The Battle for Virality: How the advertising industry stole Christmas November 14, 2016 Consumer capitalism is like an annual balloon, pumping in steady increments throughout the year. It grows and grows, stretching and straining around November, taut before the Black Friday Pin; the pressure too much, one prick and the balloon explodes in a relentless cloud of Christmas advertising. But where has this volley come from? We can’t even [...]
The Waitrose Christmas advert is here: Move over Buster, there’s a plucky little Robin giving you all the feels November 13, 2016 The bouncing boxer dog of the John Lewis Christmas advert has a rival: a tiny Robin braving wild weather and perilous predators to return to a young girl's festive home. The Waitrose Christmas advert has been revealed, and while never quite matching up to the much-hyped John Lewis one before, this year that might just change with its [...]
Lego “not planning any future promotional activity” with Daily Mail amid protests at recent coverage November 12, 2016 Lego is “not planning any future promotional activity” with the Daily Mail, in an apparent protest at its editorial content. Stop Funding Hate, a group campaigning for companies like John Lewis and Waitrose to pull advertising from certain tabloid newspapers, has claimed the move by Lego as a victory. DMGT, the owner of the Daily Mail, [...]
Daily Mail managing editor attacks “psychotic” and loss-making Guardian November 11, 2016 A senior editor at the Daily Mail has accused broadsheet rival the Guardian of having a “psychotic hatred of popular newspapers”. Alex Bannister, managing editor of the Mail, wrote a letter to the Guardian after it ran an editorial condemning tabloid coverage of Prince Harry’s girlfriend, Meghan Markle, and suggested press regulator Ipso should intervene. As well [...]
Newspaper publisher Johnston Press revenues continue to fall November 10, 2016 Newspaper publisher Johnston Press’s share price fell five per cent this morning after it reported continuing falls in its revenue. The figures Johnston Press, which owns around 200 regional newspapers and bought the i earlier this year, said turnover in the 17 weeks to 29 October was down 5.1 per cent on the same period last [...]
ITV shares jump despite ad revenue diving amid Brexit uncertainty November 10, 2016 ITV’s share price jumped three per cent this morning as the broadcaster reported falling advertising revenues but talked up its “balanced and resilient business”. The figures The company’s advertising revenue dropped four per cent in the last quarter amid political and economic uncertainty. And the broadcaster is forecasting an even larger dip – seven per [...]
Watch this year’s full John Lewis Christmas advert, featuring Vaults and Buster the Boxer November 10, 2016 Advent calendars may have been out since Easter and shops may have been putting baubles on display since September – but you know it's really Christmas when the John Lewis Christmas advert arrives. This year's offering takes a funny, rather than schmaltzy, approach (cf. last year's sugary sweet Man on the Moon ad) – featuring a [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Trump victory is “a second Brexit that leaves many very surprised, including the markets and me” November 9, 2016 Sir Martin Sorrell, the chief executive of economic bellwether WPP, has described Donald Trump’s election as “a second Brexit that leaves many very surprised, including the markets and me”. Sorrell, whose wife Cristiana Falcone Sorrell gave birth to their daughter, Bianca Eva Sarah, on election day in New York, admitted it will take a “ significant amount [...]
City A.M. talks with Mark Roy of Read Group about the upcoming EU imposed GDPR November 7, 2016 No matter your business or profession, whether as an individual or an organisation, as of 25 May 2018 the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will mean something to you. That may seem like some time away, and it is, but businesses that fail to adapt in time may get left behind. One man who [...]
Gina Miller condemns “shameful” and “disgraceful” media coverage of Article 50 case November 6, 2016 Gina MIller, the woman who led the high profile legal challenge to Article 50, has insisted the case is about the way we leave Europe and not about changing the outcome of June's referendum. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show on Sunday Morning, she hit back at the response of some media to the case, which [...]