"Everyone is welcome". That is the message that England Rugby want to communicate as they attempt to encourage more people to take up the contact sport.

These HD, digital ads can be seen all over London's underground and railways stations. In a similar vein to the 'This Girl Can", "Like a Girl", and "Let Go" campaigns we saw last year, this campaign is about empowerment. The only difference being, it is also aimed at men. 

This campaign wants to remove the idea that only certain people play rugby.  They want people of different shapes, sizes, sexes ethnicities, backgrounds, disabilities and beliefs to feel that they too can play the sport. 

Even some the country's lending rugby players are taking part to emphasis this message. For example, England fly half, George Ford, illustrates that in spite of not fitting the stereotypical rugby physic, he is still able to be one of best players in the country. 

It is all about removing the barriers to entry that exist in our minds. "I am not big enough", " I am not manly enough", " I have never played it before".  And this campaign uses humour to make light of some of this so called "imperfections" or "disadvantages". 

Taglines like " I ignored people who I said couldn't play. Being deaf helped",  displays a "So what!?" kind of attitude. This is done to help reduce anxieties people may have about something that in the past has prevented them from playing the sport. 

The execution of the campaign is also note worthy. The use of HD images which shows every frown line, blemish and spot is done purposefully. Firstly, it helps us believe that the message it truly authentic and real. Secondly, by showing the subjects flaws re- emphasises that their is no ideal , perfect rugby player. They are just like you and me, normal.

My only slight criticism is that the campaign features a lot of people that look like they have played the sport for a while, particularly in terms of their build. Other than that it is a really good campaign.

As part of Samsung's never ending effort to challenge Apple's smartphone hegemony, their latest advert depicts them as The pioneer of "smart" technology.

From the release of their SH-100 mobile phone in 1988 to the first wristwatch phone. The World’s smallest TV phone to their first MP3 phone. This new "Unpacking Samsung" advert, unravels Samsung's Mobile innovation story, one box at a time. 

The success of the Apple iPhone can largely be attributed to the fact that Apple has now become more of a fashion brand, with their smartphone being a "must-have" fashion accessory. 

But unlike Apple, Samsung aren't trying to be coolest kid in the class. No, Samsung want to be the "smartest". The Japanese tech company want consumers to perceive them as the most forward-thinking and innovative smartphone provider in the business.

Samsung are aiming their offerings at the tech-savvy millennial who value having the latest, greatest gizmos and being "in the know" about technology. Therefore they needed an ad that would appeal to such an individual! 

Check it out below.

Ever since the Oxford English Dictionary announced that its Word of the Year is a pictograph: 😂 - officially called the ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emoji - brands have being going emoji mad! 

Adidas, House of Fraser and most famously Mentos with their ementicons, have all seen some success with the incorporation of emojis in their marcoms.  And now Pepsi want to get in on the act.

Recently a Pepsi representative confirmed the "Say It with Pepsi" will be featured on packaging across the brand's portfolio of drink - regular, MAX and diet/light.

The PepsiCo Design & Innovation Centre created hundreds of PepsiMoji designs, to be used both globally and tailored for local markets. The PepsiMojis first appeared last summer in Canada, and since then they have been rolled out to other markets including Russia, Thailand and Pakistan, with more to come soon.

Indeed, 2015 saw their use, and use of the word emoji, increase hugely. But I feel that their over usage could make them seem a bit gimmicky. 

Emojis are cool and fashionable. And like with any fashion they can go out of fashion. With clothing, this happens when everyone starts wearing them or with the whole beard thing, when everyone man starts to grow a beard. 

If brands over use Emojis it could start to look like they are trying too hard to be cool and "down with the kids". The novelty of it will wear out and the "cool points" the brands use to get will be no more.

Millennials value organic, original ideas that they can relate to. But they are also very fickle. Brands should be more focused on the next best way to communicate with millennials instead of focusing on what has worked well in the past. 

Earlier this week Apple debuted their new executions for its "Shot on the iPhone 6" campaign. The ads produced by TBWA/MediaArts, feature artistic selfies and profile shots of individuals from around the world taken on a iPhone 6 camera. 

As I discussed when they first launched the campaign last year, "its the simplicity of the campaign that makes it work so well". People can see the functional capabilities of the iPhone 6 in one single photo, without Apple having to spend any time or money on a traditional TV advert. 

However, unlike the original campaign which featured mesmerising scenic shots, this campaign is focused on the people. With people enthralled in a search for the "perfect" selfie, these ads tap into this selfie culture and present the iPhone camera as instrument that will allow you to achieve this life goal (well,"life goal" if your Kim Kardashian anyway).

In their latest campaign, Lloyds Bank is tapping into its long heritage. Put simply, heritage marketing is the promotion of the heritage of your brand or your company. Just like Coca Cola did with their centennial anniversary last year, Lloyds are setting themselves apart from the competition by highlighting the fact that they have stood the test of time.

The 2008 banking crisis is not yet a distant memory, so any re-assure that your bank is able to weather financial storms is very welcome. Banks know that convincing people to change their bank is very difficult. Typically, people choose a bank when they’re 18 and stay with that bank for life. In fact our peers or family, rather than the bank itself, are the most likely to convince us to switch.

A friend or family member recommendation is far more persuasive than any marcoms. Banks know this (well the marketing agencies do at least) so concentrate on retaining customers and improving their experience. The hope is that they will eventually become brand advocates and convince their peers to join their “wonderful” bank.  That being said, it usual a combination of influences that make you switch meaning that banks will always continue to try to attract new customers. 

The campaign is highlighting this attribute in an effort remind existing customers that they have a bank that they can trust and will be there to support them in the long term. And it says to new customers "join a bank that won't go bust", very simple yet surprisingly effective.

As it's Valentine's Day I thought it would nice to look at some of the best of this week's love-filled marcoms.

Marks and Spencer

This might seem like a pretty straightforward situational advert, but the little joke that GymBox shares with it members will help retain them and attract new ones.

Everyone loves to feel part of the crowd, especially the "in" crowd. So if you are member of the gym, firstly you feel that this message is aimed directly at you as it says "a" member, and secondly because you understand the joke it makes you feel part of something exclusive. Vice versa, if not a member you might feel left out, and so want to become part of this "in" crowd.

Notoriously, insurance is a very difficult sell. People hate paying for something that they hope to never use. So you can imagine how hard it is to advertise - let alone sell - life insurance in a way that is appealing to consumers.

No one wants to reminded about the mortality, especially not their premature demise. It all seems a bit morbid (pardon the pun).

So, how do advertisers get people to consider the importance of life insurance? By reiterating that you don't buy it for yourself. Pretty, obvious I know. But the challenge lies in how you execute that.

For example, you don't want to be too direct like "If you die unexpectedly you need to leave something behind." These type of messages are too blunt and very negative. In general, people are not receptive to these messages because they just make them concentrate on their death and nothing else. So, with offerings in this product category, a direct "call to action" is not always the best way to go about it. Nor is making light of the fact that you might die prematurely as people will view as such and overlook its importance. 

The message needs to get you to think about your death positively. You are probably thinking, "Is that even possible?" Well, yes and no. It is about getting you to think about why you taking it out (your family)and your love for them first. Then demonstrating that taking life insurance out is sign of your affection and love for them. 

That's what Legal and General have done with their first execution of their new life insurance campaign. The ads show positive, happy images of a an expectant couple, a boy playing superheroes with his dad, or parents enjoying quality with their new born. As these ads are aimed at adults with families, the target audience can admittedly relate to images and naturally start to think about the happy times they have shared with their own families.

Then, instead of the message on top being blunt, it gets the audience to think about their potential death themselves in a gentle, yet impactful way. Taglines like "Because things just got a bit more serious" or "Because now it about more than just you." in isolation would mean very little, but in this content the consumer can connect the dots themselves. This allows the consumer to absorb this hard hitting, quite sad message in a way that they are most comfortable with.

In short, Legal and General have successfully produced happily morbid adverts. Good job!