John Lewis has its ‘Give Knowingly’ campaign celebrating the wisdom and wise choices of its customers, as they search for the perfect Christmas gift for their loved ones. It reinforces John Lewis as the home of gifting and showcases the breadth of the retailer’s offer. It’s the second chapter of John Lewis’s much-cited trilogy for the Golden Quarter. Chapter One announced the return of Never Knowingly Undersold in September and Chapter Three will launch its always-anticipated Christmas Ad later this month. The fully integrated campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, comprises the Top 100 Gifts for the season, eight films that will run across TV, BVOD, digital, social, a large-scale out of home and print campaign, and social media and radio. The campaign lands ahead of the all-important Black Friday trading period, which takes on a new significance with the revival of its Never Knowingly Undersold price promise. As part of its price promise, it will be matching 25 key competitors using AI technology, so that customers can be assured that they are getting highly competitive prices alongside the quality and service that John Lewis is renowned for.
Space & Time, an independent growth marketing agency with offices across the UK, is supercharging its growth ambitions after Nazara-backed global advertising technology firm Datawrkz acquired a significant stake in the company. The investment will accelerate Space & Time’s growth in Europe and across North America, as it continues on its mission to become Europe’s largest agency specialising in growth marketing. The complementary capabilities and geographical locations of the two businesses, represent significant potential for collaboration, unlocking opportunities and efficiencies for clients. Space & Time is located in the UK, with its headquarters in London and further offices in Manchester, Edinburgh, Surrey and Bournemouth, while Datawrkz is located in the US, India and Singapore and has its headquarters in Texas. The deal will enable Space & Time to access Datawrkz’s programmatic advertising technology and expertise to optimise campaign performance and outcomes for clients. It will also fast-track the development of the agency’s own proprietary products and technology, and accelerate its artificial intelligence strategy. Space & Time and its shareholders were advised on the transaction by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
Leading social publisher LADbible and renowned production company Merman, have launched a new campaign in collaboration with domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid, to help people spot the signs of coercive and controlling behaviour before it’s too late. Van Wife was created in association with APX Content Ventures, part of Publicis Media. Since the landmark 2015 legislation criminalised coercive and controlling behaviour, reported cases have surged, exceeding 43,000 in 2023. Despite its prevalence, society often fails to recognise these abusive behaviours for what they truly are. Domestic abuse often escalates over time, beginning with ‘red flag’ behaviours like criticising outfits and progressing to sexual and physical abuse. With at least one woman killed weekly by a current or former partner, identifying and challenging coercive behaviours early is crucial for saving lives. As part of the campaign, Merman has produced the thought-provoking film “Van Wife,” which follows young couple Liv and Jack on a campervan adventure, revealing how coercive behaviours escalate into abuse. Liv’s friend Duncan observes these red flags and becomes increasingly concerned. Led by a female crew, “Van Wife” encourages the audience to recognise red flags in relationships and to question and challenge problematic behaviours before it’s too late. The Van Wife film will be featured on LADbible’s channels, including a full site takeover, dedicated website hub, and a series of articles on coercive and controlling behaviour. To further support, LADbible has created social-first content inspired by the film, partnering with the actors for segments like “A Day in a Van Life” and “Asking For a Friend,” along with educational content shared on TikTok and Instagram to its 27.3 million followers.
Müller Corner gets ready to rumble dairy aisles across the UK as it brings back two of the nation’s much-loved retro flavours, Apple Crumble and Cherry Bakewell. The campaign, by creative agency of record VCCP, marks Müller UK & Ireland’s continuing push to invest in marketing, with the brand spending £1.495m on marketing this quarter alone. The campaign consists of a special-build graffiti style mural in Manchester as well as national digital and static out of home, plus a humorous social film, inspired by the classic PJ & Duncan music video – 90s dance moves included – with the new lyrics “Let’s Get Ready to Crumble”. The campaign aims to build on the light-hearted, nostalgic fun of 90s music videos. ‘Mural’ style OOH billboards will be displayed across the nation, showcasing the new flavours, Apple Crumble and Cherry Bakewell inspired, using bold graffiti-style text alongside bright, playful imagery. Through the campaign, Müller Corner Originals aims to offer escapism from the pressures of adulthood, reminding us of a simpler time – connecting to Müller Corner’s overall strategy of being an ‘icon that liberates us to play’. VCCP’s Global Creation Studio Girl&Bear was heavily involved in the output. VCCP’s digital experience agency Bernadette helped to bring the vision to life through animated social content and digital out of home. Media planning and buying were managed by EssenceMedia.com.
Wavemaker is supporting Pluto TV to create a limited-time, spine-chilling immersive experience that brings the world of the iconic British TV series Most Haunted to life. From October 28th to 31st at Outernet London, fans of the paranormal will have the chance to step into the eerie world of Most Haunted like never before. This interactive event will transport participants into a haunted house of mystery, where ghostly encounters arise at every turn. Using high-tech 8K digital screens, chilling soundscapes, and Facescape AI technology, the hauntingly realistic atmosphere is the closest thing paranormal fans can get to becoming a true Paranormal Investigator. Attendees will be guided through the experience by Yvette Fielding’s voice, tasked with the mission of spotting the clues, solving the mystery and facing the unknown of the haunted house. The experience is completely free, making it accessible for everyone, just like Pluto TV’s streaming platform. This activation coincides with the premiere of brand new and exclusive Most Haunted Season 26, on Pluto TV’s Most Haunted channel. Wavemaker UK was responsible for media planning, buying, influencer amplification, and project management of the campaign. It has ensured maximum audience engagement with the use of innovative media placements, influencer partnerships, and digital amplification to promote the experience and season launch.
Wren, the UK’s number one kitchen and bedroom retailer, has appointed Bountiful Cow to handle its media and creative accounts in the UK, worth over £20m. The appointment, thought to be one of the largest combined media and creative industry wins in recent years, follows a closed two-month review process. As the lead agency, Bountiful Cow is charged with transforming the brand strategy, comms planning,
media buying, ATL creative and production, to take the business to the next level by making affordable luxury kitchens and bedrooms a reality for more people. Bountiful Cow takes over from incumbent IMA-HOME on 1 November.
Essity, a global leader in hygiene and health solutions, has appointed PR Agency One to strengthen its B2B operations in the UK and Republic of Ireland. This strategic partnership aims to elevate Essity’s corporate brand and reinforce its position as an industry and category leader across its diverse portfolio, which includes renowned brands such as TENA, Tork, Cushelle, and Bodyform. PR Agency One will spearhead efforts to secure editorial opportunities in trade and business publications, focusing on communicating Essity’s corporate strategy, commercial successes, and thought leadership. The agency will play a crucial role in building perception of Essity as a trusted, innovative, and sustainable leader in the consumer goods, professional hygiene, and health and medical industries. The partnership comes at a time of significant growth and innovation for Essity, with recent achievements including successful lobbying efforts to improve NHS procurement methods and the development of a state-of-the-art recycled fibre facility at its largest UK paper mill. PR Agency One will play a key role in communicating these initiatives, enhancing Essity’s profile among investors, analysts, potential talent, policymakers, and business customers.
The Flywheelers, the integrated comms agency for high-growth businesses and their investors, today announces that it has been selected by Rackspace Technology, a global leader in managed cloud and AI services, to lead PR efforts in the UK for its public and private cloud services. Rackspace Technology partnered with The Flywheelers based on the team’s proven experience of bringing complex technical narratives to life and their track record for securing tier one technology coverage through the team’s strong media relationships. The high-impact media relations and thought leadership programme will combine proactive and reactive PR tactics to execute impactful storytelling on big topics in cloud, AI and digital transformation. It will also focus on presenting Rackspace Technology’s wide spectrum of industry-leading spokespeople to the media through engaging commentary and interview opportunities.
