortable feeling one might get as a by-product of participation. By using one of the oldest tricks in the book, Sports England highlighted the supposed flaws before anyone else could e.g 'look at this horrible spot on my face'. Then by showing loads of women embracing these so called ‘imperfections’, re-enforced their normality thus reducing the anxiety surrounding them.

In recent times women have started to challenge misogynistic beliefs about women’s fitness. This can be seen by the recent backlash towards the “Are you beach body ready” campaign. This campaign is in step with this change in the discourse surrounding women’s fitness, which also aided in it being so well received. Instead of objectifying women, this campaign empowers them.

That being said, the most important reason for its success was the fact it was based on the premise of inclusion rather than exclusion. Sports England was able to engage all different kinds of women because they made these women the stars of the campaign!

Sometimes honesty IS the best policy. And in advertising that saying can’t be more true. Yet Y plan have taken it one step further and admitted that maybe advertising has no place. But before the advertising community get out there pitchforks and stakes it just a bit of witty of advertising. And in fact it is a testament to our profession.

This admittance only serves to emphasize that this deal on offer is not only soo good but also the lack of fancy advertising slightly communicates that the deal is exactly what it says on the tin.   So in my book, brilliant!

Boring. This is the only word I can use to describe this campaign. 

Entering into a market where Uncle Ben's rice has long established itself as the market leader, one would expect new entrants to produce an advertising campaign that would at least stand out from the crowd. Well, not Veetee. They have come up with the most boring and safe campaign imaginable!

Indeed the tagline “We have got a rice for that” is intriguing. But what they have put in front of it and their execution in terms of advertising material, lacks all ingenuity. Its either too boring i.e “Can't face any kind of potatoe for dinner this week” or just plain nonsensical. I mean, just look at the ad below. If you going to late home cause your so much work to do, how does having a microwaveable rice make things any better?

In short, if Veetee continues with this campaign, Uncle Ben have nothing to worry about!

With Christmas just around the corner, everyone is getting into the party mood. Over eating, horrible Christmas jumpers, late nights, and alcohol are  all part and parcel (pardon the pun) of the festive period. So instead of trying to prevent the inevitable, the London Ambulance Service are embracing festive frolicking in their new campaign. 

The traditional approach for social marketing ads has been to warn people of the dangerous of what many would class as “having fun." As you can imagine, this type of advertising often falls on deaf ears. People are not receptive to a message that basically says, “Don’t enjoy self” or “You not sensible enough to enjoy your alcohol sensibly.” And that is the sort of message that the London Ambulance Service wanted to avoid putting out!

So how you do warn people of the dangerous of alcohol abuse without looking like a buzz kill? By acting like the ‘Cool Uncle.’

No one likes to be told what to do, and in fact, prohibition only makes participation even more alluring.So an ad essential saying     “don’t get carried away”, might in fact encourage some to try and prove the ad wrong i.e “I know my own limits”. And that’s were this campaign is differs. Rather than assume immaturity, it assumes that we know how to drink responsibly.  

Encouraging us to do what we want, and then merely saying “be safe” it is perceived as a friendly, non-authoritative warning. And is something that head-strong autonomous individuals like ourselves would be more likely to listen to. 

This campaign is seemingly on the side of fun and therefore our side, just like that ‘Cool Uncle.’

The reason this ad works so well is because it optimizes Christmas shopping! 

We can spend hours, weeks even months searching for that game for our brother, that pair of heels for our sister, or that special something for that special someone. Often the pressure can result in sleepless nights, but when you finally lay your hands on it, that feeling of jubilation and relief is indescribable, yet all to familiar to us all. 

This simple tagline “Found it” over a single image of a present stirs up that positive, joyous emotion inside us, as we are quickly reminded of that image present that we just secured. Even if you part of the disenchanted few who just can’t seem to track down that item (i.e ME), you are still forced to think about that warm and happy feeling when you accomplish your task. And with the Debenhams name neatly placed in the corner on the poster, you now have a perfect place to start up the hunt again.

 So, all in all a great christmas campaign.

Life is complicated enough without media adding to the confusion. 

Simple, straightforward and impactful advertising is required if you want to cut through the noise. This is even more essential when you are trying to communicate with the disinterested, over-worked and under-paid London commuter. 

Google understand the need for simplicity and their new campaign is a perfect example of its effectiveness.

The campaign wants to highlight how the Google app family has been designed to helped everyone, everywhere and at any time. 

The crude lines drawn over the start of the sentence immediately gets the commuter's attention and forces them to engage with the ad. Then - with their audience engaged - Google is free to position Google Maps as the passport to the "whole world".  By not overcomplicating things, the viewer is able to process the message quickly and with minimal effort. 

This is the type of ad needed if you want to talk to an audience who is rushing from tube to tube, desperately trying to avoid getting into the office after their boss!

It's that time of the year again, when we all drink too much, eat too much and spend too much. Oh, and John Lewis release their heart-melting Christmas advert.


Teaming up with Adam&Eve DDB for the fifth year in a row, the ad tells the heartwarming story of young girl who sends a present to a man who lives on the moon. Following the same formula that brought them so much success over the years, the ad is set to a contemporary artist's interpretation of a classic song. So don't be surprised to see Norwegian singer, Aurora, rendition of the Oasis track 'Half the World Away', in the race for christmas No.1.

Sure, the story -  a young girl who spies on a lonely man living on the moon through her telescope and finds a way to send him a gift - certainly pulls at the heart strings. But the big question is, can it match the success of 'Monty The Penguin'? 

Well, it has already mashed last year's production with more than 23,000 social media mentions in the first two hours - compared to Monty's 14,000 in the first 24 hours last year. And it is also set to reach 10million views on YouTube by Monday morning. So based on its current trajectory, I would say it has a good chance of knocking old Monty of the top of the iceberg! 

Never scared to say what he really thinks, the ex Top-Gear presenter is the star of this very cheeky Amazon Fire TV commercial.

Produced by Lucky Generals, Amazon have called upon the controversial Brit to help boost sales of thier Amazon Fire TV Stick in the UK. Oh, and to highlight the fact that Amazon Prime is the ONLY place to see Clarkson's and co's new series.

Taking yet another opportunity to stick a middle finger up at his former employers, Clarkson makes light of his dismissal at the start of this year, referring to the BBC as "them".

Nonchalantly riding a Segway - quite impressively I may add - Clarkson states: "Back in the spring as you probably remember, I suddenly became unbusy, and that was OK because I had one of these (an Amazon Fire Stick)". The charismatic presenter then proceeds to take viewers through the Amazon Fire Stick’s VoD offering.

This serves as a brilliant example of how brands are now attempting to become part of what is talked about in popular culture. It is no longer enough to advertise your brand in isolation, in today’s marketing world you need to part of the conversation on and offline. The whole Top Gear fiasco is still a very hotly debate topic. And with the buzz surrounding Clarkson's yet-to-be-named new auto-focused series at fever pitch, Amazon have positioned themselves right at the centre of this discussion, adding fuel to an already blazing fire.

Have a look at the ad below.

Why aren't more people signing up?

This is the question on the lips of everyone at Twitter HQ. Yesturday the San Francisco based company announced it added just 4 million new monthly users in its most recent quarter, sending stocks tumbling. The rate at which people are signing up to the social platform is slowing dramatically and has forced the company to think about a more traditional approach to encourage sign-up.

As a result the company will be rolling out a number of TV ads in the US over the next couple of months. This is a particularly stagnant market where user-base has been hovering around the 66 million mark for much of the year.

The hope is that these new ads will create enough buzz to bring back lapsed users and attract new ones, while at the same time generate more interest from advertisers to use the service.

With a new CEO at the helm and all the internal changes, investors will closely monitor the effect of the ads on the company's growth in the new year.

What do you think of the ad?

Eager to capitalise on the worldwide success of the James Bond franchise, luxury vodka brand, Belvedere, has partnered with the latest 007 film, Spectre, for a new TV campaign. Belvedere's president, Charles Gibb, says the tie-up will create the luxury vodka brand’s best ever quarter of sales.

The 30 second TV ad stars Mexican actress and Spectre star Stephanie Sigman, and imaginatively shows the creation of a 'belvedere' vodka martini. Shot is a stylish, James Bond-esque bar, Sigman ensures that like Bond, her drink is shaken not stirred and signs off with the line: ‘Excellent choice, Mr. Bond’. There are also two limited edition 007 Spectre bottles to celebrate the advertising campaign, which marks the first time Belvedere has sponsored a film.

Gibb believes that Bond's international appeal means that this partnership is perfect: “It’s difficult to get something that can resonate in the 120 countries in which we sell our vodka but Bond does that as it has vast international appeal. We would love for this to be a long-term marketing partnership, we wouldn’t go into it otherwise.”

True, this partnership is good business . Belvedere's and Bond's brand images compliment one another perfectly. Both are seen as stylish, classy, and luxurious, so this partnership re-enforces this perception in the consumers mind.

Furthermore, if this partnership is to be long- term, Belvedere's association with Bond means those who aspire to live like their favourite fictional character, will eventually see the drink as part of the James Bond lifestyle. Even those who just have a mild liking for Bond will be positively effected. When they are at the bar and see the brand they will immediately associate it with the iconic ladies man which in turn will influence their purchasing decision.

Gibb also sees this partnership as his company's recognition that traditional advertising is no longer effective.

He concluded: “In today’s marketing world you want to be talked about in pop culture at the right moments and that’s where Bond is fascinating as it generates buzz for months and months before and after the film’s release....TV advertising alone just isn’t enough to reach consumers when you think about all the people who are fast-forwarding ads and streaming. You need to make yourself a part of the conversation online and offline."

Take a look at the ad below.

Just in time for Christmas, Apple have released 7 new ads to promote the Apple Watch. 

Once again the primary objective is to demonstrate how the Watch fits seamlessly into our day to day lives.

In the typical Apple style, the ads feature average users instead of models, and the 15 second spots are fun and light-hearted. Over the years, this is style of advertising has been essential for new technology because the vast majority of us full under the category of 'early majority' or 'late majority' in the 'innovation adoption lifecycle'. 

In simpler terms, we allow the wealthier and must-have segments of the population to take the plunge first, before we jump on the bandwagon (usually when its a lot cheaper!).

But times are changing. Generation Y and Z are not scared of technology in the same way that generation X are. And we can now afford to buy the latest gadgets - well, at least Mum and Dad can!

This means tech brands can now start to engage in above-the-line advertising a lot sooner in the product lifecycle. In other words, they can try and convince you and me to buy their product very soon after launch (apologises if you are an early adopter, I am talking to the poorer ex-students out there).

So whether convincing the more cautious gen Xs or more the financially independents gen Ys or Zs, these ads are perfect.We can see people like ourselves using the product very casually,and indeed it looks like the Watch will only enhance our hedonistic lifestyles.

Check out the 'Kiss' ad below! 

Drake's optimises the term 'digital native'. No other musician seems to understand the power of the Internet better than the Canadian born rapper.


Back in February I was praising him for his marketing prowess when it came to the release of "If You Are Reading This It Is Too Late." And with the overnight success of his single "Hotline Bling", dubbing him a 'marketing guru' was as fitting then as it is now.

YouTube's CEO, Susan Wojcicki, recently advised chief marketing officers to use memes to engage millennials on her platform. Whether it was the wise words of YouTube's CEO or divine intervention, Drake use of memes has certainly contributed the success of “Hotline Bling,” which has become a radio hit and is currently at No. 2 in the US.

Drake purposeful designed this video in a way that would send social media into a frenzy and allow those tech-savvy millennials to create some of the funniest memes of 2015. From Gifs and 15 second videos on Twitter and Instagram, to full length parodies on YouTube, has ensured that Drake's new video has been seen by anyone with a social account. Thanks to the Internet, Drake has been able to promote his new material to every corner of the globe while at the same time keeping his accountant very happy.

We also need to remember that 'Hotline Bling' was debut on the Drizzy's SoundCloud back in July. And many of his loyal following took it as a lighthearted compatriot to his Meek Mill diss track, 'Charged up.' With people having access to the song on streaming platforms for over 3 months, your average artist wouldn't dream it would be possible to now make it a commercial success. But then Drake isn't your average artist.

The fact that he is constantly releasing new material means that you never find yourself listening to one song over and over again. So when he reprises a song like 'Hotline Bling', we are left feeling more like " Oh yeah, this is a tune", rather than, " I have heard this song too much already"- otherwise known as "wear-out."  

It seems that Drake is not just a pretty face, and I think it won't be long before the CMOs of big multinationals come to him for advise about how to best communicate with generation Y.

The advertising industry has been all a flutter with the rise of online ad-blocking tools. Debates, talks and discussions are planned over the next few days to work out how to deal with this disruptive technology that will effect every facet of the industry.

Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s WSJDLive conference, Google executive Sridhar Ramaswamy called for a swift response from  the advertising governing bodies.  We wants a “sustainable ad standard” that would ensure digital ads don’t use a lot of bandwidth and aren't “rudely interruptive.”

Well, Mr Ramaswamy words seem to have struck a cord with some. City AM has become the first media outlet in the UK to stop people using ad blockers on its website.

The financial publication will blur out the text in its articles if a user is detected using ad blocking software. Those individuals using Firefox browsers will now encounter a message upon opening the daily financial freesheet’s website stating: 

“We are having trouble showing you adverts on this page, which may be a result of ad blocker software being installed on your device. As City AM relies on advertising to fund its journalism, please disable any adblockers from running on cityam.com to see the rest of this content.”

City AM is actions are by no means novel, and they are following on from similar measures undertaken by a number of leading US media publications.

I think we may be on the precipice of a media revolution!

Over the past 12 months, finance has been the latest sector to reap the rewards from going digital. In an age when convenience is king, customers are embracing the finance sector’s new easy-to-use digital services.

The nature of these offerings means that there is a lot of overlap between the services offered B2B and B2C. This is because businesses and customers alike place a premium on UX. More than that, these innovations have meant that financial services are no longer shrouded in mystery. These digital services offer the accessibility and transparency that customers yearn for in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

The cash being pumped into London's financial technology businesses has already surpassed the entire amount invested 2014 as the capital cements its status as the FinTech capital of the world. It's been the most successful year yet for FinTech, netting $554m (£357m) of venture capital investment so far this year, compared to total investment of $487m in 2014. Traditional financial services companies are feeling the pressure – so what can they do to compete?

Mobile Content

Mobile content is the best form of engagement. Every digital offering should be designed for mobile use. Furthermore the information on financial websites is typically far from engaging. There might be video of a CEO discussing figures, but that is not why we come to your website and there is very little information that non-professionals might be interested in.In the financial sector it’s really important to create material that is interesting and engaging because your offering are not the most exciting things in the world.

These companies should be creating this content themselves, especially when it comes to B2B commerce. This is because they have an intimate relationship with these clients. They know this database better than anyone so why should they get to a third party to produce your communications. That being said, they need to create content that is genuinely of interest, so you need to approach it like a journalist, not a marketer. What I mean by this is, Journalists create content that their audience enjoys reading, whereas marketers create content they think people enjoy reading. It’s about getting the right content. For example, people who are looking to invest in China what to hear more about the pros and cons of doing so, not why your product is the right one to do that.

Ensuring good digital design

CEO OF precedent ,David Curless, recently argued that there is now a mass expectation that you will see good design wherever you go. He believed companies couldn’t afford to have bad design when it comes to both traditional and digital communications.

Therefore, it is essential that digital platforms were designed to improve customer experience and customer journey.

FinTech companies are in a fortunate position as they don’t have legacy systems, and therefore could bring design in at the very beginning.In the financial sector it is all about revealing information, so no one is overwhelmed with too much of it. David wants these companies to use design to help users navigate through the complexity, but also reflect the content.

It is also important to note that lever design brings differentiation and loyalty that will ultimately improve a companies bottom-line.

Understand Generation Y

David Ogilvy famously said;

“The trouble with market research is people don’t think how they feel, they don’t say what they think and they don’t do what they say.”

A proud advocate of this mantra is CEO of Webcredible, Trenton Moss, who emphasises that traditional market research is not an effective of finding out what your customers want. According to Trenton, merely asking customers their opinions is not useful because “they are not designers” and cannot articulate what they really need.

Instead Trenton recommended following a four-stage approach for the development of digital offering: Identify your users -Understand your users- Design digital experience around their needs-Test your experience with your users. By doing this Moss believe that your digital platforms would truly meet the needs and goals of your customers.

FinTech is the causing a big digital disruption in the finance sector take cannot be ignored. The ascendancy of the online share economy, money transfers, lending, exchange and advisory services all pose a huge threat to his finance sectors existing business models. This change is being driven by millennials who see these new FinTech offerings as easier and more suited to their lifestyle. Online services give a huge amount of freedom and brand loyalty amongst millennials is suffering as direct result, who are very “happy to switch between brands”. To combat this, traditional companies need to adopt a different approach in the digital space to maintain long-term profitable relationships with this demographic. It is “not about selling its about adding value”. Millennial are looking for relationships with brands not a business agreement.

While every single aspect of the financial sector under attacked right now, there is a silver lining for the finance sector; regulation. This will prevent FinTech companies making traditional services obsolete overnight. All the red tape from the FCA is hindering the rate at which FinTech companies are able to get going and allows the less digital savvy companies to catch up and keep pace. However, the time is now for these companies to reassess their business models and think about how they interact with customers.