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Each month, a handful of campaigns manage to rise above the noise, not through bigger budgets or louder messaging, but through clarity of idea and confidence in execution. From bold experiments to emotionally grounded brand platforms, these are the campaigns that captured attention for the right reasons, reflecting where culture, creativity, and commercial thinking are aligning right now. This monthly review breaks down the work that mattered, why it worked, and what it signals for the year ahead.

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January

Campaign #01 – Moju: "Bring on the Boom"

Brand: Moju

Category: FMCG

Agency: Leo UK

Medium: TV, Social

Vitality, immunity and gut-health shots brand Moju sets the tone for the day in this sharp 30-second film, turning a simple morning ritual into something far bigger.

The spot opens with Paul taking a shot of Moju’s Fresh Root Ginger before being instantly transported onto a stage in front of a roaring crowd, reframing his everyday routine as a headline moment. A presenter emerges to hype both Paul and the audience, building momentum as the crowd chants “Bring on the boom,” positioning energy and readiness as a mindset rather than a product benefit.

The film was directed by Max Barden through Anonymous, with creative by Conrad Swanston and Alex Bingham, delivering a confident, performance-led take on how brands can dramatise functional products without over-explaining them.

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Campaign #02 – Tesco: For The Love Of It

Brand: Tesco

Category: FMCG

Agency: BBH London

Medium: TV, OOH, Radio, Print and Social.

For the Love of It sees Tesco tackling a familiar truth: when money is tight, the hardest thing to give up is not quantity, but the brands people feel emotionally attached to.

Rather than leaning on rational price comparison alone, the campaign reframes value through devotion. It recognises that branded favourites are deeply embedded in everyday life, and that asking shoppers to compromise on them creates real tension. By anchoring the work to Tesco’s Everyday Low Prices commitment, the campaign turns consistency and reassurance into the emotional payoff.

Developed by BBH London, the film uses heightened drama and humour to mirror those moments of internal negotiation, playing out small but recognisable standoffs between loyalty and restraint. Familiar brand cues and cultural references are used not as gimmicks, but as emotional shorthand, reminding viewers that these products mean something beyond their price tag.

Running across TV, radio, out-of-home and press, the campaign elevates a value message into a brand statement. It proves that price-led communications do not have to feel transactional, and that when insight leads, even the most functional propositions can land with warmth, humanity, and cultural relevance.
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Campaign #03 – Flat White or F*ck Off

Brand: Flat White Or F*Ck Off

Category: Food & Beverage / Experiential

Agency/Partner : Ask The Impossible

Medium: OOH, Social, Experiential

Inspired by marketing provocateur Rory Sutherland, Flat White Or F*ck Off is a one-day experimental London pop-up designed to challenge over-customisation, decision fatigue, and slow coffee culture by serving just one thing: the perfect flat white.

Launched by Charlie Hurst, Tom Noble, Lucia Sudlow and Will Sudlow, the concept originated as a tongue-in-cheek thought experiment discussed on a podcast before being brought to life as a real-world activation outside Outernet, Tottenham Court Road. Open for a single day from 7am to 7pm, the pop-up removed menus, modifiers, and upsells entirely, offering commuters a radically simplified experience rooted in speed, clarity, and craft.

Working with creative production agency Ask The Impossible, the team transformed an abstract marketing idea into a live cultural test. From bean selection and brewing precision to customer flow and tone of voice, every detail was designed around a single-product mindset. London roasters Fireheart Coffee supplied the Palace Blend, reinforcing the focus on quality over choice.

The activation struck a nerve online ahead of launch, generating over two million Instagram impressions and sparking debate around modern consumer behaviour. By turning restriction into the creative hook, Flat White Or F*ck Off demonstrates how clarity, confidence, and disciplined execution can outperform infinite options in an attention-overloaded world.

Charlie Hurst spoke to The GO Network about this project: “When we started this journey we never dreamed of it taking off like it did. Each person on our team has elevated it to become something truly wonderful and hopefully this is just the beginning of things to come. We are now looking for investment to grow this brand and take it to the next level"

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Campaign #04 – Absolut Vodka and Tabasco: ABSOLUT® TABASCO™

Brand: Absolut Vodka and Tabasco

Category: Alcoholic beverages

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy London

Medium: Video, Social, Digital

Absolut Vodka and Tabasco have teamed up to launch ABSOLUT® TABASCO™, a chili-pepper-infused vodka supported by a cinematic campaign that brings the drink’s fiery personality to life. Created by Wieden + Kennedy London, the film reframes the product through dramatic, volcanic imagery where fiery Bloody Marys erupt instead of lava, anchoring the launch in sensory storytelling rather than traditional product messaging.

The campaign’s striking visuals lean on the heritage of both brands while positioning the collaboration across YouTube and global digital channels as a cultural moment for bold flavour in spirits.

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Campaign #05 – Lloyds: Bank On Llyods

Brand: Llyods Bank

Category: Financial Services

Medium: OOH, AV, BVOD, Online Video, Audio, Digital, Social, Influencer

Agency: Publicis Go (Publicis Groupe Power of One)

Lloyds unveils a major new brand strategy for 2026 with Bank on Lloyds, positioning itself as the trusted enabler of the nation’s ambitions at a time when 75% of UK adults hope the year ahead will be one of progress. Built to inspire confidence and momentum, the platform reframes Lloyds’ role from financial provider to partner in everyday aspiration, whether that’s buying a first home, building savings, growing a business, or achieving greater financial security.

The campaign is anchored in two core principles, capability and possibility, brought to life through proof points that highlight Lloyds’ scale, safety, and breadth of products, from its 21.3 million digital app users to its position as the UK’s leading lender for first-time buyers and a trusted partner to over one million businesses. A bold creative reset introduces a new design system and modern storytelling approach, ensuring consistency and emotional connection across every customer touchpoint.

Rolled out across national and iconic OOH locations including Piccadilly Lights and IMAX, alongside audio, digital, and AV executions across broadcast, BVOD, and online video, the campaign marks a confident reassertion of Lloyds’ leadership. Developed with Publicis Groupe’s bespoke Power of One team, Publicis Go, Bank on Lloyds signals the next chapter in the bank’s experience-led brand evolution, reinforcing trust while inviting the nation to move forward with confidence.

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Campaign #06 – Deliveroo: Unexpected Guest

Brand: Deliveroo

Category: On-Demand Delivery / Food, Grocery & Retail

Agency: Pablo London

Medium: TVC, BVOD, OOH, Radio, Digital, Social, Online Video

Deliveroo continues its global brand platform Now Just Got Even Better with a playful second chapter that reflects the brand’s evolution from a restaurant delivery startup into a multi-category, on-demand platform embedded in everyday life. Developed with Pablo London, the campaign expands Deliveroo’s role beyond food, showcasing its growing grocery and retail offer across moments both expected and unexpected.

The flagship TVC uses surreal, off-beat storytelling to dramatise a relatable scenario: hosting unexpected guests. In a fantastical twist, two stranded hikers find shelter in a bear’s cave, only for Deliveroo to save the day with a perfectly timed delivery of sushi, honey, and even a Bluetooth speaker. Set to a remix of the Vengaboys’ We Like To Party, the film reinforces the idea that whatever the moment calls for, Deliveroo can deliver.

Rolling out across the UK, Ireland, France, Italy and the UAE, the campaign spans TV, BVOD, OOH, radio, social and digital, with further executions planned throughout the year. By leaning into humour, unpredictability and cultural familiarity, Deliveroo positions itself as a flexible, always-on companion that makes life better in the now, no matter what turns up at your door.

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Campaign #07 – John Frieda: 'Salon Attitude. Every Day.'

Brand: John Frieda

Category: Beauty / Haircare

Agency: VCCP

Medium: TV, Online Video, Social, Digital, Retail

John Frieda returns with a global relaunch and a new long-term brand platform, Salon Attitude. Every Day., repositioning the iconic haircare brand around confidence rather than complexity. Developed by VCCP, the campaign marks a deliberate departure from category conventions, shifting focus away from scientific jargon and formula-led demonstrations in favour of the emotional payoff of a great hair day.

The hero film visualises this confidence through a striking metaphor, transforming an everyday street into ‘John Frieda Street’, where mirrored buildings and surfaces reflect women catching glimpses of their hair as they move through daily life. The work celebrates the specific, recognisable feeling of salon-fresh hair, amplified by the empowerment that comes from achieving it yourself. It reframes salon quality not as something exclusive or technical, but as a personal, everyday achievement.

Running globally throughout 2026 across TV, online video, social, digital and retail channels, the campaign establishes a modern visual system and tone designed to cut through a saturated beauty market. By centring transformation, self-belief and attitude over ingredients and claims, John Frieda positions itself as a brand that understands what great hair really gives people, not just how it’s made.

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Campaign #08 – PureGym: Glows Post-Workout

Brand: PureGym

Category: Fitness / Health & Wellbeing

Agency: McCann Manchester

Medium: TV, Cinema, OOH, Radio, Social

PureGym signals a clear shift in brand direction with a campaign that focuses less on workouts and more on how exercise makes people feel long after they leave the gym. Moving beyond the category’s familiar imagery of intensity and transformation, the work centres on the emotional lift that comes from movement and the quiet confidence that follows a good session.

At the heart of the campaign is a distinctive visual character, Glow, a physical manifestation of post-workout energy that spills into the outside world. As Glow moves through everyday settings, their presence subtly improves the atmosphere around them, turning an internal feeling into something relatable. The idea reframes the gym experience as something human and accessible, rather than intimidating or performative.

By leaning into wellbeing rather than price or performance, the campaign marks a strategic evolution for PureGym, positioning the brand as a daily source of feel-good momentum rather than simply a place to train. Rolled out across TV, cinema, out-of-home, radio and social, the work sets a new emotional tone for the category and broadens the appeal of fitness to those who may not yet see the gym as a space for them.

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Campaign #09 – Perk

Brand: Perk

Category: B2B SaaS / Finance & Expense Management

Agency: Talon, Evolve OOH, Goodstuff

Medium: OOH

Perk takes one of the most universally avoided workplace tasks and turns it into a striking piece of real-world storytelling, using out-of-home to visualise the quiet chaos of expense management. Rather than explaining the product through features or dashboards, the campaign starts where the frustration actually lives: the growing pile of receipts everyone swears they will deal with later.

The centrepiece is a tactile special-build billboard featuring a drawer bursting with crumpled paper receipts, physically protruding into public space. Set against a bold yellow backdrop, the execution transforms a mundane admin headache into something instantly recognisable, uncomfortable, and oddly satisfying to look at. It captures the emotional truth of expense claims not as a process problem, but as mental clutter.

Devised by Talon, Evolve OOH and Goodstuff, the work deliberately avoids the category’s usual visual language of clean interfaces and corporate reassurance. Instead, it uses humour and physical craft to earn attention, trusting that the audience already understands the pain point without being over-explained to.

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February

Campaign #10 – Hargreaves Lansdown - 'Invest Through It All'

Brand: Hargreaves Lansdown

Category: Financial Services / Investment & Wealth Management

Agency: Wonderhood Studios

Medium: TV, OOH, Digital, Social

Hargreaves Lansdown tackles one of the biggest psychological barriers to investing: uncertainty. In a market often dominated by complex messaging and financial jargon, the campaign reframes investing as something people can navigate through life’s ups and downs, rather than something that requires perfect timing or expertise.

Created by Wonderhood Studios, the work centres on the idea of helping Britain “invest through it all”, recognising that financial decisions rarely happen in stable, predictable conditions. Instead, the campaign leans into the reality that markets fluctuate, life changes quickly, and confidence can waver, positioning Hargreaves Lansdown as a steady guide through that volatility.

By focusing on reassurance and long-term perspective rather than short-term performance, the campaign shifts the tone of investment advertising away from urgency and speculation. It reframes investing as an ongoing relationship with the future, reinforcing the brand’s role as a trusted partner for people navigating financial ambition in an uncertain world.

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Campaign #11 – Tesco Mobile

Brand: Tesco Mobile

Category: Telecommunications / Mobile Network

Agency: BBH London

Medium: OOH, Radio and Social Media

Tesco Mobile taps into a familiar moment of anxiety in modern life: the quiet dread of letters landing on the doormat, often signalling unexpected bills or unwelcome financial surprises. Rather than positioning its offering through technical specifications or price comparisons alone, the campaign reframes mobile billing as something that should feel predictable and reassuring.

Created by BBH London, the work dramatises that everyday tension before flipping the emotional payoff, showing how Tesco Mobile’s transparent pricing and absence of mid-contract price hikes removes a small but persistent worry from customers’ lives. The campaign leans on relatable domestic insight rather than telecoms jargon, turning a routine household moment into a powerful storytelling device.

By grounding the message in everyday behaviour, the campaign stands apart from category conventions that focus heavily on network performance or device upgrades. Instead, it highlights peace of mind as the real value exchange, positioning Tesco Mobile as the network that removes uncertainty rather than adding to it.

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Campaign #12 – adidas Originals - Superstar

Brand: adidas Originals

Category: Sportswear / Fashion

Agency: Johannes Leonardo

Medium: Film, Digital, Social

adidas Originals continues its Superstar platform with a cinematic film led by Samuel L. Jackson, framed as a surreal search through “Hotel Superstar”, where each door reveals a different cultural figure and world. The work leans into dreamlike visuals and time-bending transitions rather than traditional product selling, using atmosphere and storytelling to keep the Superstar positioned as an icon that travels across eras and disciplines.

The cast extends beyond Jackson to a cross-category lineup, including Kendall Jenner, Lamine Yamal, Jennie, James Harden, Tyshawn Jones, Olivia Dean, and Baby Keem, reinforcing the idea of the Superstar as a cultural connector rather than a single-scene fashion item.

Created by Johannes Leonardo and directed by Thibaut Grevet (through DIVISION), the campaign prioritises cultural signalling and cinematic craft, using a strong central metaphor to refresh a heritage silhouette without leaning on nostalgia alone.

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Campaign #13 – Department of Health and Social Care - 'The Power To Quit Is In Your Hands'

Brand: Department of Health and Social Care / NHS

Category: Public Health / Government

Agency: AMV BBDO

Medium: TV, Online Video, OOH, Radio, Digital Audio, Social

The Department of Health and Social Care launches a new national campaign designed to encourage smokers to take the first step towards quitting, highlighting that support is always within reach through NHS digital tools. Instead of focusing solely on the long-term harms of smoking, the work reframes quitting as something achievable with the right help and guidance.

Created by AMV BBDO, the campaign uses humour and visual exaggeration to dramatise the moment when temptation strikes. In the hero film, a man on day 11 of his quitting journey is about to join colleagues for a cigarette when his phone suddenly bursts into life, projecting a beam of light that reminds him of the progress he has already made. The moment acts as a playful metaphor for the power of the NHS Quit Smoking app and Personal Quit Plan, positioning them as practical support systems rather than passive information tools.

Running nationwide across TV, online video, social, radio, digital audio and out-of-home, the campaign aims to replace discouragement with optimism. By emphasising encouragement and practical support over fear-based messaging, it highlights a simple truth: quitting smoking becomes far more achievable when people do not have to do it alone.

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Campaign #14 – Morrisons - 'Steak & Date'

Brand: Morrisons

Category: Retail / Grocery

Agency: Leo UK

Medium: Social, Digital Video, DOOH, Print, Digital Audio

Morrisons leans into the cultural overlap between food and romance with a Valentine’s campaign that places steak at the centre of compatibility. Rather than relying on traditional romantic tropes, the campaign reframes dating through a more relatable lens: how someone likes their steak.

Created by Leo UK in partnership with Capital, the campaign introduces Steak & Date, a playful dating-show-style format featuring creators AngryGinge and Grime Gran. Across a series of short films, the pair coach participants through awkward first dates over Morrisons steak, reacting in real time from a monitoring room. The format mirrors familiar reality TV conventions while swapping small talk for questions that reveal culinary preferences and potential dealbreakers.

The work builds on a simple behavioural insight: food is often how people express care and affection, and personal eating habits can be surprisingly revealing. By putting British steak and its Market Street butchers at the heart of the storytelling, Morrisons connects cultural entertainment with a genuine product strength. Rolled out across social, digital out-of-home, print and digital audio, the campaign turns Valentine’s dinner planning into something more playful, positioning Morrisons as the place where great ingredients can help set the tone for the nigh
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Campaign #15 – Birkenstock - 'A Journey Through Tradition'

Brand: Birkenstock

Category: Fashion / Footwear

Agency: Havas Creative & Havas Red & Good Stills

Medium: Film, Digital, Social, Photography

Birkenstock approaches Ramadan through cultural storytelling rather than traditional seasonal advertising, positioning the brand as part of the everyday rhythms and rituals of the month. The campaign, titled A Journey Through Tradition, focuses on the lived experiences that define Ramadan, aligning the brand’s long-standing values of comfort, craft and durability with moments of reflection, movement and connection.

Developed in collaboration with Havas Creative, Havas Red and production house Good Stills, the campaign adopts a film-led, digital-first strategy built around a documentary-style hero film supported by shorter narrative chapters and still photography. Rather than relying on celebrity endorsements, the work centres on regional photographer Moz, whose perspective shapes the storytelling and grounds the campaign in authentic cultural context.

Running across key Middle Eastern markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, the campaign aims to build deeper cultural relevance for Birkenstock during a period often saturated with seasonal advertising. By focusing on personal stories and lived tradition, the work positions the brand as a natural companion to daily life during Ramadan, reinforcing its identity as a product built for both comfort and longevity.

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Campaign #16 – LNER - 'Freedom All The Way'

Brand: LNER

Category: Travel & Transport

Agency: McCann London

Medium: TV, OOH, Radio, Online Video, Cinema, Social

LNER continues to build its ‘Freedom All The Way’ brand platform with a campaign that contrasts the frustration of motorway traffic with the ease of long-distance rail travel. Rather than focusing purely on speed or price, the work reframes train journeys as a more enjoyable and freeing alternative to being stuck behind the wheel.

Created by McCann London, the campaign brings back LNER’s distinctive red-haired mascot Eleanor, this time giving the character a voice for the first time. In the hero film, Eleanor leads travellers away from gridlocked traffic while performing a playful reworking of Jon Batiste’s ‘Freedom’, highlighting the small but meaningful moments train travel makes possible, from relaxing with a coffee to watching the countryside roll by.

The campaign positions rail not simply as transport, but as time regained. Running across TV, out-of-home, radio, cinema, online video and social, the work uses humour, music and character-led storytelling to reinforce LNER’s proposition that travelling by train offers more than just getting from A to B — it offers the freedom to enjoy the journey itself.

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Campaign #17 – Pizza Hut UK- 'The World's First Vertial Pizza Box'

Brand: Pizza Hut UK

Category: Food & Beverage

Agency: Iris Worldwide

Medium: Social, Influencer, Experiential, Digital

Pizza Hut UK leans into curiosity and cultural conversation with a social-first stunt built around a seemingly impossible concept: the world’s first vertical pizza box. Rather than launching a traditional product announcement, the campaign introduces the mysterious prototype into the real world, with people spotted carrying the unusual box through the streets of London.

Created by Iris, the idea deliberately avoids explaining itself upfront. Instead, the campaign relies on intrigue and speculation, encouraging passers-by and social audiences to question how the design could even work. Early sightings were seeded through popular social accounts and food creators, allowing the internet to do what it does best: spot it, share it and debate it.

The stunt taps into Pizza Hut’s long history of playful innovation, from inventing the stuffed crust to famously sending pizza into space. By embracing a format designed to live “in the wild” across social media, the campaign shifts the focus from product demonstration to participation, turning a simple prototype into a cultural talking point that repositions the brand as playful, inventive and willing to surprise audiences again.

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Campaign #18 – CERCA

Brand: CERCA

Category: Technology / Dating & Social Platforms

Agency: Saint-Urbain

Medium: Branding, Digital, OOH, Experiential

CERCA is positioning itself as a quieter, more intentional alternative in a dating landscape dominated by anonymous swiping and algorithm-driven matches. Built around the idea of introductions through mutual friends rather than strangers, the platform reframes online dating as something closer to community than chance encounter.

To help articulate that difference, design studio Saint-Urbain developed a new identity system designed to work across the app itself, public spaces and real-world gatherings. The visual language centres on confident typography and a restrained black-and-white palette, deliberately avoiding the pastel-heavy aesthetics commonly associated with dating apps. The result is a brand presence that feels more assured and grounded in real relationships.

Supporting the typography is a looser layer of hand-drawn illustrations and candid photography that introduces warmth and vulnerability, reflecting the emotional nuance of meeting someone through shared social circles. The identity also extends beyond the screen through out-of-home placements and events such as ‘Join Our Circle’, positioning CERCA not simply as a digital platform but as a social ecosystem built around trust, proximity and connection.

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March

Campaign #19 – Coinbase - 'Your Way Out of Their System'

Brand: Coinbase

Category: Financial Services / Cryptocurrency

Agency: Isle of Any

Medium: TV, Film

For its spot during the 98th Academy Awards in March 2026, Coinbase and independent creative agency Isle of Any delivered one of the most talked-about pieces of advertising of the year. The film, titled 'Your Way Out', uses the language of video games to frame a pointed argument about financial systems, positioning Coinbase not as a product, but as an escape route.

The film follows an NPC (non-player character), a figure familiar to anyone who has played a video game, going through a pre-programmed existence inside a pixelated world. Set to the individualist anthem 'I've Gotta Be Me', the protagonist breaks from his routine, sprints away from his scripted surroundings, and crosses into a world that is fully human, leaving what the film calls "their system" behind. Director Oscar Hudson, working through production company MJZ, shot the film entirely using in-camera techniques: suits were 2D-printed rather than rendered, sets were pixelated through print rather than CGI, and actors were trained in the rigid movement logic of game characters to sell the world from the inside out.

The strategic foundation is simple but deliberately provocative. By framing the existing financial system as a game designed by someone else, Isle of Any and Coinbase tap into a cultural undercurrent, the sense that the rules were written for other people. "Life's a game; sometimes it feels like someone else has the controller," said Laurie Howell, co-founder of Isle of Any. "We loved the thought of using that starting place as a way to tell a story about taking back financial control, leaving one world to find another with Coinbase." The Oscars placement was not incidental; the broadcast's emphasis on storytelling and craft made it a credible home for a film that prioritised both.

'Your Way Out of Their System' is conceived as a wider brand platform rather than a standalone spot, with Coinbase intending to extend it across the coming months as it rolls out a new suite of financial products through 2026.

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Campaign #20 – Merseyrail - 'Fast Track to Spring Smiles'

Brand: Merseyrail

Category: Transport

Agency: OneMay

Medium: Social

To mark the start of spring, Merseyrail partnered with Liverpool-based creative agency OneMay on a seasonal campaign built around a simple proposition: that the network is the easiest route to a day out. The campaign carries the line "Fast Track to Spring Smiles" and targets leisure travellers rather than commuters, shifting the tone away from utility and towards occasion.

The work centres on social assets tailored to different types of traveller and day-out moments, reflecting the variety of destinations and experiences accessible across the Merseyrail network. Rather than a single broad message, the approach segments by audience and reason to travel, matching creative to context.

The strategic logic is straightforward, spring is a natural moment to reframe a rail network as a leisure enabler, and social is the right channel to reach people who are already planning days out. The campaign keeps the brand close to the moments that motivate travel rather than the mechanics of getting there.

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Campaign #21 – Warburtons - 'Baker Street'

Brand: Merseyrail

Category: FMCG / Food

Agency: Joyful & Triumphant (creative), McCann Manchester (social), Mindshare (media), Burson (PR)

Medium: TV, VOD, OOH, Radio, Social, Experiential

To mark its 150th anniversary, Warburtons launched '150 Years in the Baking', a campaign built around the brand's defining characteristic: that it has remained a family business, run by the same family, for six generations. The creative platform leans into that heritage not with reverence but with warmth and self-awareness, continuing Warburtons' long-standing tradition of pairing blockbuster production values with distinctly Northern humour. The hero film, developed by Joyful & Triumphant and directed by Declan Lowney through Merman, features Morgan Freeman narrating the Warburton family's 150-year obsession with baking, following previous campaign appearances from Olivia Colman and Robert De Niro.

The film launched across TV, VOD, OOH, radio, social and online, with McCann Manchester handling social, Mindshare planning media, and Burson leading PR. In March, the campaign extended into an experiential activation that gave the broader platform its sharpest moment. For two days on March 18 and 19, Baker Street Underground station became 'Bakers Street', with Freeman's voice replacing standard platform announcements on the northbound Jubilee line. Passengers were told to "mind the bap" and to "stand behind the buttery yellow line," while the station's traditional roundel signage was redesigned as oversized crumpets and selected signs were renamed accordingly. The stunt drew directly from a moment in the TV ad in which Freeman questions Jonathan Warburton about what crumpets actually are, despite 71% of crumpet-eating Brits considering them a British staple.

The campaign's strategic strength lies in its consistency. Warburtons has spent years using high-profile talent not to glamourise the brand but to play against it, placing Hollywood names inside a resolutely domestic, family-run story. That tension is what generates the humour and the memorability. Jonathan Warburton captured the tone directly: "We have a classic Northern sense of humour and wanted to share that fun with Londoners on their daily commute. We also love a good bread pun, so Baker Street was a match made in heaven."

The Baker Street activation landed as earned media as much as paid, with the stunt generating significant coverage across national and trade press and extending the campaign's reach well beyond its broadcast footprint.

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Campaign #22 – Standard Life - 'New Grooves'

Brand: Standard Life

Category: Financial Services / Retirement Planning

Agency: McCann London

Medium: TV, Broadcast VOD, Radio, Print, Social

Standard Life's 'For the Life We Live' is the brand's most significant campaign in over a decade, and a deliberate departure from the straight-line logic that has long defined financial services advertising. Developed with McCann London, the platform is built on a single, honest observation: that life rarely follows the plan, and retirement planning should reflect that.

The campaign launches with two films. 'New Grooves' follows a man on the cusp of retirement, records, a cat, a quiet life, until his newly single daughter and grandchild arrive unannounced and reshape everything he had planned. 'Horizons Unleashed' takes a different route through the same territory, exploring another of the life events that force people to rethink their financial futures. Both films are grounded in the kind of moments the category rarely acknowledges: divorce, caring responsibilities, career changes, children returning home. The creative runs for three months across TV and broadcast VOD as its primary channels, extended by radio, print and social, and is aimed primarily at 45 to 65 year olds.

The strategic intent is to reframe retirement planning not as a fixed destination but as something that adapts to lived experience. Matt Crabtree, creative director at McCann London, described it as a platform built around "the twists, turns and unexpected detours that shape who we become, right up to and into retirement," adding that the campaign is "made up of honest, human stories." For Standard Life, the positioning move is significant, it repositions the brand as a tool for navigating real life rather than an instruction for an idealised one.

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Campaign #22 – Missing People - 'Based on a True Story'

Brand: Standard Life

Category: Charity / Public Awareness

Agency: BBH London

Medium: Film, OOH, Influencer, PR

'Based on a True Story' is Missing People's response to a cultural contradiction: someone is reported missing in the UK every 90 seconds, yet the true crime genre, which trades almost entirely on those cases, has never been more popular, with 49% of Brits consuming it daily. Rather than appeal for empathy directly, BBH London and Missing People turned the genre's own mechanics against it, using satire to make the point that entertainment and reality are not the same thing.

The centrepiece is a long-form film directed by Rachel Stubbings and produced by Sharon Horgan's Merman. It is set inside a television writers' room, where characters played by Paterson Joseph, Anna Crilly and Rosie Cavaliero sift through missing persons cases, assessing each one for its narrative potential, its drama, its ratings value, its suitability for a series. The sting arrives gradually: every case being discussed is real. The film uses dark humour not to undercut the subject but to implicate the viewer in the same logic it is critiquing. Alongside the film, OOH executions were designed to resemble case files marked with flippant post-it notes from fictitious producers, placing the same dissonance in public spaces.

The campaign also included a piece of influencer seeding that demonstrated the strategy with unusual precision. BBH produced an "unmissable" boxset, branded as the Top Five Cases You Won't See On TV, and distributed it to press and influencers. When opened, the box was empty. The point being that these cases never make it to screen because the missing people in them do not fit the editorial criteria the genre demands. To accompany the campaign, Missing People launched a Responsible Narratives Charter, calling on content creators and producers to engage with these stories more carefully.

The campaign's strategic strength is in its fluency. By adopting the language and aesthetics of the industry it is challenging, BBH gave Missing People a way into a cultural conversation that a straightforward awareness campaign could not have reached.

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Campaign #23 – Forest - '£1 Rides'

Brand: Forest

Category: Transport

Agency: In-House

Medium: Social, OOH

Forest leans into London culture with a playful campaign promoting £1 rides, designed to drive awareness and trial of its e-bike service. Rather than relying on traditional transport messaging, the brand taps into humour and recognisable city characters to create something more shareable and culturally relevant.

At the centre of the campaign is the “£1 Fish Man”, a familiar figure in London, used as the face of the activation. The idea plays on the £1 price point, bringing the concept to life through a character-led execution that feels native to the streets rather than staged advertising. By placing the campaign directly into real-world environments and amplifying it through social, Forest encourages organic interaction and conversation.

The campaign works by prioritising visibility and memorability over explanation. The simplicity of the £1 message, combined with a recognisable personality, creates an easy hook for audiences to engage with and share. In a category often focused on functionality, Forest instead builds relevance through culture, using humour and local context to make the brand feel embedded in everyday London life.

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Campaign #24 – McDonalds - 'Shortcuts'

Brand: McDonald’s Netherlands

Category: Food & Beverage

Agency: TBWA\NEBOKO, OMB Netherlands

Medium: Print, OOH

McDonald’s Netherlands turns a familiar piece of human behaviour into a quietly clever outdoor campaign by focusing on the unofficial shortcuts people already create on their way through towns and cities. Rather than inventing a new route or forcing a branded stunt into public space, the campaign observes the desire lines that already exist and uses them as proof of where people naturally want to go.

Created with TBWA\NEBOKO and OMD Netherlands, the work combines open map data with McDonald’s restaurant locations to identify informal paths that lead directly to nearby restaurants. Those routes were then photographed in their everyday surroundings and turned into a series of local print and outdoor executions.

What makes it work is its restraint. The campaign does not try to over-explain the idea or interrupt behaviour. It simply reflects it back, showing that the quickest route often says more about intent than any headline could. McDonald’s also made clear that the campaign is observational rather than instructional, keeping the focus on insight rather than encouraging rule-breaking.

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Campaign #25 – IRN-BRU - 'Tat-BRU'

Brand: IRN-BRU

Category: Food & Beverage

Agency: Lucky Generals, John Doe

Medium: PR, Influencer, Experiential

IRN-BRU is celebrating its 125th anniversary and wider pack refresh with a fan-led activation that turns its new can artwork into free tattoos. The brand took over a Glasgow tattoo studio for a pop-up called Tat-BRU, inviting loyal drinkers to get the updated designs inked, from first-timers to existing fans ready to add another tribute.

The activation ties directly to the wider packaging update, which brings back the “Made in Scotland from Girders” line, puts the girder emblem front and centre, and revives the molten man insignia first seen in 1988. It also coincides with naming changes across the range, with Sugar Free returning to Diet and XTRA becoming Zero, while the liquid remains unchanged.

What makes it work is the brand truth at the centre of it. IRN-BRU is not trying to manufacture fandom here, it is responding to a level of loyalty that already exists in the real world. By turning packaging into participation, the campaign gives that devotion a new outlet while making the rebrand feel culturally alive rather than simply cosmetic.

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Campaign #26 – IKEA Denmark - 'Collect Points with IKEA Family'

Brand: IKEA Denmark

Category: Retail

Agency: Marketsquare

Medium: Film, Digital, Owned Channels

IKEA Denmark has launched “Collect Points with IKEA Family”, a campaign that reimagines its updated membership benefits as a more tangible and engaging experience. Built around a new points-based system for more than 1.5 million Danish members, the campaign shows how rewards can be earned through everyday interactions such as shopping, attending events or simply logging into a profile.

Created by Marketsquare, the work frames the new mechanics through the language of gaming. A series of short films presents in-store actions as missions and levels, helping make the system easier to understand while giving it a more playful identity. Points can then be redeemed for rewards including discounts, delivery and in-store food.

The campaign works because it solves a familiar loyalty problem: benefits often exist, but they rarely feel vivid or motivating. By translating the programme into something more intuitive and game-like, IKEA turns a functional membership update into a clearer and more compelling customer proposition.

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