TBWA\MCR has joined forces with limbless veteran’s charity Blesma in a humorous take on the serious business of fund-raising.The ‘Not heroic, human’ campaign, disrupts the usual sombre and serious approach adopted by this charity sector, which historically has relied on triggering emotions around the idea of fallen heroes to provoke a response. Instead, the creative builds on the idea that veterans are everyday people with families, futures, homes and ambitions. The opening shot echoes a traditional ‘appeal’ ad, as the camera pans out from a male head but the mood dramatically lightens when the central character, former Royal Marine Mark Ormrod MBE, the UK’s first triple amputee to survive the Afghanistan conflict, is peed on by a baby mid-nappy change. It is the first TV campaign on behalf of Blesma which is a charity focused on helping ex-service people and their families, following the loss or loss of use of limbs or sight. The advert, shot by Sting Films, the internal production agency of TBWA/MCR, was prompted by the need to raise money for Blesma members in light of the decline in the naming of military charity beneficiaries in legacy giving.
Ikea is offering customers the chance to go home with an entire trolley full of Ikea treasures for free. The retailer is launching ‘Market Hall Madness’ in celebration of its latest perk, Rewards from Ikea Family, which is available in the UK now. Five lucky Ikea Family members will win the chance to race against the clock and shop ‘til they drop, filling a trolley with items from IKEA Wembley Market Hall. Customers must earn 25 Rewards points before Wednesday 25th September 2024 to be eligible for the prize draw but, to give shoppers a head start, the retailer is offering new and existing Ikea Family members up to 10 Reward points at launch.
The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) is launching a new campaign to celebrate the rehoming of its One Millionth Hen, affectionately known as “Henrietta”, by His Majesty The King at Highgrove Gardens. The initiative has been brought to life through a social media campaign by Happy Yolk. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the plight of ex-commercial laying hens and to inspire the public to take action by adopting hens and saving them from slaughter. Targeting animal lovers, environmental advocates, and the broader British public, the campaign, which is running across major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, seeks to build a community of supporters who are passionate about improving animal welfare. From heartfelt stories of the charity’s journey to a playful teaser video voiced by comedian, writer and BHWT patron Bob Mortimer, the campaign narrative humorously followed a hen travelling to the secret Highgrove destination by various modes of transport, complete with a pink suitcase. The video invited the audience to guess her destination, adding an element of fun and engagement, and culminated in the royal handover. The final reveal, a collaborative announcement film created by Simon Moore marks a significant moment in the charity’s history.
Leeds digital marketing agency Spike has been appointed by British Cycling to develop a new content strategy to help the national governing body ‘bring the joy of cycling to everyone’. Off the back of another very successful Olympics where British Cycling delivered an impressive 11 medals, the organisation aims to broaden its reach even further, engaging new audiences and champion cycling as a means for social impact with the support of Spike. The agency will develop a new content strategy aimed at enhancing the iconic national governing body’s presence across online channels to connect with new audiences. To inform customer journey mapping and topic ideation, Spike will blend real-world insights and innovative AI-driven synthetic data. The content strategy will help British Cycling drive home the message of how they can bring the joy of cycling to everyone.
AlmapBBDO has created “The Best OOO Email Ever” for Novotel to help reduce the envy felt when receiving an ‘out of office’ email from a colleague. During the initiative, dreaded vacation autoreplies became coupons to get 20% off stays at Novotel hotels, encouraging recipients to take time off too. The feature is part of a Almpap BBDO campaign which reinforces Novotel’s full-service experience, serving both business and leisure travel. Turning email autoreplies into an advertising space is one funny and creative technique used to connect holiday-takers with the hotel brand.
Cheltenham-based technology consultancy, Emerge Digital, has signed Mark Atkinson, former Gloucester Rugby player, as its new Business Development Director. Mark, who also holds a business development role at Gloucester Rugby, will be focusing on unlocking opportunities in new markets, as part of Emerge Digital’s two-year growth plan to continue its trajectory and double its revenue by 2026. After joining Gloucester Rugby in 2014, Mark played 168 times over a ten-year period for the club, while also being called-up for the Barbarians and England Rugby. Having recently made the transition from sport to business, Mark welcomes the challenge of a new industry. Mark’s hire also coincides with the sixth year of Emerge Digital’s partnership with Gloucester Rugby, a relationship which has seen the club enhance match day experiences for 250,000 fans, as well as staff and shareholders, by investing in new, state-of-the art technology.
