Olympics sponsors call for Tokyo Games to be postponed

Japanese sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics have urged organisers to push the event back again over fears spectator numbers will be too low.

The proposal by some of the country’s biggest sponsors, who have collectively paid more than $3bn to back the Games, was submitted a few weeks ago, according to the Financial Times.

Two people who attended the meeting deemed the money spent on Olympic sponsorship effectively “worthless” if spectators are prevented from attending.

The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to start on 24 July, but organisers have said they will not confirm whether spectators will be allowed to watch events live until as late as possible – potentially not until 24 June.

The vast majority (80%) of Japanese people have suggested they want the Olympics to be postponed or cancelled given the prevalence of Covid and the slow roll-out of vaccines in the nation.

READ MORE: Olympics sponsors call for Tokyo Games delay to allow more spectators (£)

Apple staff to return to office by September

Apple employees will be required to return to the office for three days a week from September.

CEO Tim Cook sent staff an email informing them of the change, suggesting people work better when together.

“For all that we’ve been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other. Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate,” he said.

Staff will have the option of working remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays, but teams that need to work in-person will be required to work in the office four or five days a week.

Employees will also have the option to work remotely for two weeks of the year, “to be closer to family and loved ones, find a change of scenery, manage unexpected travel, or a different reason all your own”, but this must be signed off by managers.

READ MORE: Apple asks staff to return to office three days a week starting in early September

B&M doubles profits amid ‘exceptional’ year

Discount chain B&M has more than doubled profits over the past 12 months, thanks to strong trading during lockdowns.

The business posted pre-tax profits of £525.4m for the year to 27 March, up from £252m for the previous year, with CEO Simon Arora stating it had benefitted from being an essential retailer, allowed to stay open throughout the pandemic.

Revenues for the group, which also owns convenience brand Heron Foods and French discount chain Babou, increased by more than 25% to £4.8bn, but the business has warned of “unpredictable” trading patterns for the rest of the year and “uncertainties” as lockdowns ease.

The chain is planning to open 25 additional B&M stores in the UK by the end of year, as well as 12 Heron Foods shops and three Babou outlets. This would take the group’s retail estate to 1,091.

Arora says: “The last year has been an exceptional one. Our results reflect the speed at which we responded to the challenges presented by Covid-19 and the strength of our execution.

“The core B&M UK business, as an essential retailer, traded throughout the year and welcomed a number of new shoppers, with colleagues working tirelessly to maintain on-shelf availability and provide a safe shopping environment.”

READ MORE: B&M discount chain doubles its annual profits

Footfall steadily recovers as restrictions ease

Footfall across the UK’s high streets, retail parks and shopping centres improved again in May as restrictions eased further, but numbers are still considerably lower than two years ago as people remain cautious.

Total UK footfall declined by 27.7% last month compared to the same period in 2019, but this figure is 12.3 percentage points higher than in April, according to data from the British Retail Consortium and Sensormatic IQ.

Footfall on high streets dropped by 34.6% in May compared to two years ago, while shopping centre footfall declined by 41.3%. Retail parks saw a 19.9% drop compared to 2019.

Helen Dickinson, CEO of British Retail Consortium, says: “Footfall levels are still significantly down on two years ago. Many high streets have an increasing number of vacant shops, and many retailers still face significant and mounting debts, and with £2.9bn in unpaid rents built up over the pandemic.

“The Government should ringfence these lockdown rent debts to provide the breathing space for footfall and cash flows to recover, and enable landlords and tenants to work on equitable and long-term solutions for the future and avert terminal decline in many communities.”

Snickers kicks off campaign marking its sponsorship of England and Scotland

Snickers has deemed the fact it is sponsoring both the England and Scotland football teams #OfficiallyAwkward in a campaign it is launching a week ahead of the delayed Euros tournament kicking off.

‘Bothlands’ shows stars from both teams lining up next to each other pre-match, shaking their heads at the fact they are in such close proximity. The ad ends with the voiceover saying, “who’s idea was this?”.

The Mars Wrigley brand has its sights set on becoming “the voice of the football fan”, according to Snickers senior brand manager, Chloe Smith.

“Let’s not beat around the bush, sponsoring both Scotland and England this summer is rather awkward. Faced with this peculiar predicament, we decided there was only one thing to do – create our own, neutral nation: Bothlands.”

Thursday, 3 June

China accuses Nike, H&M and Zara of selling ‘harmful’ children’s clothing

The Chinese government has accused Nike, H&M and Zara of selling goods that could be “harmful” to children.

According to BBC reports, a warning appeared on the country’s customs administration website listing 81 items imported by several companies, including sportswear giant Nike and high street retailers H&M, Zara and Gap.

The products named include nine batches of H&M girls’ cotton dresses said to contain “harmful” dyes, as well as children’s clothing imported to the country from Zara, Nike and Gap.

The move comes three months after China began targeting foreign clothing brands for taking a stand against Chinese cotton, following allegations members of the Muslim Uighur minority group are being used as forced labour in the Xinjiang region.

China has called for a boycott of brands including Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Burberry, Puma and Tommy Hilfiger due to their association with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a non-profit group that promotes sustainable cotton production. The BCI said in October it had suspended activities in Xinjiang, as well as licensing of the region’s cotton, due to allegations of forced labour.

Both Nike and H&M also expressed their concerns about reports Uighurs were being forced to pick cotton in Xinjiang, and only yesterday it was confirmed H&M had closed its Shanghai flagship.

While its other physical stores still remain, H&M can no longer be bought online in China and consumers are unable to hail a taxi to its shops by app. Key Chinese celebrity influencers have also severed ties with the brands involved in the backlash against Xinjiang cotton and tech giant Tencent chose to halt its partnership with Burberry. Rather than focusing on international retailers, China is choosing to promote domestic brands instead.

READ MORE: China accuses Western firms over ‘harmful’ kids’ goods

Etsy makes play for youth market with $1.6bn Depop deal

US online craft marketplace Etsy is hoping to target a Gen Z audience with its $1.6bn (£1.1bn) acquisition of secondhand fashion resale app, Depop.

Headquartered in London, Depop boasts 30 million registered users in more than 150 countries, 90% of whom are aged under 26 and is currently the 10th most visited shopping site among Gen Z consumers in the US.

Pitching itself as a “community powered fashion marketplace”, Depop employs 400 people across offices in London, Manchester, New York, Los Angeles and Sydney. The company will continue to be based in London following the takeover and operate as a standalone marketplace run by its existing leadership team.

Etsy says the deal with help the company deepen its reach with the Gen Z consumer and extend the business opportunity in the “high frequency apparel sector”, with specific reference to the fast-growing resale space.

Depop’s gross merchandise sales rose to $650m (£459m) in 2020, while revenue hit $70m (£49m), both up more than 100% year on year. Last year the app had 4 million active buyers and 2 million active sellers, with 75% of sales coming from existing customers.

Some 75% of sellers were also buyers and, on average, they sold 10 items in 2020, while buyers bought approximately six items. The hope is the acquisition will “significantly grow” Etsy’s apparel sales, which reached $1bn (£706m) in 2020.

The company says that following the acquisition it will operate a house of brands strategy, made up of three “highly differentiated, non-commoditised and loved ecommerce brands” – Etsy, Reverb and Depop. The marketplaces will operate independently, while benefiting from shared expertise in marketing, as well as product, technology and customer support.

“Depop is a vibrant, two-sided marketplace with a passionate community, a highly-differentiated offering of unique items, and we believe significant potential to further scale,” says Etsy CEO, Josh Silverman.

“Depop’s world-class management team and employees have done a fantastic job nurturing this community and driving organic, authentic growth in a way that aligns well with Etsy’s DNA and mission of keeping commerce human. We see significant opportunities for shared expertise and growth synergies across what will now be a tremendous ‘house of brands’ portfolio of individually distinct, and very special, ecommerce brands.”

UKTV on hunt for social media experts amid wider content push

UKTV is recruiting for five new roles to grow its social media business as it looks to drive viewer engagement across its Facebook and YouTube channels.

The broadcaster plans to recruit a video manager, video editor, junior social analyst, deliverables co-ordinator and a community manager this year. The new recruits will work closely with the UKTV commissioning team and Dave channel director when new short-form ideas are pitched for the channel’s social platforms.

Since its relaunch in December 2020, the Dave YouTube channel has seen a 312% increase in views and boasts 24,000 subscribers. The channel’s Facebook page has garnered over 157,000 new followers and grown by 33% in the last 12 months.

Amid the growing success of its YouTube and Facebook channels, UKTV has commissioned five short-form comedy shows for the Dave branded social channels to serve online audiences with bespoke and sharable comedy content.

On YouTube specifically, new shows include Big Zuu’s Wrap Clash, a food competition and a spin-off of Dave’s TV series Big Zuu’s Big Eats, as well as Who Cares? which will be hosted and produced by Chicken Shop Date creator Amelia Dimoldenberg.

For Facebook, UKTV has commissioned The Comedy Guide to Life, featuring stand-up comics offering their observations on modern life, comedy talk radio show BackChat​ and Bad Advice with Olga Koch, an eight-part comedy chat show.

UKTV head of social and online Erina Jones sees this latest content push as an “incredible” opportunity to test out formats, work with a new generation of talent and serve existing Dave fans, while also appealing to a wave of new viewers.

“UKTV’s channels are incredibly strong but it’s important we have something on offer for viewers who might not watch our shows in the traditional way, on linear TV,” adds general manager of digital, Andrea Amey.

 “Younger audiences are spending increasing amounts of time on social media, so by creating bespoke and bite-sized shows online, I hope they’ll find something they enjoy featuring Dave’s well-known witty tone. When editorially appropriate, we’ll also premiere the best of Dave’s short-form content on our on-demand service, UKTV Play.”

Anheuser-Busch promises ‘biggest beer giveaway’ if US hits vaccine target

Brewer Anheuser-Busch is promising the “biggest beer giveaway in history” if the US can hit President Joe Biden’s target of vaccinating 70% of adults with their first dose by 4 July.

The #LetsGrabABeer push will allow anyone over 21 who has been vaccinated to upload a picture of themselves “in their favourite place to grab a beer” via Anheuser-Busch’s MyCooler.com site to receive a $5 digital pre-paid card for their free drink. The giveaway covers beer, seltzer, non-alcoholic beverages or another Anheuser-Busch product from a portfolio of 100 brands.

“For us, everything begins and ends with people, and consumers are at the centre of everything we do,” says CMO Marcel Marcondes.

“Since last March, we’ve been focused on pivoting all our plans in order to ensure that our brands remained relevant and meaningful, through tangible actions. And now that we are at this pivotal moment where people are excited to be together again, it only makes sense that we would unite our full portfolio and take this action to encourage people to get vaccinated. There’s never been a better time to be able to say, ‘Let’s grab a beer.’”

Anheuser-Busch is not the only brand in the US to join the vaccine drive. In the space of two months Krispy Kreme has handed out more than 1.5 million doughnuts to vaccinated Americans and to mark National Doughnut Day tomorrow, the company will give two free doughnuts to anyone in the US who shows their vaccination card.

Meanwhile pharmacy chain CVS is offering $5 in-store credit to people who get the jab at its locations and the NFL is giving away 50 tickets to the Super Bowl.

READ MORE: Anheuser-Busch announces free beer for those vaccinated – social media reacted

People Like Us preps live event offering one-to-one coaching

People Like Us, the quarterly gathering celebrating the work of media and marcomms professionals from minority ethnic backgrounds, is to host an in-person event offering one-to-one career coaching sessions.

The free event, taking place on 8 July at Samsung’s Kings Cross HQ, will also feature 10 speakers in media and marcomms from racially diverse backgrounds discussing work they’re proud to have contributed to. Scheduled to run from 6pm to 8pm, the event is open to people from all backgrounds and levels of experience.

People Like Us co-founder and director of brand marketing for EMEA and LATAM at LinkedIn, Darain Faraz, explains the previous three sold-out virtual events held since the onset of Covid-19 have been used to shine a spotlight on talent from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds.

In June, People Like Us published research which found that since the start of the pandemic BAME marcomms professionals have experienced greater pay cuts (18%), while 42% feel their career prospects have suffered due to Covid.

“The lack of diversity in our industry is not a new problem. And it’s a cold, hard fact that Covid has made it harder. People from black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic backgrounds have been disproportionately affected, at all levels. They had to take bigger pay cuts, they’re more likely to be furloughed or made redundant and 42% feel like their career prospects have suffered as a result,” says Faraz.

“We’re utterly thrilled to back and (government guidance permitting) we’ll be going ahead with an in-person at the spectacular Samsung KX building, a stone’s throw away from King’s Cross station. Suffice to say that we think it’s high time that the industry met more People Like Us.”

Tuesday, 2 June

UK FMCG sales decline as hospitality reopens

During the first four weeks since the hospitality sector reopened in the UK total retail till sales fell 2.7%, while grocery sales decreased by 6.7%

This is according to NielsenIQ monitoring for the four weeks ending 22 May. The government gave the green light for restaurants, hotels and pubs to allow guests to dine indoors from 17 May.

Despite the fall in grocery sales, food retail sales increased almost 11% compared to the same period in 2019, with shopper spending £9.1bn over the four-week period.

With the ending of restrictions on unnecessary travel, NielsenIQ data shows visits to stores are up by 20% compared to last year.

However, with more frequent visits, spend per visit has fallen to £17.40 from £21.50 in May 2020. Shoppers appear to also be spending more at travel outlets and other ‘food to go’ establishments.

In the last 12 weeks Lidl (+17.3%), Aldi (+9.5%) and M&S (+7.6%) led growth, whilst Sainsbury (+0.4%) was the fastest-growing retailer out of the ‘big four’ supermarkets, just ahead of Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.

NielsenIQ UK head of retailer and business insight says Mike Watkins: “Despite lockdown restrictions easing, it is evident that online grocery remains popular with British consumers, with almost one in three households still choosing to shop online. This suggests that the shift of spend to online that we saw over the last year is now a more permanent fixture for many and part of regular grocery shopping routines.

“With supermarkets placing more investment in their rapid delivery and fulfilment, shoppers are no longer seeing this only as an option for one large shop. Usage is evolving to meet a wider range of shopper needs and meal occasions, no matter the basket size.”

UK employees favour a fully flexible working model

Almost nine in 10 (89%) UK employees prefer a fully flexible approach to returning to work, giving workers the choice to work remotely whenever they wish.

This is according to a survey from The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) of 1,000 UK-based office workers, carried out as the UK approaches its exit from the third national lockdown.

The survey also found the next favoured working approach is a 3:2 working model (75%), the least favoured option would be to work full time from the office after the pandemic (31%).

But those entering the workforce for the first time say they would like to come into the office (68%), as do those that have been furloughed at least once (59%).

Those surveyed are looking forward to seeing colleagues face-to-face (48%), getting out of the house (41%), better collaboration with colleagues (34%), and feeling less lonely (20%).

Commuting is what concerns people most (38%), followed by offices being Covid secure (31%) and the financial costs of travel and lunches (29%).

Meanwhile, four in five believe employers should offer mental wellness initiatives on return to the office. Over two-thirds (68%) expect to see dedicated spaces and infrastructure for communicating with those working remotely within the next two to three years.

IPA director general Paul Bainsfair says: “The world has changed in the last year. How we feel about work/life balance and the commute will influence not only the work we create and media we select but the nature of our own offices. This report provides a timely look at the public mood as the country resets and helps guide all aspects of our planning.

“How agencies can best open their doors to employees, subject to Government guidance, over the next few months and potentially change our workplaces in the long term is an interesting and complex debate – and there will be will a debate on this very issue at the June IPA Council meeting.”

British Red Cross and Land Rover film frontline efforts

The British Red Cross and Land Rover are releasing a short film to capture life on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film shows the story of the Red Cross volunteers behind the charity’s largest UK emergency response effort in over 50 years.

The film shows volunteers in the Scottish Highlands travelling hours to deliver food, medicine and PPE to isolated rural communities, as well as teams in Yorkshire supporting those whose homes were flooded by Storm Christoph in January.

The film forms part of an international four-part series called ‘On the ground: Humanitarians in Action’. The series uses GoPro cameras to capture Red Cross volunteers helping vulnerable communities around the world throughout the global coronavirus emergency.

The charity saw a surge in volunteers when the pandemic hit in March last year, enabling it to reach over two million people to date.

The Red Cross provided food, medicines, emotional and wellbeing support, transport to and from the hospital, as well as playing a key role in the national vaccine rollout.

Land Rover loaned vehicles to the charity to transport supplies and equipment. The automotive brand’s British Red Cross partnership dates back to 1954.

Land Rover brand director Finbar McFall says: “This last year has been exceptionally challenging for people all over the world and Land Rover is prouder than ever to work with the British Red Cross along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide.

“This film, along with others in this series, captures the commitment of Red Cross staff and volunteers and the vital importance of going above and beyond to support people at a local level.”

MTV launches digital campaign to inspire sustainable future

MTV has partnered with environmental charity Global Action Plan to launch a digital campaign to inspire young people to believe in a more sustainable future.

The campaign is titled ‘Flickers of the Future’ and is part of Global Action Plan’s project of the same name. Three young creatives have been selected to share their ideas to create a more positive and sustainable future with MTV UK’s social followers.

The content follows the MTV Breaks platform, a campaign from the music channel dedicated to giving next-generation creatives opportunities in the entertainment sector.

Going live today will be three 60-second videos on MTV UK’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, the films will also be formatted into six second Snap ads and all feature the hashtag #FlickersoftheFuture.

The most popular piece of content will then be made into a short animation and published on MTV UK’s Facebook, YouTube and IGTV channels at the end of July.

The aim of the Flickers project is to change the way an environmental future is depicted by the media from “doom and gloom” to “uplifting and hopeful.”

The movement is working to encourage creatives across the broadcast industry to start thinking about how sustainability can be incorporated into entertainment, fiction or comedy.

ViacomCBS Networks International executive vice-president and general manager of digital and ad sales, Lee Sears, says: “MTV Breaks is renowned for giving the next generation of talent their first break into the creative industries. By partnering with Global Action Plan, the brand is offering a new take on this beloved concept to give young changemakers the platform they need to get their voices heard and inspire positive change for a more sustainable future.”

Spotify unveils global Gay Pride campaign

Music streaming giant Spotify is launching a global campaign to provide a platform for those part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The campaign is called ‘Claim Your Space’ and involves a series of month-long activations creating physical and digital spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Spotify UK and Ireland will also bring back its Pride hub, which collaborates with LGBTQIA+ creators, venues and culture brands on a host of takeovers across the streaming platform’s most popular playlists.

Memes creator @loveofhuns, for example, will take over the ‘Out Out’ playlist, while Jamaican singer Alicai Harley is curating the ‘DanceHall Queen’ playlist.

Spotify says as a leading streaming service it has to the ability to “drive positive” change. It will also partner with queer venues and clubs across the UK to create their own Pride playlists, including Pxssy Palace, Homoelectric, Punka.

Global venues will also be part of the campaign, including LA-based Casita del Campo, Alibi Lounge in New York and A League of Her Own in Washington DC.

Monday, 1 June

Cancer Research UK unveils new creative platform

Cancer Research UK has launched a new integrated creative platform in hopes of driving more impactful, effective and efficient campaigns.

Developed with agency Anomaly, the charity’s campaigns will now all use a singular creative approach with a unifying core message: ‘One in two of us will get cancer. All of us can support the research that will beat it’.

Building on Cancer Research UK’s previous ‘Right Now’ campaign, which sought to show the reality of the disease, the new creative platform will also address the wider collective effort that can be made to beat it, from donors to volunteers, 5k runners to researchers.

It debuts with a new brand response campaign, launching today (1 June) across TV, video on demand, outdoor, digital and social media.

The 60- and 30-second TV ads feature a combination of archive footage, user-generated content (UGC) and on-location filming in hospitals, at fundraising events, in Cancer Research UK shops and in laboratories. A fast-paced montage shows the big impact one small action can have, before closing with the message, ‘Together, we will beat cancer’.

“One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. This is a devastating statistic, and shows the urgency and scale of what we are facing,” says Cancer Research UK’s executive director of marketing, fundraising and engagement, Philip Almond.

“Having a single creative approach across campaigns ensures our marketing activity tells a consistent message and works together to create a bigger impact. By making our marketing as effective as it can be, we safeguard the valuable contributions made by all our supporters as every pound we spend is working its hardest.”

John Lewis hires eBay’s Rosie Hanley as head of marketing

Rosie Hanley is to join John Lewis as head of brand and marketing in July, after more than six years in eBay’s marketing team.

Hanley joined eBay in 2014 as UK buyer marketing lead, before becoming promoted to head of marketing in 2017 and then head of brand marketing in 2018. She claims over a decade’s worth of customer and marketing insight, having previously spent five years at customer data science business Dunnhumby.

In her new role, Hanley will be responsible for leading brand strategy for John Lewis. She will also ensure the brand is used consistently across all customer touchpoints, communications and activities, as well as across the business, including marketing, trading and through its supply chain.

Having committed to invest £50m in its online platform this year, John Lewis has also hired a new director of online trade, Steve Masterton, who joins from homeware retailer Dunelm. Meanwhile, Lululemon’s Stephen Spencer joins the business as director of store of the future.

Pippa Wicks, partner and executive director for John Lewis, says: “[Hanley, Masterton and Spencer] bring with them an enormous amount of talent and experience, and will all play critical leadership roles in delivering our turnaround strategy as we invest to accelerate our online business, make our existing and future new format shops extraordinary destinations and modernise our brand.”

The appointments build on John Lewis’s “recent momentum,” Wicks adds, including the launch of its new Anyday range and the reopening of its Edinburgh store after refurbishment.

After notching up a £517m pre-tax loss last year and permanently shuttering eight of its stores, John Lewis is on a mission to regain stability and reverse its fortunes with a new £800m turnaround strategy.

ITV kicks off Euro 2020 coverage with promotional campaign

With the delayed Euro 2020 now only days away, ITV has enlisted the help of Ian Wright for a campaign to promote its upcoming coverage.

Directed by BAFTA winning Claire Norowzian, the black and white film sees the former professional footballer turned television personality set off an explosion of colourful animation, which is passed on to a local football match. The ad ends with the message, ‘The Good Times Start Here’.

The campaign launched on ITV channels on Friday (28 May) and will continue to run over the coming days, while supporting activity takes place across social media and out of home. The animation in the ad was produced by animations studio Grizzle.

“With this campaign we wanted to connect authentically with fans and look forward to things to come,” says ITV Creative’s creative director, Rachel King.

“The fact we have waited for over a year for this tournament means that fans have lots of pent up excitement to share and we wanted to tap into that. Ian Wright is the perfect embodiment of joy. His passion for the game is what we wanted to communicate from the screen onto fans and Claire [Norowzian] and the team at Grizzle really made this stand out on screen in an original way, aesthetically.”

Smarty Mobile ramps up TV advertising following rapid growth

Low-cost, SIM-only network Smarty Mobile has unveiled a TV ad campaign focused on celebrating life’s everyday victories.

The campaign comes as the network quadruples its annual marketing investment, a decision made after seeing an 800% increase in its customer base since its last stint on linear TV in early 2019.

Titled ‘Fist Bumps’, the ad sees the main character, Georgie, discovering Smarty Mobile’s low cost payment plan, setting in motion a chain of fist bumps with strangers in the park, set to upbeat music.

The creative direction, led by consultancy BPL Marketing, was based on research commissioned by the network, which found that Brits are likely to be thriftier with their spending after lockdown. Consumers say when looking at their phone plans they want great value (32%), plenty of data (27%), unlimited calls and texts (26%), complete transparency with costs (23%) and to not be tied down to lengthy contracts (23%).

The ad launches today (1 June) and will be aired during prime-time slots across channels including ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. The Fist Bumps creative strategy will also stretch across all the brand’s marketing communications.

“As a young brand with huge growth ambitions, we recognised that getting on TV now would be key to achieving our brand awareness targets,” says Smarty Mobile’s general manager, Elin McLean.

“Fist Bumps is a perfect message for our audience, showing them in a really fun way that there is a brand out there that is focused on getting the basics right and delivering all they really want from a mobile brand”.

Bugaboo looks to drive awareness with digital brand campaign

Bugaboo, the baby care brand best known for its premium strollers, is rejecting “homogenous and saccharine” representations of parenthood in its new brand campaign, as it hopes to connect with modern parents and parents-to-be.

Developed by digital creative agency AnalogFolk, the ‘Adventure Awaits’ campaign aims to portray the seemingly mundane in a new light as parent, baby and Bugaboo cause some low-key mischief.

Bugaboo intends to drive brand awareness and consideration through a 30-second anthem film, 15-second product focused films, lifestyle and product photography. Adventures Awaits will run across paid and organic social, YouTube, retail locations (physical and online) and on the brand’s website.

Bridget O’Lone, global brand director at Bugaboo says through the campaign, the brand wants to “connect with a new generation of parents”.

“We believe that families can come in all shapes and sizes but what unites Bugaboo families is a sense of fun and adventure. Our products are designed for discovery.”