LBBonline - Little Black Book’s Post

Our CEO and Managing Partner, Nisha S., delves into the challenges and shifts in the advertising world, questioning if the rise of mega-holdcos is reshaping the agency landscape. 🌐✨ From the value of unique agency cultures to the importance of bespoke solutions, she highlights what’s at stake when creativity meets consolidation. Explore her perspective in the latest article and join the conversation. 🔗 Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/geA7Gt4M #InfectiousAdvertising #IndustryInsights #ThoughtLeadership #AdvertisingTrends #AgencyCulture

7 million dollars for 30 seconds. That’s the price of a Super Bowl ad this year (record pricing)— but, this is not about the dollars. How do you turn a short moment into a movement? I think the greatest Super Bowl ads didn’t just fill a 30-second slot. 🤍 They connected emotionally, whether through humor, nostalgia, or heartfelt moments. 📖 They focused on a clear, memorable storytelling that tied directly to the brand's value. ⌚ They used the stage not just to entertain but to spark cultural conversations that lived long after the game. For example: CeraVe’s Michael Cera ad was unexpected, funny, and personal—it turned a product ad into a cultural highlight of 2024. This year feels bigger. Kendrick Lamar at halftime, a new president, and the backdrop of wildfires in LA all add layers of complexity. And I can’t stop thinking… How will brands respond to this context? 💡 What’s your take? If you were in charge—how would you make $7 million count?

James Corden was one of the reasons I left the agency I co-founded. Yes you read that right! Here's why: We were an agency that did some great work with some epic brands - but unless my colleagues and I picked up the phone (or emailed) - nobody knew or cared. At the end of 2016 I was building a new way to drive awareness and attract new business to our agency, which we'd boot strapped since 2007. What was it? Video interviews with clients, colleagues and suppliers talking about ads. Crazy eh? I called it, 'Are You Not Entertained?' or #AYNE This one was with BAY12 STUDIO LTD founder and friend, Mark Powell discussing the role of the Xmas ad in UK culture and focusing on Sainsbury's 2016 offering vs their 1990's ads (TVC) starring John Clease. The 90's ads were product first, family second and non-emotional. Today some would call them - performance ads. The 2016 mega-blockbuster 3 minute animation with James Corden singing along - was all about family and emotions, with pretty much zero products featured. Very much story and brand led. TLDR: 1) I got blank faces and zero support from my co-founder colleagues for 'Are You Not Entertained' and so it ended up being another sign that I should exit. 2) Interesting to see some of the big retailers go back to product focused ads this xmas rather than the emotional storytelling route. 3) Making this video series gave me the confidence to do them on my own and create lots of new business opportunities for my consultancy! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! #advertisingandmarketing #digitalmarketing #christmasads #MakeWavesNotWaste

COLUMNS: Against the fast pace of the ad industry, Ernie Schenck propounds for the value of slowing down. https://ow.ly/GJJU50TpXbq #COLUMNS #CAMagazine #AdvertisingTrends #CreativeStrategy #MindfulCreativity #SlowThinking #DigitalMarketing #BrandStrategy #AdIndustry #MarketingInsights

Legendary ad man Howard Gossage believed that goodwill from interesting ads drives sales. Check out these 5 TV spots up for the Thinkboxes Award, featuring humour, emotion, and inspiration. Which one’s your favourite? 🎥✨ Thinkbox Watch now https://buff.ly/4aNuTz0 #Thinkboxes #Advertising #TVAds #ad #marketing #digitalmarketing #digital #brand #agency #creatives #creativity #marcomms #adland #communications #media #mediacompany #mediaowner #mediabuying #mediaplanning #creativeagency #brandagency #mediaagency #advertising #adagency #eventsagency #advertisingagency #marketingandadvertising #brandmarketing

If you want any insight on advertising trends in 2024, I just watched this ad, a real ad, on my television: Guy 1 gets into a Guy 2's car. Guy 1: Mazda? Guy 2: Mazda. Guy 1: Mazda! Guy 2: Mazda. Guy 1: Mazda. Legal mumbo jumbo -fin- There's nothing quite like seeing a good product strategy come to life and this is nothing like a good product strategy coming to life. The emotional insight here is exhilarating.

“What will the breakout news headline be for your brands’ ads when Christmas is gone and your next 30" is about to launch? It’s not all about Xmas” With £10.5bn projected to be spent on #festivecampaigns this year, Our CEO, Fergus McCallum, unpacks why TV remains the OG of brand effectiveness and how creativity drives it all. Read more in Campaign UK here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e-t9s2ht #TBWAMCR #CampaignUK #ChristmasAds #TVAdvertising #CreativityMatters #xmas #Christmas #thoughtleadership

Tomorrow at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity check out 'The Extraordinary Cost of Dull: Why Boring Advertising Must Die'. Our founder Adam Morgan along with Jon Evans will uncover why dreary, dull and beige advertising persists across global industries and the escalating cost of it. Backed by brand new IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), System1, WARC, and MESH data, as well as expert insights, they'll reveal alarming findings and equip you with the tools to challenge this norm. https://lnkd.in/e5p6MiyA #canneslions #thecostofdull #challengermindset

Tribute to a Childhood of Doing Nothing Ft. 5 Star Not only as my favourite chocolate but as one of the most memorable brands known for its unique ads, 5 Star has always been about chilling. Not to be confused with ‘taking a break’ (wink wink). 5 Star has been perfecting the art of ‘doing nothing’ for so long that one particular marketing campaign took me out for its mischievousness. A TV ad simply pointing out the way the 5-star review system on practically every website ever is, in fact, a mass promotion for 5 Star itself. #Gasp #TheMoreYouKnow The impeccable tone captured in this ad is a testament to how well the team knew both their audience and the brand itself. The brand is drenched in nostalgia and remains one of the most adored homegrown brands that stood the challenge of time by constantly adapting. So the next time you rate any of your e-shopping hauls, remember to take a bite of 5 Star and do nothing! Watch the ad here: https://lnkd.in/dWyUcSer #cadbury #5starchocolate #donothing #marketingcampaign

I've banged on about making people feel something when they see your work since the first day I started working as a creative in the advertising and communications business. The more emotion you can pour into your work, the more people will connect with the brand. So what emotions should we pull on? The answer is all of them. For example: Enjoyment think Cadburys 'Gorilla'. https://lnkd.in/ep3_s6NF Disgust think Burger King's 'Mouldy Whopper' https://lnkd.in/ed-A_PMR Sadness think Caeser's 'Love them back' https://lnkd.in/enk5Vp4C Anger think P&G's 'Like a girl' https://lnkd.in/e63mkggv Fear think Phones4U's 'Little Girl' https://lnkd.in/ezZHPqnN All of these ads and stories evoke something more from us than your average piece of selling communication. It's a fact that consumers attach themselves to brands not because of what they sell, but how they make you feel. So it's good of Campaign UK to shed a spotlight on emotions once again. We don't see, or rather feel, work with it in as often as we should. Side note...if you want to learn more about how we're affected or ruled by emotions, check out Professor Paul Ekman's Atlas of Emotion. https://lnkd.in/eZPGkvW2 #creativeleadership #creativeideas #emotionalstorytelling https://lnkd.in/eXXXxacB