Recent Coverage

This week we helped Stuart Archibald launch his new venture CA.5. As well as securing coverage in a host of top titles, we helped him with the external positioning of the business, putting the focus on Human Experience instead of Customer Experience. 

A great piece in Campaign where we placed two of our clients, Melissa Robertson CEO of Dark Horses and Cressida Holmes-Smith, MD at Lucky Generals, to add to this important discussion.
So many women feel the pressure of not being able to progress or missing out if they decide to take parental leave.
In fact women can improve, as Melissa writes: "I felt that becoming a parent made me better at my job. I was more focused."
Becoming a parent certainly increases the ability to multi task, organise, improvise and get things done. However as Cressida notes:
"Unfortunately, the perception remains that within the household, women are the main caregivers and men are more focused on their career."
Companies need to address the issues so women can progress and thrive in their careers. Just because "you have stepped off the merry-go-round" does't mean you can't get back on.

We placed this inspiring piece by our client Jon Williams, Founder and CEO of the Liberty Guild, in The Drum, asking the question, “why don’t the creatives lead the creative agencies?” 

It doesn’t have to be just the account managers lost in numbers who climb the ladders. Why are creative directors happy to sit in the corner and play with their crayons instead of getting creative with the P&L or growth strategy? If you find a suit blocking the ladder you wish to climb, get another ladder. As Jon reminds us, “we don’t have to stay in our own lane”. 

 Welcome to Lootopia... Where all your worries and anxieties will flush away. Picture this, your own private toilet right next to your sunbed. A throne fit for royalty in the middle of the ancient ruins. A picturesque loo at the peak of some glorious mountains. Sounds good in Lootopia doesn’t it?! It certainly would if you’re one of the 13 million people with gut issues and have a holiday planned this year. 

 One of the biggest propellants of any sport is when major brands begin sponsoring events, such as Women’s Euro 2022. Not only does the additional revenue help grow the game, but the extra eyeballs that a big brand campaign can bring help to cement the sport in the public consciousness.  

 Diversity Standards Collective founder Rich Miles reveals some key opinions from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Awkwardness, uncomfortable silences, and mortifying embarrassment are all portrayed in Zoopla's latest campaign by Lucky Generals, as the brand looks to position itself as the home research partner for future movers.

As Cannes Lions gets under way, Josh Krichefski, global chief operating officer at MediaCom, has a message for his fellow senior leaders.

Last month marked the two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, which sent ripples throughout society, culture and business. In the ad industry, Floyd’s death and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests prompted a wave of soul-searching and pledges to address a long-standing lack of diversity. 

Lucky Generals has embarked on an other-worldly campaign to promote the launch of the ice cream brand Little Moons.

The automaker worked with U.K. agency Dark Horses to promote partnership with disability charities

Created by Lucky Generals, the uncomfortable film was first released back in 2019, to raise awareness of the issue of aggressive behaviour and sexual harassment that happens at the festival

 Advertisers are continuing to get more daring in their attempts to talk about bodily functions openly; but a new campaign from Lucky Generals for probiotics brand Symprove shows that consumers are still reluctant to do just that.  

Fans heading to Paris to soak in last weekend’s Uefa Champions League final had their prayers answered by a giant sponsored doorbell manned by Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos in an activation created by Dark Horses
 

  As customers return to the skies, Virgin Atlantic has taken the opportunity to launch a new brand platform with Lucky Generals. It's the first work for the airline since the London agency won the account last summer with a new TV ad taking the lead, directed by Ben Strebel.
 

 The agency created a film promoting a plug-in that changes the term ‘cookies’ to ‘data collectors’ to prevent children from unknowingly sharing their data. 

  The campaign marks the first time the leading online car buying and selling platform has promoted its industry leading ‘Sell Your Car’ feature to the mass market. The campaign is designed to build consumer awareness that car owners can now sell their existing vehicle via the new ‘Sell Your Car’ portal whenever they configure a new car on carwow. 

 A new initiative for The Big Issue, the U.K. magazine sold by homeless and vulnerably housed people, uses innovative digital outdoor tech to help pedestrians locate vendors as many return to outdoor spaces following the pandemic.  

Gold winner in Corporate Communications/Marketing team of the year in the 2021 Campaign Agency of the Year Awards with creative agency Lucky Generals. 

 In the inaugural episode of shots Fired, Kean talks to Dark Horses CEO Melissa Robertson about the "lazy and unnecessarily loaded" gendering of titles and job descriptions. Kean plays devil's advocate as Robertson explains why it's something that infuriates her, and why a 'mumtrepreneur' is absolutely not a thing. 

Navigating the business end of the B Corp journey is not easy but the certification brings massive benefits. 

There’s nothing remotely like the Super Bowl in the UK – and the commercials aired during the game are unlike any commercials on the planet. With an audience of more than 100m watching from home, the Super Bowl ads are a big deal. They cost a lot to make and even more to air – reportedly up to $7m for a 30 second slot this year – so brands put a lot of effort into making them as memorable as possible. 

The platform's formula for success is poking fun at itself—and finding stars willing to do the same

 How can we truly make change happen? How can we push the ball forward? We talk a lot in advertising about change, transformation and innovation. But sometimes that’s all it is, talk. Creative change is all about changing the brief — that is how we will drive change everywhere else. It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how few people actually try to do this. Ultimately, fear holds great work back and boldness pushes it forward. 

The IPA has teamed up with Epic Games and digital agency Collective to teach agencies and clients how to integrate digital assets (via Unreal Engine) into their businesses and marketing plans.

West Ham United FC and England midfielder Declan Rice fronts Panini’s advertising campaign to mark the launch of its 2022 Premier League Sticker Album.

Using Panini’s #GotGotNeed tagline, the campaign – created by Dark Horses aims to drive excitement for the new collection amongst youngsters across the UK.

Love him or hate him, no-one can deny Jeremy Clarkson has a wicked sense of humour, which is why he was so tickled by a new ad campaign by Forever Beta calling him a “f***er.” In this case, however, the F-bomb in question is “farmer”, with Clarkson fronting an Amazon Prime Video series in which he documents the highs, lows and Lamborghini tractors involved in becoming a farmer.

If this was a real desert island, you can guarantee I would have packed too much. 5 pairs of shorts, 3 ‘spare’ phone chargers, perhaps even a couple of coat-hangers. And there I would be, sat in the scorching sun with a case the size of small house, wondering why I didn’t pack a parasol.

In February 2021, TikTok surprised many by announcing a global sponsorship of the Uefa The clock was ticking, and James Rothwell, its head of marketing EMEA, explains how he managed to pull together its first big sports sponsorship in record time.

Bunching a load of agencies together doesn't mean you have something new, writes The Croc's Jason Talbot

Lucky Generals founder Andy Nairn tells Management Today how you can use luck to become a better leader, on the back of the launch of his new book, Go Luck Yourself. 

Dark Horses, Chief Strategy Officer Matt Readman discusses why now more than ever we need the Olympics and humanity needs to be reminded what we are capable of.

Edie Kelly, Dark Horses Social Strategist and women's football expert comments the WSL seals landmark TV deal

Lucky Generals has created a progressive podcast series called ‘Uncomfortable Conversations’ designed to be an educational and challenging tool for people in advertising and marketing who want to learn about intersectionality, how it affects the industry, their role within it, the work they make, and ultimately, how they can become positive forces for change.  

Dark Horses' chief executive Melissa Robertson wants adland to have an open conversation about the menopause and the effect it can have on women.

A deliciously disruptive idea - THE CROC 

As football betting sponsorships come under the microscope, Mark Lloyd, Strategist, Dark Horses (pictured below), looks at why a host of other brands should spot an opportunity in football partnerships.

A new children's book, created by two London-based creatives from Forever Beta, tackles the pandemic head on with a beautifully crafted story about life beyond the coronavirus lockdown.

There’s been an unpleasant flurry of self-interest that has been around for decades. Oddly Covid has uncovered both the problem and the solution. - JON WILLIMAS, THE LIBERTY GUILD