The Campaign Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Pay, people and pitching. Not just fantastic alliteration but also the basis for a number of features that have run over the summer using data from this year’s School Reports.

Hosted by media editor Beau Jackson, who was joined by deputy editor Gemma Charles and premium content editor Nicola Merrifield, this episode digs deeper into the issues raised in the following articles:

Is adland 'manipulating culture', or striking the right balance with hybrid-working rules?

‘Winners and losers’: how agency bonuses dried up in 2023

Agency pay revealed: junior wage rises slow as ‘balancing profitability gets harder’

The waiting game: agency staff churn dips as restructuring hits

Why the pitch positive pledge remains a diamond in the rough

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It's the school holidays. So in a more relaxed episode, the Campaign editorial team debates this summer's top cultural moments.

Hosted by features editor Matt Barker, the team discusses what's been inspiring and entertaining them away from the advertising industry. TV shows, books, music, anything really!

Senior creativity reporter Charlotte Rawlings educates us on Taylor Swift, tech editor Lucy Shelley talks through her theatre highlights and Barker imparts Wembley wisdom, exhibition recommendations and tales of giggling through Kafka.

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Barbie launched in 1959 and for the 65th anniversary of the brand, Mattel has unveiled Barbie: The Exhibition in London's Design Museum.

Opening tomorrow (5 July), Campaign's tech editor Lucy Shelley gets an exclusive tour with Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and head of dolls at Mattel. This episode is recorded as they walk round the exhibition through the years and lives of the Barbie brand.

Discussing inclusivity, consumerism, sustainability and of course, the Barbie film, the pair talk through how the brand has coped with criticism, handled a change in strategy and the complexities of taking a Barbie doll into space.

This episode was edited by Til Owen.

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Features editor Matt Barker and reporter Charlotte Rawlings discuss the recent fuss over Burberry's Bond Street tube station takeover, Samuel L Jackson appearing in the latest Warburtons campaign and a Credos report on the ad bombardment fuelling mistrust among younger audiences.

Matt is then joined in the studio by Lola Neves, chief strategy officer at Neverland and Matt Waksman, head of strategy, advertising at Ogilvy, to chat about a mini-wave of retro ads, including from McDonald’s and Muller.

Are we witnessing a new trend, prompted by a need to escape our troubled times, or is it simply a quick and easy way to target a younger demographic obsessed with 1990s/early naughties baggy fashion and lo-fi gaming graphics?

Further reading:

Bond Street tube station becomes ‘Burberry Street’ and draws mixed reaction

Samuel L Jackson vents his anger in Warburtons spot

Ad bombardment biggest cause of mistrust for younger audiences

McDonald’s travels back to 1990s in retro campaign

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Our media sages knock the tech giants down a peg or two, contemplate eyeball-tracking obsessives and remember to hand in their school essays. Hosted by Bukky from Wavemaker, Charlie from MiQ, Harriet from Publicis and Jack from Craft Media.

Got a media confession you need to get off your chest? Need some life advice from the gang? Submit your questions here: https://forms.gle/CXPYw4SDRSqXzZTt8

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Chaka Sobhani, global chief creative officer at Leo Burnett, and Mike Sutherland, executive creative director at Adam & Eve/DDB, join Campaign's work and inspiration editor Imogen Watson to review some of the latest ads.

They critique: Vodafone Ireland "Red family" by Grey London; F&F "Make fashion sense" by Bartle Bogle Hegarty; Heinz and Lick "Red HTK 57 paint"; Canon "Canon Pixma printers. For the stuff of life" by VCCP; Channel 4 "Everyone is excited. Even them" by 4Creative; and Guinness "Don't jinx it" by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

Campaign's technology and gaming editor Coral Cripps and reporter Charlotte Rawlings also discuss some of the latest articles on this site including a feature on the upward talent drain, news about Taika Waititi directing Asda's Christmas ad and what Big Brother’s return might mean for advertisers.

Further reading: 

The upward talent drain: pressure on juniors as ‘gurus’ depart

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Campaign features editor Matt Barker is joined in the studio by reporters Shuana Lewis and Charlotte Rawlings to chat about the ongoing controversy over mocked-up OOH campaigns, stress-related problems with pitching and Channel 4’s recent announcement that it will be partnering with streaming platforms in the US.

Tech editor Coral Cripps meets Will Scougal, founder and managing director Will Scougal, Isabel Perry, vice-president of emerging technology and partner at Dept and Rosh Singh, managing director of Unit19.

The quartet discuss what the future looks like for the AR landscape, how to help clients navigate the world of AR and some of their favourite AR campaigns that they’ve been involved with.

Further reading:

Should adland stop using outdoor mock-ups?

One in 10 agency staff has quit their job due to stress of pitching

Channel 4 makes international debut on ad-supported US platforms

We Are Social launches AR-focused agency

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The MediaWeek gang mourn/celebrate the death of traditional shops and discuss the proliferation of streaming services, TikTok copycats and syphilis in the metaverse. Hosted by Bukky from Wavemaker, Charlie from MiQ, Harriet from Publicis and Jack from Craft Media.

Got a media confession you need to get off your chest? Need some life advice from the gang? Submit your questions here: https://forms.gle/CXPYw4SDRSqXzZTt8

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Richard Thompson, the chair of M&C Saatchi in the UK and chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board, joins Campaign's UK editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, to discuss the growing power of celebrity and influencer talent in the marketing world.

Thompson also discusses corporate changes at M&C Saatchi, with CEO Moray MacLennan leaving in September. And, as summer draws to a close, Thompson also discusses cricket and the challenges and opportunities – from the need to make it more inclusive and more global to what the ad industry can learn from the game.

Lastly, Edelman UK’s chief creative officer Emma de la Fosse joins Uncommon CX creative partner Ben Golik, to discuss the latest ads: Apple Pay “Pay the Apple way” (in-house); Amazon Books “That reading feeling” by Droga5 London; Mini and Dogs Trust “Travel happy” by Media.Monks.

Further reading:

Moray MacLennan to leave M&C Saatchi as CEO

Apple Pay "Pay the Apple way"

Amazon Books "That reading feeling" by Droga5 London

Mini and Dogs Trust "Travel happy" by Media.Monks

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A study conducted by Dove Men+Care found a mere 7% of men worldwide relate to depictions of masculinity they see in media.

As advertising plays a crucial role in creating and projecting masculine ideals, Lori Meakin, founder and chief executive of The Others & Me, Sofia Ewuraesi Bodger, senior strategist at Analogfolk, Oliver Gibson, strategy partner, BBD Perfect Storm, and David Fanner, a consultant on Ogilvy Consulting’s UK Behavioural Science Practice, discuss what more can be done to better represent modern men.

Campaign work and inspiration editor Imogen Watson and reporter Charlotte Rawlings discuss Saatchi & Saatchi’s choice of Megaforce to direct its debut John Lewis & Partners Christmas campaign, and recent allegations BrewDog’s “Beer for your grandchildren” bears a striking resemblance to creative pitched by former retained agency Droga5 London.

Related articles:

BrewDog's 'Beer for your grandchildren' faces claims over similarity to Droga5 pitch

John Lewis & Partners picks director for Christmas ad

Mayor of London's interactive 'Maaate' film challenges men to call out misogynistic behaviour

Maaate…why are you so angry?

How masculinity is shifting in advertising

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