The Campaign Podcast

WPP announced a new strategy and structure last week, on Thursday 26 February, as the company hopes to turn its fate around, while reporting its worst financial performance since the pandemic.

Campaign's editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier interviewed WPP's chief executive officer Cindy Rose on the three-phrase plan "Elevate28" which includes £500m in cost savings and transitioning the business from a holding company structure to a single company with four core divisions – WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions. These will be led across four regions globally.

In this episode, the Campaign team breaks down the announcements and what it means for WPP’s agencies, look at how the company compares to its competitors and discuss if Rose's plan will work. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode which includes Spanier alongside editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.

Further reading:
WPP Media and VML drive 8% UK decline for WPP
WPP Creative will 'not sunset' agency brands

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Campaign has released the A List – a compilation of over 200 industry leaders and their musings on the year gone and year ahead. In 2025, the advertising and marketing industry underwent some huge organisational shifts. With revenue declines and share price drops, job cuts, leadership changes and legacy agencies changing their names, 2026 marks a new era for the industry.

In this episode, the Campaign team discuss some of the A Listers' perspectives, including how to be innovative in uncertain times, and what outfits they wear to a pitch.

Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes deputy editor Gemma Charles, editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
The 2026 A List: 'Massive fuckin' traitors', 'Method Pitchers' and AI-induced boredom
Half of VCCP's current jobs didn't exist at launch, CEO says
The A List and it’s completely different but it’s also still the A List
Campaign A List 2026: How leaders are planning for success in surprising times
Can we talk about how you get into Campaign's 2027 A List?
In Pictures: Campaign A List party 2026

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Media planners and buyers, like many in adland, have been tackling a period of immense change. AI, media fragmentation and budget restraints are all impacting the roles within media.

At the end of January Campaign hosted Media Week Live, a conference for media planners and buyers, discussing how their roles are changing and what the future of the media agency looks like. Leaders from X, Pinterest, Omnicom, WPP, Publicis and the National Theatre joined to share their perspectives from the top.

Campaign's media journalists hosted the event: media editor Beau Jackson and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis. The pair join tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley to discuss the future of the media planner and buyer, what part creativity plays in the media plan, how media planners work alongside AI and what challenges media agency leaders are facing this year.

Further reading:
What does it take to be a media agency chief investment officer?
'Frustrating' and 'disappointing': media buyers on Google's action against Kantar Media and Barb
The Lists 2025: Top 10 media buyers
‘The weather is changing’: How much should publishers fret about Google AI Overviews?
Will media buyers be the first victims of AI?
Media buying among 'first areas to go' with rise of AI, says MediaMonks co-founder

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Following the Super Bowl LX over the weekend, David Kolbusz, chief creative officer at Orchard Creative; Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London; and Josh Green, chief creative officer of Elvis review a selection of the ads in this week's episode of The Campaign Podcast.

Hosted by Campaign’s creativity and culture editor Gurjit Degun, the trio critique work from Instacart, Anthropic, Squarespace, E.l.f Cosmetics, Pringles, Dove and Bud Light.

They also comment on whether this year’s ads are better than those of previous years. Kolbusz said: "The theme for me this year was that people are starting to figure out the Super Bowl again. I think the last five or so years have just been an absolute tragedy."

Further reading:
Super Bowl 2026 round-up: watch the ads
Pringles "Can hands" by Grey London

Campaign calendar:
Audio Advertising Awards: final entry deadline on 12th February, with multi-entry discounts

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The FIFA World Cup really is bigger this year, taking place in Summer across 39 days, taking place in 16 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada. While all the on-pitch fun is happening across the Atlantic, how can brands across the pond engage UK audiences effectively and authentically?

In this episode of The Campaign Podcast, Campaign welcomes guest Lizi Hamer, the global executive creative director at Octagon to discuss some of the biggest mistakes brands make when creating brand experiences around the World Cup, and why advertisers should be thinking community first, not country first.

Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with Campaign's deputy editor Gemma Charles and creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
Beyond borders: why countries don’t define modern fandom
Fifa 2026’s longer tournament window presents a golden opportunity for fan activations
Identity launches global sports proposition
The Year Ahead 2026: Cultural trends
The Year Ahead 2026: Experiences

Campaign calendar:
Audio Advertising Awards: final entry deadline on 12th February, with multi-entry discounts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.