November 13th Campaign highlights

Our top picks for inspiration, impact & insights

13 NOVEMBER 2025

The more festive campaigns I see rolling, the more I dream of mulled wine and mince pies… but well, the joyful creativity never stop flowing. Let’s dive into this week’s eye-catching, heartwarming creativity and fresh insights!

Creativity with a warm touch

EE’s first Christmas campaign, “Hosting & Guesting”, shows the festive chaos of bouncing between two family homes in one day. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and Digitas, it highlights how EE’s mobile and broadband keep everyone connected during the holiday rush. Split‑screen visuals and playful music add a warm, fun touch to the everyday holiday hustle. Running across TV, social, OOH, and cinema, the campaign celebrates connection at the heart of the season. Read more details here

Smart moves don't always mean new

Amazon re‑aired its 2023 holiday ad “Joy Ride” instead of launching something new, as it was a campaign with proven lasting impression.

Brands often feel pressured to release fresh ads every season, but sometimes the smartest move is to do less. Between throwaway campaigns and endless novelty lies “compound creativity”, focusing on fewer, better ads that build impact over time.

My takeaway? if an ad works, let it run! Familiarity can be more effective than constantly chasing new ideas. Give a read here

Taking Risks, Winning Gen Z

Cole Palmer and Pringles showed that a little risk and a lot of personality can turn an ordinary snack into a cultural moment. Their “jam‑sandwich” stunt proves authenticity beats safe advertising when connecting with Gen Z. A good learning worth a read here

The AI Power

News UK has launched Octave AI — an automated audio‑ad creation and optimisation platform developed in partnership with AudioStack. Launch partners include Marks & Spencer and WPP Media (via Mindshare) for a local store‑opening campaign. Full read here

With AI powered by rich first‑party data and dynamic creative optimisation, audio ads can now be produced, personalised and deployed much faster, signalling a new era of creativity and scale in audio advertising.

Efficiency is AI’s gift, but shall the heart of creativity still beats in human hands and ideas guidance? Read our debate in this article about Bothism

Breaking the ordinary

HMRC has launched a delightfully quirky ad starring a rubber‑duck orchestra and a singing sponge to promote their tax app. The fun visuals make managing taxes feel less daunting and more memorable. The key message is simple: use the app to stay on top of your tax details effortlessly. It’s a playful nudge to turn a boring task into something you can actually enjoy. Check out here

AutoTrader faced the challenge of being seen as “just a used‑car listings site” even though it was evolving into a broader, tech‑driven car‑buying marketplace. Partnering with agency IMA, they launched the long‑term brand platform “It’s Time for AutoTrader” to modernise the brand and engage 25‑34‑year‑old drivers.

My take on this is: sometimes you don’t need to compromise what’s already trusted in the market; instead, evolve it thoughtfully so it stays relevant and resonates with a new generation. More details here

Let’s talk insights, trends and key moments

Music That Doubles ROI

The “Music Drives Advertising Profitability” study by MassiveMusic, in partnership with the IPA and CloudArmy, found that carefully chosen music can boost marketing ROI by 32% on average, with top-performing campaigns sometimes doubling returns.

Ads where the soundtrack fits the visuals can make consumers up to 7 times more willing to pay a premium, and surprising music choices can increase the chance of high brand fame 5 times. Read full article here

As a music lover, I believe music isn’t just background. When picked with intention, it becomes a strategic asset that drives emotion, memory, and commercial impact.

Brands get ready: Cannes Lions rethinks the game

Cannes Lions introduces a new Creative Brand Lion to celebrate brands building real creative culture, plus fresh AI Craft categories recognise ideas where human creativity and AI combine, and the Creative Data Lion gets refreshed to reward data-driven creativity from the ground up. More details here

Let’s talk insights, trends and key moments

Share Your Finds!

Seen a marketing campaign that caught your eye? Whether it’s a clever promotion, a bold activation, or just something that made you stop and think, we want to hear about it!

Send your newsworthy picks, insight or content to [email protected] or using the link below ⬇️