The Campaign Podcast

WPP reported its Q2 results in the last few weeks, six months after chief executive Cindy Rose launched its three year Elevate28 plan to turn the holding company’s fortunes around. Now almost a year into her role, Rose said the network has “everything it needs” to achieve its plan, with analysts calling the results “better than expected” and a “glimmer of hope”.

In this episode, Campaign's journalists look at how Rose is “fighting” for business, whether the Elevate28 plan is actually working and how the holding company and its competitor set are doing. Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode features Campaign's UK editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier, UK editor Maisie McCabe and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.

Further reading:
Five key charts behind WPP’s Q2 2026 results
Cindy Rose more than doubles WPP's bonus pool
Can we talk about WPP's cuts?
Is the agency sector ‘in a good place’?
Havas' Yannick Bolloré: Agency sector is now ‘in a good place’ as perceptions have ‘flipped’
Omnicom records 6.1% increase in organic growth in Q2 2026
Publicis raises 2026 guidance and reports 4.8% growth in Q2
Publicis’ Arthur Sadoun: 'We have never wanted to be an AI company'
Havas reports 2.5% expansion in Q2 but UK growth 'slightly negative'
Will Cindy Rose's plan save WPP?

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Pitching is what many call the “lifeblood” of agencies, but also the cause of their biggest strain. Almost three-quarters of adland employees have considered leaving the industry due to new-business-related stress, found research from The Great Pitch Poll 2026 published this summer, which also revealed that client expectations and demands relating to AI have increased pressure.

AI and LLMs are also impacting the search and selection process for pitches, with clients using them to suggest agencies to shortlist. This episode of The Campaign Podcast features Campaign's journalists discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching and making it more stressful.

Campaign's media editor Beau Jackson, senior reporter Eszter Gurbicz and editor Maisie McCabe. we are discussing to what extent AI is impacting pitching, making it more stressful and if the process still works. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode.

Further reading:
ChatGPT is telling clients to invite my agency to pitch – it's shifting the playing field
Are clients becoming more demanding?
Can we talk about the ingredients of VCCP's new-business potion?
Netflix ad tools could see 'agentic AIs talking to each other'

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At Cannes Lions this year, the Media Lions grand prix went to Uber Eats’ “Build your own Super Bowl commercial” by Special US, a campaign which acts as a form of entertainment for the viewers. This win followed Amanda Morrissey, Global President, iProspect and Chief Growth Officer of Media at dentsu, who was a juror on the Media Lions and said on The Campaign Podcast that judging the media category was more like judging an entertainment category. Plus, Publicis Groupe acquired sports and entertainment agency 160over90 this year, which will sit in the holding company's media division.

Campaign's journalists discuss how much media is becoming more like entertainment, with insights from the jury press conferences. Tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley hosts the episode with media editor Beau Jackson, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
Adidas UK wins Entertainment Lion Grands Prix for Oasis work
Cannes Lions 2026: Watch all the Grand Prix-winning work
Cannes 2026
Cannes Lions debrief: how did the UK work perform?
Cannes Lions entries rise 'reflecting strong global participation'
Mindshare New York wins Media Lions Grand Prix
Gut’s 'Handshake hunt' takes home Media Lions Grand Prix for Mercado Libre
Media Lions Grand Prix goes to Leo Burnett Sydney

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From Catbird Seat which was unveiled earlier this month through to a few other recent launches such as Baby Teeth, Ace of Hearts and 05:37 Brand Studio, agencies are thinking long and hard about their branding. But how much do these monikers matter, is it just about the work and the people? And what what are some of the pitfalls when you get it wrong?

Campaign's editorial team explore these questions and more. Deputy editor Gemma Charles hosts the episode and is joined by UK editor Maisie McCabe, media editor Beau Jackson and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
Can we talk about the indie surge?
Larissa Vince and Andy Jex launch Catbird Seat
Richard Huntington launches Feral
Can we talk about strategy, Feral and untethered in space?
Lynsey Atkin, Chris Watling and Rebecca Lewis launch start-up Baby Teeth
Richard Brim, Martin Beverley and Polly McMorrow launch Ace of Hearts

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As the Fifa World Cup gets closer to crowning the winner, Campaign invites advertising creatives to review a selection of ads that are celebrating the football tournament.

The episode includes Richard Brim, founder and chief creative officer at Ace of Hearts; Carren O’Keefe, chief creative officer at Digitas, and Dan Watts, chief creative officer at Pablo London.

Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, the guests critique six ads, including the rival Nike and Adidas films, and discuss whether it was a vintage year for World Cup ads.

The ads discussed are:

Nike x Palace "England x Palace" (in-house)
BBC “Let’s make it iconic” by BBC Creative
Nike Football “Rip the script” by Wieden & Kennedy
Adidas “Backyard legends” by Lola US
Paddy Power “Nobody does football better than us” by BBH London
Uber Eats “Who could cook at a time like this?” by Mother

Further reading:

Nike vs Adidas: Who won the battle of the World Cup ads?
World Cup 2026 round-up: Snapchat, Deliveroo, Hilton, Asda and more
How brands hijacked Fifa's logo ban to earn attention and share of voice
Nike’s 'Rip the script' to become longest ad ever to air on ITV
World Cup kick-off draws 7.7 million as ITV 'breaks record for commercial success'

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