This week: UK advertising in the media

In this weekly series we pull together, in one place, a selection of must-reads from across our industry media. Hope you find it a useful edit of another week in advertising!

UK ad market will surge above 2019 level this year, AA/Warc report finds

Market set to grow by 15.2% in 2021, with double-figure growth in most channels.

There may be travel ahead

Even the most intrepid lone traveller will occasionally stumble out of their depth, and will be left feeling isolated and questioning their own thirst for adventure. What a comfort then to know that Expedia has your back.

CMO tenure falls to lowest level in over a decade

While average tenure continues to decline, the number of CMOs from diverse backgrounds has also dropped to just 13%.

Born Licensing Hires Crack Team of Characters to Target UK Adland

The bold creative tells the industry ‘Don’t Say Can*t’ and encourages adland to explore the realms of possibility that come from licensing fictional characters

Creative Works: 10 of the best ads of the week, from Dove to Rankin

At The Drum, we believe great work deserves recognition and that talented creatives should get their share of reverence for the hard work they put in. So each week we will update our hall of fame, celebrating the 10 best ads from our Creative Works section. Welcome, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite!

Formula E “Change accelerated” by Uncommon Creative Studio

Formula E is celebrating its vision to accelerate sustainable human progress through the power of electric racing with new brand positioning.

Enders issues stark warning on future of TV advertising

Unless significant changes are introduced to the linear TV advertising model, Enders predicts that television ad revenues could be £364 million lower in 2027 compared with 2019.

Punchy Enders report calls for TV market reforms to save declining ad market

Broadcasters should unite to sell BVOD ads, “legacy” practices like share deals and contract rights renewals must be rethought, and agencies can hoodwink auditors, says a comprehensive report by Enders Analysis.

Doing it old-school.

Scored by a snippet of Michel Legrand’s ‘The Young Girls of Rochefort’ soundtrack, the ad charms with its crisp choreography and vintage production values.

Cadbury, ASA, LinkedIn: Everything that matters this morning

Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world each day.

TV ad complaints increased as Covid Britain stayed home, ASA report reveals

Ad watchdog to tackle racial stereotypes, climate change and body image issues in 2021.

UK ad watchdog says tech is helping it remove 346% more dubious ads a year

The ASA resolved 36,342 complaints about 22,823 UK ads in 2020, according to its annual report.

‘Reverse Selfie’: Dove’s mission to combat social media’s negative effects

Nicknamed ‘generation selfie’, young people are more likely to suffer low self-esteem as a result of social media. A veteran social campaigner, Dove is on a mission to use its power and influence to combat the harmful impact selfie culture has on young girls before the problem becomes endemic. The team behind ‘Reverse Selfie’ talk The Drum through their plan of action.

‘We don’t expect a return to normal’: UK agencies forever changed post-Covid

Advertising agencies in the UK are preparing to open their doors as lockdown restrictions lift. However, a return to ‘normal’ working life is far from expected.

UK advertising sector on track for strongest global recovery

The UK advertising sector is on track to achieve the strongest recovery of any major global market this year as the vaccine rollout fuels improved confidence among brands.

UK advertising market poised for a strong rebound in 2021

The latest Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report forecasts a 15.2% rise in UK adspend, which will reach £27.0bn.

Guide Dogs tells the story of Flash the puppy in heart-tugging animated film

Campaign to mark charity’s 90th anniversary also includes audio ad voiced by Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page.

WPP launches first-party data business in wake of Apple privacy update

Ad giant WPP has announced the launch of a new global data company, Choreograph, bringing together specialist data units from GroupM and Wunderman Thompson.

TV’s renaissance

With a highly anticipated Enders report into TV advertising out this week, Bobi Carley looks at a linear medium firmly back on planning agendas.

Nabs warns of ‘long-term’ financial and emotional Covid-19 strain on ad industry

The long-term fallout of the pandemic is becoming apparent for advertising and media workers, with the financial and emotional toll wrought by the outbreak quantified for the first time.

Six tips on how to work alone successfully

During yesterday’s Omniwomen event, author Rebecca Seal shared some top tips on working alone from her new book Solo: How To Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind).

Clumsy Humans: meet the newly awkward post-pandemic consumer

While some have predicted a new Roaring 20s, the post-lockdown consumer is more likely to be cringing and full of unease.

BRiM launches with framework for fair representation of black people in marketing

Black Representation in Marketing (BRiM), an alliance formed by a 15-strong steering group of brands and agencies, has today launched its cross-industry framework, supported by the Advertising Association.

Unilever, PepsiCo, Shell and TUI join forces to improve black representation in UK marketing

Black Representation in Marketing (BRiM) is calling on marketing organisations to sign up to its new framework, after finding 42% of marketing professionals haven’t made any decisions to increase black representation in the past year.

Unilever, Facebook, VCCP back BRiM scheme to boost black representation

The project is backed by the Advertising Association, brands and inclusion experts.

Theory of bathability.

Albert Einstein joins the canon in this well-made commercial for Smart Energy GB, which suggests one doesn’t need to be a genius to see the benefits of digital energy meters.

Sustainability, ecommerce, digital spend: 5 interesting stats to start your week

We arm you with all the numbers you need to tackle the week ahead.

FMCG ad spend to recover after Covid-19 slump

Ad spending associated with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) is expected to surge this year in a remarkable turnaround for a sector that was battered harder than most in 2020 when it tanked 10.7% to be valued at a dismal $26.7bn.According to the latest market report from Zenith, a sharp bounce-back will recover much of this lost ground, but fall 6% short of levels reached in 2019.

Crossing the divide: how hybrid events can unite physical and virtual audiences

Juggling agendas, managing time zones and creating shared experiences can be aided by technology.

How Fifa created an ‘authentic, not voyeuristic’ portrayal of a British Muslim community

Fifa’s award-winning campaign features the Midnight Ramadan League in Birmingham.

Channel 4 introduces pregnancy loss policy covering all types of loss

The policy will support employees through miscarriage, stillbirth and abortion.

Saatchi & Saatchi unveils programme to support working parents in adland

The initiative comes as research shows working parents have been hard hit by pandemic.

‘The advertiser is no longer in control’: Apple’s iOS 14.5 privacy updates explained

Apple’s iOS 14.5 — and the talk of the town, its accompanying privacy updates — are live. The changes offer consumers greater control over the use of their data, but at the same time introduce significant identity resolution, ad targeting and ad measurement challenges for marketers. Here are the nitty gritty details.

Facebook v Apple: The ad tracking row heats up

A new feature is being introduced to iPhones and iPads this week which is causing a huge rift between Apple and Facebook.

‘A nod to resilience’: O2 Business campaign spotlights owners getting back to normal

A new TV spot from O2 business heralds the work of businesses across the country as lockdowns come to an end. Allie Lawson, head of brand and marcomms, explains the strategy behind the ad.

Regeneration is rising up the agenda

Sarah Tilley, Consultant at Wunderman Thompson Intelligence introduces a new report that uncovers the wave of support from both people and businesses for dramatic action around climate change.

Marketers: we are messaging sustainability totally wrong

What if I told you that the way marketers communicate about sustainability actually reduces our ability to make a meaningful impact, asks Deutsch’s Corey Newman. There is a better way, one in which brands bridge the gap between awareness and action to create real change.

Havas recovery continues with return to growth in sight

Q1 revenues dropped 0.8% on an organic basis.

MediaCom launches global division to bring creative and media back together

Stef Calcraft will lead a new global leadership team.

Five questions with: Richard Reeves, MD at the UK Association of Online Publishers (AOP)

Richard Reeves, managing director at the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) talks accelerated trends, D&I, collaborations and reveals a secret about himself.

Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Spotify: Everything that matters this morning

Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world each day.