The Campaign Podcast

The final three months of the year are some of the most important in adland. Known as the golden quarter, the year closes with a final push to meet targets, helped by some of the biggest commercial moments of the year including Black Friday and of course, Christmas.In this episode, Campaign is looking into how agencies and advertisers should approach the final three months, what their top priorities are and how this golden quarter will be different from previous years.Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, the episode includes Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, UK editor Maisie McCabe and creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun.Plus, Campaign has today (8 September) launched a new website with a refreshed look and revamped navigation.Further reading:Will Andy Burnham’s social media strategy work?UK competition watchdog launches inquiry into Sky/ITV dealWill ITV generate enough ad revenue to earn £200m payout from Sky?'One of the biggest shake-ups in UK TV': the potential impact of Sky-ITVIs there a new 'big four' in adland?Publicis pulls out of Coca-Cola global media pitch after PepsiCo winPepsiCo appoints Publicis Groupe to global media without a pitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Waitrose's branded podcast recently passed one billion downloads, views and listens, staking a claim as the world’s most successful branded podcast, while also receiving the most nominations for this year's British Podcast Awards. Media and entertainment are becoming more ever closer, so in this episode, Campaign digs into why branded content is on the rise, what makes it good and questions whether Dish’s success can be achieved by other brands. The team discusses how brands don't want to "rent" their audiences, but own them, the struggle of too many chief executives wanting to be on the podcast and how branded content performs compared to other forms of media.Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Lucinda Rouse, multimedia editor of Campaign’s innovation team, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:Aardman moves into branded content partnershipsLBC sees record quarter amid geopolitical unrestBritish Podcast Awards 2026 shortlist revealed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July, he has been producing social media content with creators and has garnered over half a million followers in TikTok and over 700,000 on Instagram. But will a social media-focused strategy work for the PM?Benedict Pringle, partner and global client lead at T&P and host of The Political Marketing Podcast, joins the episode this week to discuss why Burnham has chosen social media to speak to voters, the risks involved and if it will work or not.Hosted by Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode also includes UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:What Andy Burnham's social-first strategy teaches agenciesAndy Burnham is 'proactive' towards online safety, Ian Russell saysAdland reacts as Andy Burnham reappoints Lisa Nandy as culture secretaryCould Andy Burnham's rise put the accent on regional pride in adland?Which party won the social media election?Alastair Campbell on combative politics, social media and who will lead the UK‘A headache to enforce’: What does adland think of Andy Burnham’s subscription crackdown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WPP reported its Q2 results in the last few weeks, six months after chief executive Cindy Rose launched its three year Elevate28 plan to turn the holding company’s fortunes around. Now almost a year into her role, Rose said the network has “everything it needs” to achieve its plan, with analysts calling the results “better than expected” and a “glimmer of hope”.In this episode, Campaign's journalists look at how Rose is “fighting” for business, whether the Elevate28 plan is actually working and how the holding company and its competitor set are doing. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Campaign's UK editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further reading:Five key charts behind WPP’s Q2 2026 resultsCindy Rose more than doubles WPP's bonus poolCan we talk about WPP's cuts?Is the agency sector ‘in a good place’?Havas' Yannick Bolloré: Agency sector is now ‘in a good place’ as perceptions have ‘flipped’Omnicom records 6.1% increase in organic growth in Q2 2026Publicis raises 2026 guidance and reports 4.8% growth in Q2Publicis’ Arthur Sadoun: 'We have never wanted to be an AI company'Havas reports 2.5% expansion in Q2 but UK growth 'slightly negative'Will Cindy Rose's plan save WPP? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pitching is what many call the “lifeblood” of agencies, but also the cause of their biggest strain. Almost three-quarters of adland employees have considered leaving the industry due to new-business-related stress, found research from The Great Pitch Poll 2026 published this summer, which also revealed that client expectations and demands relating to AI have increased pressure. AI and LLMs are also impacting the search and selection process for pitches, with clients using them to suggest agencies to shortlist. This episode of The Campaign Podcast features Campaign's journalists discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching and making it more stressful.Campaign's media editor Beau Jackson, senior reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe. we are discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching, making it more stressful and if the process still works. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode. Further reading: ChatGPT is telling clients to invite my agency to pitch – it's shifting the playing fieldAre clients becoming more demanding?Can we talk about the ingredients of VCCP's new-business potion?Netflix ad tools could see 'agentic AIs talking to each other' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Cannes Lions this year, the Media Lions grand prix went to Uber Eats’ “Build your own Super Bowl commercial” by Special US, a campaign which acts as a form of entertainment for the viewers. This win followed Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect and Chief Growth Officer of Media at dentsu, who was a juror on the Media Lions and said on The Campaign Podcast that judging the media category was more like judging an entertainment category. Plus, Publicis Groupe acquired sports and entertainment agency 160over90 this year, which will sit in the holding company's media division.Campaign's journalists discuss how much media is becoming more like entertainment, with insights from the jury press conferences. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with media editor Beau Jackson, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading:Adidas UK wins Entertainment Lion Grands Prix for Oasis workCannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning workCannes 2026Cannes Lions debrief: how did the UK work perform?Cannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation'Mindshare New York wins Media Lions Grand PrixGut’s 'Handshake hunt' takes home Media Lions Grand Prix for Mercado LibreMedia Lions Grand Prix goes to Leo Burnett Sydney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Catbird Seat which was unveiled earlier this month through to a few other recent launches such as Baby Teeth, Ace of Hearts and 05:37 Brand Studio, agencies are thinking long and hard about their branding. But how much do these monikers matter, is it just about the work and the people? And what what are some of the pitfalls when you get it wrong?Campaign's editorial team explore these questions and more. Deputy editor Gemma Charles hosts the episode and is joined by UK editor Maisie McCabe, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:Can we talk about the indie surge?Larissa Vince and Andy Jex launch Catbird SeatRichard Huntington launches FeralCan we talk about strategy, Feral and untethered in space?Lynsey Atkin, Chris Watling and Rebecca Lewis launch start-up Baby TeethRichard Brim, Martin Beverley and Polly McMorrow launch Ace of Hearts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Fifa World Cup gets closer to crowning the winner, Campaign invites advertising creatives to review a selection of ads that are celebrating the football tournament.The episode includes Richard Brim, founder and chief creative officer at Ace of Hearts; Carren O’Keefe, chief creative officer at Digitas, and Dan Watts, chief creative officer at Pablo London. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, the guests critique six ads, including the rival Nike and Adidas films, and discuss whether it was a vintage year for World Cup ads.The ads discussed are:Nike x Palace "England x Palace" (in-house)BBC “Let’s make it iconic” by BBC CreativeNike Football “Rip the script” by Wieden & KennedyAdidas “Backyard legends” by Lola US Paddy Power “Nobody does football better than us” by BBH LondonUber Eats “Who could cook at a time like this?” by MotherFurther reading:Nike vs Adidas: Who won the battle of the World Cup ads?World Cup 2026 round-up: Snapchat, Deliveroo, Hilton, Asda and moreHow brands hijacked Fifa's logo ban to earn attention and share of voiceNike’s 'Rip the script' to become longest ad ever to air on ITVWorld Cup kick-off draws 7.7 million as ITV 'breaks record for commercial success' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Campaign editorial team are back after spending last week (22 June - 26 June) at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026.It was a week packed full with panels, parties and prizes and this episode of The Campaign Podcast sees tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley speak to the editorial team about their highlights as well as the work that took home the awards.Shelley is joined by Maisie McCabe, Campaign's UK editor, Gurjit Degun, creativity and culture editor, and Charlotte Rawlings, deputy creativity and culture editor. The team discuss whether taste is an objective truth, which was the topic of a debate hosted by McCabe during the festival, Campaign’s daily livestream Live in Five, and how the UK performed.The guests also reflect on Campaign’s Cannes Contenders, the pieces of work the editorial team thought deserved to win big at the awards such as Claude’s “A time and a place” by Mother and Coinbase’s “Your way out” by Isle of Any.Further reading:Claude and Mother win Film Grand Prix at Cannes 2026Cannes Contenders: CoinbaseCannes Contenders: AnthropicCannes Contenders: Waitrose & PartnersThe Cannes taste debate: David Kolbusz, Lynsey Atkin, Chaka Sobhani and Rick BrimWieden & Kennedy's Ana Balarin: Craft can be a distraction from weak ideasCannes Lions 2026: final UK winners table Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PARTNER CONTENT: Media fragmentation is often painted as one of marketing's biggest challenges. But what if the real issue isn't complexity itself – it's how organisations respond to it?Recorded from Campaign House during Cannes Lions, this special episode of The Campaign Podcast, sponsored by Camphouse and hosted by Campaign tech editor Lucy Shelley, brings together:Bridget Evans, global head of advertising business marketing at SpotifyAlexander Högman, CEO of CamphouseLucie Guillerminet, vice president of marketing at Match Group.Together, they unpack why today's increasingly busy media landscape may actually present marketers with a competitive advantage. From changing consumer behaviours and the evolution of media planning to the growing importance of campaign data, the discussion explores how brands can embrace complexity instead of trying to simplify it.Whether you're grappling with audience fragmentation, looking to get more value from your campaign data or considering how AI can support your marketing operations, this conversation offers practical insights into why the marketers who organise for complexity today may be the ones who outperform tomorrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Campaign team looks back on Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2026. Editors from Campaign's sites around the world pick their highlights, including the Film Lions and Titanium winners and the big themes of the festival, plus the best parties.Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast, alongside Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Jameson Fleming, editorial director of Campaign US, Nikita Mishra, editor of Campaign Asia, and Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada.This is the last of three Campaign Cannes Global Podcast episodes. We previewed the festival in episode one and reported on the ground from Campaign House at Cannes in episode two.Further reading:Cannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning workCannes Lions 2026: final UK winners tableOgilvy, LePub Milan and Heineken win network, agency and brand of year at Cannes Lions 2026Can we talk about taste? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Campaign team has been busy in Cannes Lions and reports what's been happening so far at the festival, which runs from 22 to 26 June.Editors from Campaign's sites around the world discuss a 25% drop in award entries, the work that has been winning from their region and some of the key sessions in the Palais and at Campaign House.Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast, alongside Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Jameson Fleming, editorial director of Campaign US, Vinita Bhatia, editor of Campaign India, and Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada.This is the second of three Cannes global podcast episodes. The third episode will look back on Cannes and be released in the week after the festival.Further reading:Cannes Lions 2026: rolling UK winners tableCannes Lions round-up: UK Grand Prix wins, shortlists & high mane-tenance horses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Campaign team looks forward to Cannes Lions in this preview episode about the festival, which runs from 22 to 26 June. Editors from our sites around the world give their tips for the festival and discuss everything that’s going on at Campaign House, our dedicated venue at Cannes. Plus they talk about how the Lions award entry rules have changed this year, the work from their region that they would like to see win and the mood in the ad industry.Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, hosts the podcast, alongside Maisie McCabe, editor of Campaign UK, Nikita Mishra, editor of Campaign Asia, Jameson Fleming, editorial director of Campaign US, Vinita Bhatia, editor of Campaign India, and Chris Powell, co-editor of Campaign Canada.This is the first of three Cannes global podcast episodes. The second episode will be recorded at Campaign House and published during the festival and the final episode will look back on Cannes and be released the following week.See the full agenda for Campaign House at: https://www.campaignatcannes.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million. Why the birth of ESA was driven by the self-interest of three major countries. Why the US general with a $29 billion budget for the Star Wars project wanted to invest in Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Why, the idea that Britain could compete alone with the technologies that were accumulated and available to the American capitalist system was “simply laughable”. Why “being European is not selling out British interests”. And why Margaret Thatcher told him: “If you want to get on and put your budget into this, you can, but you're not getting any of mine." Join Alice and Lord Heseltine as they pick apart the negotiating contrivances and the wheeling and dealing to circumnavigate “turkeys not voting for Christmas” that ultimately put European space on the map.Contributors:Alice Bunn, President of UKspace Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedInUKspace: Overview | LinkedIn Lord Heseltine, Member of the House of LordsKey topics covered:Creation of the European Space Agency (ESA)US "Star Wars" program and brain drainGeopolitical case for European R&D collaborationImpact of Brexit on science and technology Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity taking place next week, Campaign catches up with three jurors to give us an insight into the judging process and what they expect from the festival and its winners this year. Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London; Amanda Morrissey, global brand president at iProspect and James Brook-Partridge, head of production at WPP Production UK join the episode. They discuss the new transparency guidelines and how it's impacted the judging process, the added AI subcategory in the craft awards and which work they think will win. Morrissey who is judging the media lions said that the entrants are leaning more towards entertainment this year, while Brook-Partridge and Rhodes argued that craft becomes even more valuable with the insurgence of AI.Campaign will be at Cannes with a full week of sessions at Campaign House, including interviews with WPP chief executive Cindy Rose, Publicis Groupe chief executive, Arthur Sadoun, will.i.am, and a chat with Ian Russell, chair of the Molly Rose foundation on the safety and accountability of digital platforms.Further reading:Cannes Contenders: InstacartCannes Contenders: Waitrose & PartnersCannes Contenders: AnthropicCannes Contenders: BournvilleCannes Contenders: McDonald’sComing up in the Campaign calendar: The Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards second entry deadline has been extended to Thursday 28 May. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2025, Cannes Lions was dampened by controversy after three awards were withdrawn over fabrication of case studies and concerns around their legitimacy.DM9’s “Efficient way to pay” was retracted after the DDB agency was caught using AI to fabricate news coverage and misleading the jury. Two others Lions were also removed from the agency. In response, Cannes Lions updated the entry process and introduced a set of "integrity standards" to ban agencies for up to three years that submit "wilfully false" campaigns.Campaign's UK editor Maisie McCabe recently spoke to Cannes Lions on the new awards process and "necessary" reset to the standards. In this episode, Campaign's editorial team discuss how the awards will be different this year, both for those that have entered and the juries that are judging them, and what the industry makes of the changes. Plus, the team reveal how the Cannes Lions is making efforts to reduce bias in the judging rooms. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes McCabe, creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun and reporter Eszter Gurbicz. It was edited by Haymarket's producer Inga Marsden.Further reading:Cannes Lions retires Creative Company of the Year AwardDecade-old Sainsbury’s ad used in Gut’s 2024 Media Grand Prix-winning case studyCannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation'Icaro Doria steps down as co-president and CCO of DM9 following Cannes controversyAdland’s ‘New Year's’ resolution should be to revive its integrity at Cannes LionsMaybe Cannes Lions isn't capable of picking all of the best work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2025, there was a major rollback of DEI initiatives, and in 2026 the gender pay gap widened in advertising, while it shrinks in other sectors. However, the IPA Census reported the proportion of women in C-suite surpassing 40% in adland for the first time, and ethnic minority representation at senior levels improved following two successive years of decline.Campaign’s School Reports highlight and critique an agency’s efforts to improve its diversity, which has received some criticism for focusing too much on race and gender and overlooking class.In this episode, Campaign's journalists are asking whether, in a time of declining DEI initiatives, an agency should be judged by its diversity, how much do clients care, and is agency diversity becoming less of a priority.Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes premium content editor Nicola Merrifield, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and UK editor Maisie McCabe.Further reading:Why has adland's gender pay gap got worse?School Reports 2026: The end of “performative window dressing” for diversity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Campaign's Media 360 opened its doors last week to a room of senior marketers, media owners and agency leaders. Food critic and Masterchef presenter Grace Dent opened the two-day conference in Brighton with speakers including co-host of The Rest Is Politics, Alastair Campbell, The Guardian's global chief advertising officer Imogen Fox and Michelle Spillane, managing director, Paddy Power Online at Flutter UK.This episode features the event's co-chairs: Sannah Rogers, chief executive of Zenith UK, and James Bailey, chief executive of Dentsu Media UK and Ireland. They chat to Campaign's tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley about their reflections on the media industry following the conference and discuss the biggest changes affecting the media industry and the people in it.Before the interview, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis chat with Shelley on their reflections after day one, on themes of trust, community and Big Tech.Further reading:PepsiCo on how a media shake-up boosted OOHBauer’s Thomas Garry wins Media360 Challenge 2026How Just Eat and British Heart Foundation manage brand risk in influencer marketingGuardian ads chief: Brands need to embrace cultural turbulence'If you ask us to make an AI ad, we will inherently fail': Particle6 on AI in production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The advertising and media industry is going through a period of massive change, as a result of AI, economic and global pressures, organisational restructures and redundancies. In the latest market report from Campaign Red called “The Great Reboot”, we reported that the top holding companies cut 12,000 people from their businesses.As the industry is contracting, how are the people within it, its leaders and those seeking employment obtaining mentorship to push themselves and the industry forward?So far this year, we have seen the launch of mentorships schemes from The Marketing Skills Trust, Ogilvy UK and Rapp UK, an expansion of Lollipop mentoring’s existing programme and launch of Zoo.London’s career community.In this episode, Campaign's editorial team discusses why mentoring is so important in periods of rapid change, if adland puts enough value on the power of mentoring, and what happens if it’s neglected altogether. Fiona Cameron joins the episode as vice president of women’s professional support programme Bloom, and former learning and development partner at Group M, now called WPP Media. From Campaign, the episode features deputy editor Gemma Charles, deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, and hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:Campaign Inspiring Women Awards winners 2026: Mentor of the YearWhat does it take to be an ad agency chief executive? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adland’s agency networks have been forced to think differently, after a challenging year for holding companies with economic instability, a mega-merger and AI disruption.Publicis began calling itself a “platform organisation” years ago, while Omnicom restructured to become a “premier marketing and sales company” after the acquisition of IPG last year. In February, WPP’s chief executive Cindy Rose said: “We don’t want to be a holding company any more”, but a “single operating company” instead.Campaign Red released a market report called "The big reboot", looking into the top network's 2025 FY results and what the post-holding company era looks like for the industry.In this episode, Campaign's editorial team is discussing why the largest agency groups are moving away from the holding company label, and what this "reboot" means. Editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis join the episode hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:Arthur Sadoun on why “pressure” from investors doesn’t matter, Publicis' “resilience” and the competitionPublicis grows 4.5% in Q1 as Arthur Sadoun pans “squeeze to please Wall Street”Q1 expected to be “worst quarter” for WPP’s new business in 2026WPP reports 6.7% revenue decline in Q1 2026Omnicom revenue grew 3.9% in Q1 after IPG acquisitionChapter 1: RevenueChapter 2: HeadcountChapter 3: M&AChapter 4: Share priceChapter 5: New businessChapter 6: Creative awardsAA/Warc: adspend forecast for 2026 drops amid methodology shake-up“The fragmentation of media is clear”: adland reacts to AA/Warc Expenditure ReportAA/Warc: adspend to break records and smash £50bn ceiling in 2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Media has seen a string of deals in the last year, poised to consolidate key areas of the market. Paramount Skydance seeks to complete its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros., and in the UK, Sky ponders its bid to acquire the broadcast and ad sales division of ITV. In publishing, after several other attempts fell through, European media group Axel Springer, which owns Business Insider and Politico, has agreed to buy the Telegraph Media Group for the sum of £575m.So, pending various approvals, what would such deals mean for the media landscape and its advertisers?Campaign's editorial team gather in the studio to discuss why media owners are consolidating, the impact on media buyers and what it means for competition. Hosted by media editor Beau Jackson, this episode includes Campaign’s UK editor Maisie McCabe, editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further readingWill Sky’s proposed takeover of ITV be good for advertisers?ITV confirms talks with Sky about £1.6bn sale of M&E unitParamount Advertising takes sole control of UK sponsorship deals Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Publicis Groupe acquired sports marketing and entertainment agency 160over90 this month, in a move it claims will “disrupt” the sector.In this episode, the Campaign team discusses why Publicis has made this "big bet" now, whether the sector needs disrupting and how influencers are changing the game. The team discusses why some say "the gap between brands and consumers is widening" and how athletes are becoming their own "self-contained media platforms, because their performance in the game is so intrinsic to their personas".Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, creativity and culture editor Shauna Lewis and deputy news editor Marianne Calnan-Holland.Further reading:What does the fan experience of the Fifa World Cup look like from the UK?Coca-Cola World Cup spot explores emotional journey of footballWhy is gaming not a media channel?Beyond borders: why countries don’t define modern fandomFifa 2026’s longer tournament window presents a golden opportunity for fan activationsBurnley FC and X unveil social documentary on women’s teamBurnley FC and X partner with Sure For Men for UK’s first X Original series Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.