Time was when Christmas ads made the news pages and business sections too, chiefly thanks to adam&eve and its series of seasonal epics for John Lewis. As such they boosted the reputation of UK adland and its leading lights generally, then…lockdown. New Commercial Arts was formed in the depths by lockdown by adam&eveDDB’s James Murphy … The...

Accenture Song and its flagship brand Droga5 is becoming a bigger force on the global creative stage, now reportedly second in revenue on $18bn to WPP and narrowly ahead of Publicis even though it doesn’t have a media offering. Now D5 has hired DDB Chicago CEO Emma Montgomery (above) as global CSO, an unusual switch … The post Droga5 lures DDB Chicago...

John Lewis is running three TV ads this Christmas, here’s the second showcasing its gifts (the big number is still to come it seems.) Saatchi & Saatchi is on the case, as it is for Waitrose. Customer director Charlotte Lock says: “At John Lewis we recognise the changing dynamic in Christmas shopping. As Black Friday … The post John Lewis launches...

New Commercial Arts has pulled out all the stops to place Sainsbury’s at the top of our Christmas lists this year, with help from NCA’s new owner, Ogilvy UK. Together they have created a large-scale production embracing Roald Dahl’s BFG, a voiceover by Stephen Fry, and a soundtrack recorded with a 54-piece orchestra at Abbey … The post Sainsbury’s...

Argos, like TK Maxx, has stuck with the familiar this Christmas. Back for another year are brand mascots Connie and Trevor, with music again pulling the whole idea together. This time, there is less emphasis on cramming in as many products as possible. Instead, it’s a simple story that taps into the ongoing appeal of … The post T&Pm turns it up...

Kimberly-Clark, which spends around $1bn worldwide, is reviewing all its global creative and accounts with the exception of US media which stays with recently-appointed Publicis. Brands include Kleenex, Huggies, Scott, Poise, Cottonelle and Andrex. Publicis, Omnicom, Interpublic and WPP are all believed to be competing alongside Accenture Song which...