Oct 28th This Week in Brands

Industries trend, brands move, stories and inspiration

28 OCTOBER 2025

This week across industries

Your quick catch-up on what’s been buzzing across industries. We’ve rounded up the juiciest brand moves, marketing trends, and a few ideas worth stealing (uh, borrowing). Grab a coffee, and let’s dive in! Lovingly curated by a fellow brand marketer.

FMCG | Food & Beverage

Food as cultural currency: why brands are building coffee shops instead of pop-ups
Brands are swapping short-term pop-ups for café spaces that double as cultural hubs, where aesthetics, community, and brand identity blend into everyday life. In 2025, craveable spaces mean lasting relevance. Read full article here

Cadbury turns its Heroes into British legends
Cadbury’s latest move with creative agency VCCP remixes the “Heroes” assortment into a cultural celebration: iconic groups from music, sport and fiction become chocolates in a bold new platform: All Heroes, No Zeros. With a 30-second spot, stadium imagery and high-impact OOH, the campaign reinforces that in a tub of Heroes, every piece counts. Read full article here

Retail & eCommerce

DFS teams up with Pinterest for a gamified shopping experience
DFS and Pinterest UK have launched “What’s Your Thing? Collage Quest” — an interactive, gamified way for shoppers to explore interior styles and products through Pinterest’s collage feature. The campaign turns inspiration into discovery, inviting users to play, hunt for clues, and even win their dream sofa. A clever blend of creativity and commerce, showing how retail can reimagine engagement beyond the usual scroll. Read full article here

Fashion & Beauty

Regatta boosts TV and VOD spend for AW campaign
Regatta is dialing up its “It’s Time to Getta Regatta” campaign with a 185% increase in TV and on-demand investment. Produced by Velvet Film Productions, the outdoor brand is using Sky AdSmart and VOD to spotlight real-life adventure and family moments — inspiring everyone to get outside, whatever the weather. Read full article here.

Professional Services

Consulting’s identity crisis: time to talk human
According to new research from Soba: Private Label, 38% of UK professional services firms open with the same three words — “business”, “legal” or “services.” In a crowded market, that sameness is costing attention and credibility. The study urges firms to drop the “consulting speak,” talk less about themselves, and more about what actually matters — their clients. Read full article here.

Brands and agencies relationship Index ( professional services edition). Your voice is needed!
As marketers today, we’re always talking about resources, tools, and of course AI. But how high are our expectations really? At Brands & Agencies, we’re running a short survey to explore the “expectation gap” between brands and agencies in the professional services space and how AI might help bridge it. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Take a moment to share your perspective here.

Regatta boosts TV and VOD spend for AW campaign

Brands in motion
People, partnerships, brand moments & more

Mastercard names new global CMO
After 12 years leading Mastercard’s marketing and communications, Raja Rajamannar is stepping down. Jill Kramer, formerly Accenture’s CMO, will take over the role on 1 December. Rajamannar leaves behind a legacy of blending creativity with technology , from sensory branding to AI-driven marketing innovation. Read full article here

Domino’s Pizza has unveiled its first rebrand in 13 years
With a new logo, packaging redesign, and jingle performed by hip-hop artist Shaboozey. Developed with creative agency WorkInProgress, the refresh comes after 20 months of work, with Domino’s saying the risk of doing nothing outweighed the risk of change.

Why it matters: Even global market leaders can’t rest on legacy branding. This is a clear move to stay relevant and bold in a shifting consumer landscape. [Read details here]

Insights & Industry Moments Spotlight
Data, trends, and moments shaping brands and consumers

UK’s biggest brand movers revealed
YouGov’s latest “Biggest Brand Movers” October 2025 report analysed over 1,700 brands across 13 performance metrics, from awareness to purchase intent. 38% of brands improved in multiple key metrics in a single month. Read full details here

Prolific North Live returns on the 6th November 2025 at UA92 in Manchester.

Marketing Week Award 2025: A celebration of the UK’s best in brand and marketing, from creative campaigns to strategic brilliance. The shortlist is out, and anticipation builds ahead of October’s big reveal.