Susannah Morgan, deputy MD of Energy PR A 43-year-old man wearing a pair of the iconic Adidas Sambas to work is about as unremarkable as it gets. Unless that man is Rishi Sunak. In which case – hold the front page. Sambagate might have been a touch over-the-top, but there’s no denying that nothing kills off cool like someone trying too hard. Susannah Morgan, deputy MD of Energy PR, reflects on the reaction to Rishi Sunak’s wearing of the sartorial superstar Sambas, and how brands should deal with the fall-out when faced with similar PR disasters. The Adidas press office have my sympathy for t ..read more

Confused.com has launched a refreshed brand platform to spotlight the peace of mind that using the price comparison for big financial decisions can offer. Created by Leo Burnett UK, the creative will be led by a 60-second spot that celebrates the feelings of relief and joy that people get when the weight of an important financial task has been lifted. Featuring a range of different people going about their lives with a new-found vim and vigour, the clip sees the rolling cast contentedly whistling to the tune of Roger Whittaker’s Finnish Whistler after using the site to buy insurance. “There ..read more

The National Trust is targeting younger people with Space to Feel’, a new integrated campaign brand campaign that showcases the range of experiences that the conservation organisation can offer. Devised in partnership with creative agency Quiet Storm, the creative will be centred around a 60-second spot title ‘Backpack’ that sees a young woman immersing herself in the cultural and natural activities of the National Trust alongside her delighted sentient rucksack. Developed in close collaboration with the charity’s internal creative studio, the creative looks to embody the trust’s ‘For everyon ..read more

Publicis Groupe UK is expanding into brand experience with the launch of new agency St Marks Studios that will specialise in creating experiential activations for clients. The firm will be a spin-off of Publicis Groupe-owned Taylor Herring, with the co-founder of the latter James Herring set to become the new firm’s chief executive. Combining his new role with his existing position leading Taylor Herring, he will be joined at St Marks by managing partner Sam Corry, head of production Liam Simpson, chief creative officer Peter Mountstevens and chief operating officer Cath Taylor. Subscribe to ..read more

Legendary broadcaster Jon Snow pairs up with Santander’s ‘honorary’ CEOs Ant and Dec for the bank’s latest celebrity-laden efforts that promotes its new ‘Edge’ current account. Created by London agency House 337, the two 60-second spots see ‘rival bankers’ Ant and Dec trying in vain to sabotage the firm’s new Edge current account offering, before realising that most of their own staff have betrayed and are banking with their arch-nemesis. Starring Jon Snow in the news anchor’s chair – the first clip takes the form of a news bulleting that exposes the hapless antics of the Geordie pair, whilst ..read more

Special London has poached multi-award-winning talent from Saatchi and Saatchi and McCann London as it makes a significant move to boost its creative and strategic offering. Multi-award-winning creative duo, Josephine Rasmussen and Marie Jensen, are joining the agency from Saatchi and Saatchi, and will be working across Special London’s portfolio, reporting into chief creative officer David Day. Strategist Ashley Biack is making the move from McCann London and will be reporting directly to chief strategy officer Emily Harlock. During her time at McCann, Biack helped the agency win a number of ..read more

Soft drink brand Tango is paying homage to its iconic advertising heritage with a ridiculously over-the-top spot that celebrates the fizzy drink’s ‘dangerously potent’ flavour. Continuing with its police-themed creative after last year’s ‘Bust’, the fruity drink compares itself to a dangerous street drug in its latest effort – with just a brief taste seeing the prison warden get utterly ‘Tango’d’. Developed by creative agency VCCP and produced by Girl&Bear, the campaign will revolve around the 30-second hero film, tapping into Tango’s unique creative history to leverage its brand fame ..read more

Supermarket chain Asda is the latest big-name grocer to make significant moves in the retail media space with an overhauled offering in partnership with SMG. A new business unit – LS Eleven Media Services will form a “fully integrated media services business” and was named after the postcode of the grocer’s Leeds-based headquarters. LS Eleven Media Services will be able to use Asda’s valuable first-party customer data, provided by its loyalty programme Asda Rewards, to offer brands “customer-centric media planning” for retail media campaigns and provide customers with a “more connected omnich ..read more

Tesco’s most senior marketer Emma Botton has stepped down from her role at the UK’s biggest supermarket, less than one year after taking over from chief customer officer Alessandra Bellini. Tesco’s most senior marketer Emma Botton has stepped down from her role at the UK’s biggest supermarket. According to an internal memo which was shared with Marketing Week, it is not clear whether Botton will be directly replaced or whether Tesco’s marketing team will be facing its second restructure in less than 12 months. As the retailer’s group customer director, Botton had been with Tesco for eight yea ..read more

Communications agency Weber Shandwick has appointed a new chief creative officer to help bolster the agency’s overall creative vision and execution. Yann Elliott will take on the role, having served as interim lead since September. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, he has worked across London’s top agencies including Mother, Lucky Generals and the&partnership, and with AMVBBDO more recently. His portfolio includes a successful portfolio of campaigns for clients including Dr Pepper, Orange, Sky and RNIB. Elliott will oversee a team of UK creatives based across London, Manchester and Scotla ..read more