Is imitating other ads really a form of flattery?

The quote “good artists copy, great artists steal” also applies to advertising. Some ads are paying homage while some simply rip others off when creatives spot a good idea.In this episode, the Campaign team takes a look at some of the recent ads that look noticeably similar, including British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research, Crocs and the V&A, Experian and an Amazon ad from 2023, Primark and Levi's iconic denim ad and Apple Watch and Rebook's "Belly's going to get you" in 2000.Some creatives argue that ads can get away with copying if it's "over five years old and 5000 miles away", while others suggest it is "lazy" and creatives should be "named and shamed".Host tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joined by deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe.Further reading:Is there such a thing as an original (OOH) idea?Is pre-testing a ‘no-brainer’? With Martin BeverleyComing up in the Campaign calendar:Influencer360 on 28th April Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a break from the usual listen, we're bringing you The Karman Line, which is a new podcast on the British space industry from Haymarket Media Group, the owner of Campaign.The UK space industry is a significant and strategic driver of the UK economy contributing over £19 billion in direct revenues. And it needs brilliant communicators to help tell its story.For most people, space is about rockets and astronauts. But it's actually about sustainability, infrastructure, observation, communication and increasingly, manufacturing. Not a lot of people know that. For the space industry to fully realise its potential it needs more of the right people to understand what’s happening and get involved. People like policy makers, investors, regulators, planners, lawyers and consultants.In this first episode of The Karman Line, Dr Alice Bunn, the president of UK Space, and her panel of guests, Sam Alden co-CEO of Space Solar, Nick Shave managing director of Astroscale and Anushka Sharma founder of Naaut, discuss the surprising, awe inspiring business of space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WPP announced a new strategy and structure last week, on Thursday 26 February, as the company hopes to turn its fate around, while reporting its worst financial performance since the pandemic. Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier interviewed WPP's chief executive officer Cindy Rose on the three-phrase plan "Elevate28" which includes £500m in cost savings and transitioning the business from a holding company structure to a single company with four core divisions – WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions. These will be led across four regions globally.In this episode, the Campaign team breaks down the announcements and what it means for WPP’s agencies, look at how the company compares to its competitors and discuss if Rose's plan will work. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode which includes Spanier alongside editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further reading:WPP Media and VML drive 8% UK decline for WPPWPP Creative will 'not sunset' agency brands Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Campaign has released the A List – a compilation of over 200 industry leaders and their musings on the year gone and year ahead. In 2025, the advertising and marketing industry underwent some huge organisational shifts. With revenue declines and share price drops, job cuts, leadership changes and legacy agencies changing their names, 2026 marks a new era for the industry.In this episode, the Campaign team discuss some of the A Listers' perspectives, including how to be innovative in uncertain times, and what outfits they wear to a pitch.Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes deputy editor Gemma Charles, editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings. Further reading:The 2026 A List: 'Massive fuckin' traitors', 'Method Pitchers' and AI-induced boredomHalf of VCCP's current jobs didn't exist at launch, CEO saysThe A List and it’s completely different but it’s also still the A ListCampaign A List 2026: How leaders are planning for success in surprising timesCan we talk about how you get into Campaign's 2027 A List?In Pictures: Campaign A List party 2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Media planners and buyers, like many in adland, have been tackling a period of immense change. AI, media fragmentation and budget restraints are all impacting the roles within media. At the end of January Campaign hosted Media Week Live, a conference for media planners and buyers, discussing how their roles are changing and what the future of the media agency looks like. Leaders from X, Pinterest, Omnicom, WPP, Publicis and the National Theatre joined to share their perspectives from the top.Campaign's media journalists hosted the event: media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis. The pair join tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley to discuss the future of the media planner and buyer, what part creativity plays in the media plan, how media planners work alongside AI and what challenges media agency leaders are facing this year.Further reading:What does it take to be a media agency chief investment officer?'Frustrating' and 'disappointing': media buyers on Google's action against Kantar Media and BarbThe Lists 2025: Top 10 media buyers‘The weather is changing’: How much should publishers fret about Google AI Overviews?Will media buyers be the first victims of AI?Media buying among 'first areas to go' with rise of AI, says MediaMonks co-founder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the Super Bowl LX over the weekend, David Kolbusz, chief creative officer at Orchard Creative; Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London; and Josh Green, chief creative officer of Elvis review a selection of the ads in this week's episode of The Campaign Podcast. Hosted by Campaign’s creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, the trio critique work from Instacart, Anthropic, Squarespace, E.l.f Cosmetics, Pringles, Dove and Bud Light. They also comment on whether this year’s ads are better than those of previous years. Kolbusz said: "The theme for me this year was that people are starting to figure out the Super Bowl again. I think the last five or so years have just been an absolute tragedy."Further reading:Super Bowl 2026 round-up: watch the adsPringles "Can hands" by Grey London Campaign calendar:Audio Advertising Awards: final entry deadline on 12th February, with multi-entry discounts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FIFA World Cup really is bigger this year, taking place in Summer across 39 days, taking place in 16 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada. While all the on-pitch fun is happening across the Atlantic, how can brands across the pond engage UK audiences effectively and authentically?In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, Campaign welcomes guest Lizi Hamer, the global executive creative director at Octagon to discuss some of the biggest mistakes brands make when creating brand experiences around the World Cup, and why advertisers should be thinking community first, not country first.Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with Campaign's deputy editor Gemma Charles and creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:Beyond borders: why countries don’t define modern fandomFifa 2026’s longer tournament window presents a golden opportunity for fan activationsIdentity launches global sports propositionThe Year Ahead 2026: Cultural trendsThe Year Ahead 2026: ExperiencesCampaign calendar:Audio Advertising Awards: final entry deadline on 12th February, with multi-entry discounts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Campaign's "agencies to watch" lists the top media, creative and new shops that are likely to have an impact in the next 12 months. This episode discusses the chosen agencies, how the lists have changed from 2025, and what makes an agency worth watching, or not.While these lists are not an endorsement of each agency, they have been chosen because these shops went through big changes last year.This episode of The Campaign Podcast is hosted by Lucy Shelley and features editor Maisie McCabe, creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.Further reading:Eight new agencies to watch in 2026Seven creative agencies to watch in 2026Eight media agencies to watch in 2026If 'agencies to watch' grow into 'top agencies' and other conundrumsLePub launches in London led by Gina Hood‘The Grey-naissance’: Helen Rhodes plans ‘dollop of stupidity and naivety’ in Grey's return to creative gloryAce of Hearts: dealing adland a new hand Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025 saw an incredible amount of change and pressure for the industry and its agencies – steering the ship through heavy storms has become even tougher.At Campaign's Year Ahead Breakfast Briefing in The National Gallery, editor Maisie McCabe led a discussion on leadership in a time of change, interviewing Dan Clays, CEO of Omnicom Media EMEA, Katie Mackay-Sinclair global chief brand officer at Mother, and Magnus Djaba, chief client officer and Publicis Groupe. This bonus episode of The Campaign Podcast features the entire panel which discusses the impact of AI, structural shifts within agencies and how people should care for each other during timed of change.The Year Ahead Breakfast Briefing featured adland leaders talking about the trends and strategies for 2026, across creativity, technology, leadership, brands and media.Further reading:Agencies need to be AI literate to keep up with clients, Gravity Road global ECD warnsCreativity will see a return to ‘raw human honesty’ in 2026, Kyle Harman-Turner says'Isn't it boring spending in the same place?': the case for a diverse media dietGlobal sentiment towards sustainability has 'fallen off a cliff', Trainline marketer saysThe Year Ahead 2026: Ad agenciesThe Year Ahead 2026: CreativityThe Year Ahead 2026: SocialThe Year Ahead 2026: Cultural trendsThe Year Ahead 2026: Media ownersThe Year Ahead 2026: BrandsThe Year Ahead 2026: TechnologyThe Year Ahead 2026: Media agenciesComing up in the Campaign Calendar:Brand Film Awards: deadline on 29 JanuaryAudio Advertising Awards: second entry deadline on 29th January, with multi-entry discounts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adland leaders announced their optimism at last week's Year Ahead Breakfast Briefing in The National Gallery, talking about the trends and strategies across creativity, technology, leadership, brands and media for 2026.Martin Beverley, co-founder and chief startegist at Ace of Hearts spoke about the importance of joy, while Netflix's head of advertising sales Ed Couchman said 2026 will be the year of fandom as consumers are wanting more from brands. Gravity Road's global executive creative director said agencies need to be AI literate to keep up with clients, while creativity will see a return to "raw human honesty" in 2026, said Kyle Harman-Turner, creative partner and executive creative director at FCB London.In this episode, Campaign's journalists who were at the event and on the panels dig into what the industry’s leaders predict for 2026, and why. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley is joined by deputy editor Gemma Charles, premium content editor Nicola Merrifield and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.Further reading:'Isn't it boring spending in the same place?': the case for a diverse media dietGlobal sentiment towards sustainability has 'fallen off a cliff', Trainline marketer saysThe Year Ahead 2026: Ad agenciesThe Year Ahead 2026: CreativityThe Year Ahead 2026: SocialThe Year Ahead 2026: Cultural trendsThe Year Ahead 2026: Media ownersThe Year Ahead 2026: BrandsThe Year Ahead 2026: TechnologyThe Year Ahead 2026: Media agenciesCan we talk about the ethics of AI-fuelled advertising?Coming up in the Campaign calendar: Brand Film Awards: deadline on 29 January Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.