Ladbrokes, Gumtree, Yoppie: Everything that matters this morning

Good morning and welcome to Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world today.

Ladrokes deploys ‘heartbeat of the nation’ for Euros

Gaming brand Ladbrokes is seeking to replicate the “heartbeat of the nation” through hundreds of drummers, as it launches its campaign to celebrate the European Championships 2020.

Launched last night, the brand’s latest ad seeks to capture the joy of live sport and the excitement that football brings to its fans. It uses a stadium full of drummers to evoke the anticipation and tension of a crucial penalty kick.

A 60 second TV ad is being supported by activations across the UK designed to raise awareness of how the live entertainment industry has suffered over the last year because of lockdown restrictions.

The ad is the first created for Ladbrokes by creative agency Nevermind, which was appointed in March. It heralds a wider media campaign around the Champions League final this weekend.

“For many, this year’s European Championships will be the first live entertainment experience they enjoy together with friends, family and other fans,” says Ladbrokes and Coral managing director of UK sports brands Dominic Grounsell. “We cast hundreds of skilled and experienced drummers to depict the tension that fans will feel during key moments in a match and we’re very excited about how this campaign celebrates the unparalleled joy, excitement and anticipation that only live entertainment can bring.”

Ladbrokes has also partnered with #WeMakeEvents, an industry collective raising awareness of challenges faced by those who work in the live events industry.

Gumtree addresses reality with new brand position

Online re-commerce and classified platform Gumtree has launched a refreshed brand positioning with its latest campaign.

The ‘Good Finds’ positioning is featured in its latest campaign, from newly-appointed agency Wieden+Kennedy London, which consists of six TV ads. These take a comedic approach to highlight Gumtree’s role as a straightforward marketplace with no frills or sales staff.

“For over 20 years Gumtree has been connecting people to help them find what they need when they need it, and this is as important and relevant today as it’s ever been. However, as a brand we’ve shied away from talking about the realities of our platform, the good and the not so good,” says Gumtree UK CMO Hannah Rouch.

“With our new Good Finds brand positioning we will be tackling these head on, and bringing to life the buzz that you get from making a Good Find on Gumtree and embracing how many people use our site. A good find is a good find, even if the picture is upside down,” she adds.

Yoppie campaign to share period care products

Personal care brand Yoppie is fighting period anxiety with a campaign to provide free products, as Menstrual Hygiene Day raises awareness of issues such as period anxiety.

A survey by Yoppie has found that 27% of women experience anxiety about planning their social life while on their period. Planning has been made harder by facilities such as public toilets being closed during lockdown.

Yoppie is introducing a feature to let every Yoppie subscriber donate a £30 credit to friends via a unique code. The donor receives a £20 credit for each friend who then subscribes.

“Menstrual Hygiene Day is all about advocating for access to period care and safe and clean bathrooms for women on their period. An issue that has become increasingly prominent as a result of the pandemic, with widespread restrictions and facility closures making it incredibly difficult to plan ahead when on your period,” says Yoppie founder Danielle Peri.

“However, it’s not an issue that has come about purely because of the pandemic and, in fact, the closure of public toilet facilities in particular has been making it harder for women all over the UK for quite some time. We wanted to help and although we can’t directly address the lack of facilities, we wanted to make sure women across the nation were well armed with free period care products to help reduce anxiety when planning around their period.”

Instagram Reels testing launches in UK market

Instagram has partnered with a number of brands to start testing its Reels ads – full screen vertical ads that appear between individual Reels – in the UK, US, France and Canada. Reels are 15-second video clips set to music and shared by users.

The launch yesterday follows an initial ad testing programme that launched last month in India, Brazil, Germany and Australia. Brands including Louis Vuitton, Netflix, Knix Wear, Uber, Nespresso and Swiggy are taking part in the test. The ads will loop, and can be up to 30 seconds long.

“People are already embracing Reels to discover new creators and businesses. This discovery mindset makes it a natural place for businesses to advertise and where people may expect to see ads on Instagram,” says an Instagram spokesman.

IG becomes England Cricket sponsor

Online trading and investments brand IG has become an official partner of England Cricket. The deal will see IG support both men’s and women’s cricket, with its logo appearing on men’s shirts across all cricket formats.

IG says that it is seeking to inspire generations through elite performance, greater accessibility and a commitment to communities.

“Watching the recent accomplishments of the England teams, we have been struck by the clarity of strategic thinking and quality of execution, and how this aligns with IG’s ethos as a business,” says IG head of UK Matt Macklin.

“We also share the ECB’s innate drive to keep improving and evolving, achieving new levels of success while having a positive impact on the world around us. We are hugely proud to be partnering with such a prestigious institution and cannot wait to get started.”

“IG is an ambitious organisation which shares our commitment to be the best by maintaining high standards and developing strong partnerships. Those values have been central to the success of our England teams making this relationship a natural fit. We look forward to working alongside IG over the coming years,” adds Tony Singh, chief commercial officer of cricket’s governing body the ECB.

Thursday, 27 May

Sainsbury’s revamped tagline features in first campaign

Sainsbury’s new tagline ‘Helping Everyone Eat Better’ has been shared for the first time in its latest campaign.

It replaces the longstanding ‘Live Well for Less’ strapline and is part of the retailer’s commitment to promote healthy food. It says just a quarter of the UK population currently eat the required five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

The campaign centres around a TV spot voiced by Stephen Fry, and will also see Sainsbury’s reducing calories, sugar and salt in a range of its products and offering customers advice on their diet, including recipes.

Mark Given, CMO at Sainsbury’s says: “At Sainsbury’s, we believe everyone should have access to healthy, tasty food that is better for them and the planet too.

“With our new brand commitment, we want to help our customers shake up their approach to food, by actively helping everyone make healthier choices.”

Sainsbury’s first revealed the new slogan and change in direction in February, stating its intent to help people make healthy choices and its focus on sustainability.

Amazon Fashion introduces Local Label Hub

Amazon Fashion is launching a digital store that will focus on local creativity, supporting small- and medium-sized fashion brands and independent design talent.

The Local Label Hub offers brands and designers the opportunity to promote their products to a wider audience, reaching potentially millions of customers, as well as using the platform’s established delivery services.

The concept signals Amazon’s latest attempt to become a fashion player, following its launch in the US of Luxury Stores invite-only app for Prime members and its partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Brands already on the hub include Les Girls Les Boys, The Cotton London, Temperley, Kat Maconie and Rachel Jackson London.

Zoopla encourages reluctant homeowners to make a move

Online property brand Zoopla has entered a media partnership with The Guardian and Bauer Media to support the launch of its My Home hub.

The partnership, a collaboration with media agency Essence, will see Zoopla aiming to persuade homeowners who are undecided about selling their property to make a move.

The partnerships will run until mid-August and include content published across The Guardian’s print and digital platforms and Bauer titles including Hits Radio Network, Greatest Hits Radio and Grazia.

“We want to inspire those homeowners who are perhaps a little more reticent and sentimental about their homes to get moving with the help of My Home,” explains Zoopla CMO Gary Bramall.

“Our targeted campaign talks specifically to those who may need to up or downsize their home and offers practical advice about how to take that next step.”

NBA uses local talents for playoffs campaign

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has called on the services of rapper and producer AJ Tracey to be the voice of its UK campaign to promote the 2021 playoffs.

A 60-second film, ‘That’s Game’, is being released globally, with local artists also supplying voiceovers in Spain, Italy and France, while Idris Elba narrates the US and international version.

The spot features players like Washington Wizards’ Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma, and Minnesota Timberwolves’ D’Angelo Russell showing off their style on and off the court, as well as nods to social issue statements that have characterised the NBA in recent years.

“That’s Game demonstrates more than just the culmination of play, it’s about the moments that have kept fans connected to the game throughout history and will continue to engage them long into the future,” says NBA CMO Kate Jhaveri.

“We are excited to celebrate the incredible plays that leave us in awe and the impactful community work from players and teams, and we look forward to continuing this storytelling into the 75th anniversary season.”

Three quarters of London firms aim to be back in office by September

Research from private hire cab and courier company Addison Lee finds 74% of firms are planning to return to their office by September of this year.

More than a half (51%) of the 142 companies taking part in the survey say they will do so by the end of June.

The benefits of working in an office environment were seen as the big pull for a summer return, with 71% of respondents saying that being back among colleagues would lead to better collaboration.

However, 53% say they would be happier going back to the office if they didn’t have to use public transport.

“Many businesses are keen to get back into the workplace, to give employees the opportunity to see one another and enjoy working together again,” says Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin.

“But our research shows that safety remains employers’ number one concern when planning the return to the office.”

Wednesday, 26 May

Amazon sued for unfair pricing policies

Amazon is facing a lawsuit from Washington DC, which claims the ecommerce giant is abusing its dominant position.

The District of Columbia says the brand controls 70% of US sales online, which results in higher prices for consumers. It accuses Amazon of charging third-party resellers fees up to 40% of a product’s price and prevents them from charging less on other platforms.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday (25 May) by Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine, states: “Far from enabling consumers to obtain the best products at the lowest prices, Amazon instead causes prices across the entire online retail sales market to be artificially inflated, both for products sold on Amazon’s online retail sales platform and on its competitors’ online retail sales platforms.”

Amazon claims the lawsuit “has it exactly backwards”, adding the sellers set their own prices and the retail sales platform “benefits from, and is protected by, Amazon’s anti-competitive business practices”.

“Amazon takes pride in the fact that we offer low prices across the broadest selection, and like any store we reserve the right not to highlight offers to customers that are not priced competitively.”

Lidl ordered to stop selling Hendrick’s gin lookalike

Lidl has been ordered to stop selling a gin range that looks similar to premium rival Hendrick’s in Scotland.

A court in Edinburgh says Lidl’s Hampstead gin brand breaches the trademarks of the upmarket brand.

William Grant and Sons Irish Brand, the owner of Hendrick’s, took legal action believing the bottle is too similar to its “apothecary-style bottle”.

It argues Lidl changed the colour of the white diamond sticker on the front to a similar light colour and uses a similar dark shade for the bottle.

Lawyers also point out Hampstead gin shows cucumbers on its diamond sticker, which alludes to the fact Hendrick’s is infused with the vegetable.

In a written judgement Lord Clark wrote: “I therefore conclude that there is a reasonable prospect of success on the part of the pursuer in showing a change in economic behaviour or a real likelihood of such a change by customers who buy from Lidl.”

Cinch to headline sponsor five live UK festivals

Online used car marketplace brand Cinch has signed a deal with Live Nation UK to become the headline sponsor of five UK festivals, including The Isle of Wight Festival and Creamfields.

The brand will also sponsor Festival Republic’s Latitude, TRNSMT and Edinburgh Summer Sessions next year.

The deal is part of plans to accelerate growth in the UK and marks the first time one brand has headlined across five Live Nation UK festivals, says Cinch.

Through the sponsorship, the brand is aiming to build its brand awareness and bridge its digital offering with the physical world of influential live music fans.

Cinch’s rights as headline sponsor include onsite branding and experiential activation opportunities at festivals across the UK. The business will also benefit from content for its own platforms as it looks to bring the brand to a new audience.

Cinch chief customer officer Robert Bridge says: “Brits have foregone their summer festival experiences over the last year while we all worked as one to stay apart. Now it’s time to get together and have fun. Cinch couldn’t be more excited to team up with Live Nation to help make possible the most memorable summer of music for years to come.”

Industry bodies outline codes to preserve mental wellbeing and creativity

A group of industry bodies has called on the advertising and communications industry to commit to a code of conduct to preserve the wellbeing and creativity of employees.

The Brilliant Creative Minds Code of Conduct outlines a set of guidelines “stamp out behaviours” that can impact an employees’ wellbeing and “diminish creativity”.

Trade organisations to sign up include Crown Commercial Service, NABS, The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, the Alliance of Independent Agencies, the Advertising Association, The Independent Schools’ Bursars Association and Social & Local CIC.

The group aims to cut out long hours culture, fear of job loss in agencies, excessive tender requirements and procurement processes, and unrealistic client timescales and demands.

It includes principles such as asking no more of people than you need or intend to pay for, taking a personal interest in those you are working with and creating time for creativity, and comes with guidance on how the principles can be applied.

The code was developed through in-depth interviews with senior leaders across clients, agencies and the procurement world.

Social & Local is the agency that initiated, funds and manages Brilliant Creative Minds.

Social & Local managing partner Stephanie Drakes says: “Poor mental wellbeing is the enemy of creativity in our industry and our goal is to eradicate practices that cause unnecessary and dangerous levels of stress in agency environments. To meet our aim, Brilliant Creative Minds uniquely brings together three interdependent parts of the industry to work as one: client, agency and procurement.

“We’d like the industry to sign up to it and commit to embedding its principles within organisations to create an industry where negative workplace stress is reduced, talent is retained and the UK protects its pole position in the world for creativity as clients, once again, get the best out of their agencies.”

Disney joins forces with MAC and Westfield for Cruella launch

Disney has teamed up with seven brands to promote the release of its latest film Cruella. The brands partnering with the company include MAC, Westfield, Liberty, The Lanesborough Hotel, De Beers, Singer and Tom Davies.

The UK campaign with MAC, for example, is being facilitated by the brand’s Carnaby Street store and through a gifting programme with influencers.

Westfield will be showing hero images of Cruella in large out-of-home, displays, social, digital media screens, escalator panels and payment systems. There will also be a digital-led activation with content from creators Dina Tokio, The Vivienne and Susie Lau, who will encourage fans to take pictures using a Cruella filter.

Liberty will be hosting a Cruella costume exhibit and run editorial on its involvement in the movie and the importance of 1970s fashion.

De Beers Jewellers has several pieces placed in the movie and sewing brand Singer will feature a co-branded TVC, high-end designer, while Tom Davies provides 120 pairs of handmade glasses for several characters in the film.

The Lanesborough Hotel will host a modern take on traditional afternoon tea entitled ‘It’s a Little Bit Mad’ with a limited-edition menu on May 28, timed to the release of the movie.

Walt Disney Studios EMEA vice-president of marketing, Charlotte Tudor, says: “It’s been a privilege to have such an impeccably designed and visually stunning movie to work with our brand partners on.

“Coupled with the film’s rich British influences, it’s enabled us to team up with several iconic brands to produce innovative and unique campaigns that really showcase the best of Cruella, reaching a variety of different audiences and playing a key role in the film’s promotion, especially in the UK.”

Tuesday, 25 May

Airbnb upgrades in response to ‘fundamental shifts’ in travel

Airbnb has revealed a raft of innovations and upgrades as it looks to increase flexibility and improve the browsing and booking experience.

The holiday firm says the changes are in response to “three fundamental shifts” in how people want to travel – the fact they can travel anytime, want to go to more places and stay longer.

The upgrades, of which Airbnb claims there are more than 100, are designed to refine “every aspect” of the service, from the website and app through to its community support and policies.

Flexibility is at the heart of the upgrades, with the introduction of features called Flexible Dates, Flexible Matching and Flexible Destinations. Flexible Dates, which was rolled out in February, enables people to search for places to stay if they are flexible on dates and has already been used 100 million times.

Flexible Matching offers a wider selection of suggested properties, some just outside the search parameters, priced slightly higher than the max price added, for example.

Flexible Destinations, meanwhile, surfaces unique places to stay and is designed to offer up one-of-a-kind properties in places people might not have thought to search for.

Airbnb co-founder and CEO, Brian Chesky, says: “We are seeing three fundamental shifts in travel as people become less tethered and more flexible. People can travel anytime, they are traveling to more places and they are staying longer. The lines between travel, living and working are blurring and we are upgrading our service to make it easier for people to integrate travel into their lives, and for more people to become hosts.”

Discounters grow ahead of the market

Aldi and Lidl both grew ahead of the market and gained market share during the 12 weeks to 16 May. Sales have been impacted of late as shoppers switched to online and opted for fewer store visits, but Aldi increased take-home sales by 5.2% over the period, while Lidl’s sales were up by 4.6%.

As a result, Aldi saw its market share rise by 0.4 percentage points to 8.1% and Lidl’s increased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.2%, according to the latest take-home grocery figures from Kantar.

Ocado was the fastest growing supermarket, with sales up 15.4% compared to the same period in 2020. Its market share increased by 0.2 percentage points.

Of the big four supermarkets, Asda was the biggest winner, increasing sales by 1.9% over the period, followed by Sainsbury’s (up 0.7%), Morrisons (0.3%) and Tesco where sales remained flat. All increased market share by 0.1 percentage points.

Overall, take-home grocery sales fell by 0.4% during the 12-week period, but this is compared to the first three months of the pandemic last year when sales surged. Comparing to the same period in 2019 shows shoppers spent an additional £3.8bn.

There are also signs people are returning to doing more small shops rather than a big weekly shop, as basket sizes have fallen for the past three months in a row, with the average shop at £22.82, the lowest since March last year.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, says: “As lockdown eases, people are returning to more normal habits and we can see that reflected in grocery sales. Many of us this time last year were eating all our meals at home and we bought extra food and drink as a result.

“Now we’re seeing take-home grocery sales dip versus 2020 as people are able to eat in restaurants, pubs and cafés and can pick up food on the go again, grabbing a sandwich, for example, while they’re out and about at the weekend. While not captured in these take-home figures, on-the-go grocery sales look set to be a significant driver of growth for supermarkets over the next few months.”

Expedia appoints head of brands to unify marketing strategy

Expedia Group has appointed former Apple marketer Jon Gieselman as president of Expedia Brands, which houses its consumer-facing businesses.

Gieselman, who has sat on Expedia’s board of directors for the past 18 months, is prioritising “meaningful innovation” and has been tasked with coordinating the marketing strategy for all consumer brands under the Expedia umbrella, including Trivago, Hotels.com and Travelocity.

At Apple he led marketing for services, working closely with product, engineering and design teams to expand the division using brand, digital and direct marketing.

Gieselman says: “There is tremendous leverage in going to market as a coordinated portfolio of brands, positioning us perfectly to bring to life new customer experiences they will absolutely love.

“We all miss traveling, so we’ll enjoy some natural tailwinds, but the real opportunity is to accelerate growth through meaningful innovation. I’m really excited to help transform the company from the inside.”

Expedia unveiled its rebrand last month, through which it hopes to “aggressively, authentically and deeply” support travellers.

Ikea shows sustainability isn’t for ‘the privileged few’

Ikea has launched a campaign encouraging people to make small changes around the home to help tackle climate change.

The campaign features a little robot, who after seeing a cinema poster saying ‘save the planet’ goes around trying to clear up rubbish and take on a gas guzzling truck, with little success.

When he gets home feeling deflated he realises small changes have been made, with the introduction of plants, recycled textiles and rattan furniture, alongside the use of reusable net carrier bags and growing vegetables.

The ad ends with the line ‘Change a bit for good’ and is part of Ikea’s long standing ‘The Wonderful Everyday’ campaign.

Alongside the TV ad, Ikea will be launching out-of-home and social activity from 31 May, which will show plastic bags transforming into reusables ones, and disposable coffee cups into refillable ones.

Kemi Anthony, marketing communications manager at Ikea, says: “We’ve set the ambitious goal of becoming fully circular and climate positive by 2030. But it’s not just about how we do business, but also about wanting to inspire and support customers in taking action too.

“Many people still believe that more sustainable living is a choice only available to the privileged few, which doesn’t have to be the case. With this campaign, our aim is to democratise sustainability, demonstrating how easy it actually is to make very simple, affordable and meaningful changes.”

UK tourism set for slow recovery

UK tourism is expected to be worth half what it was in 2019, as Britain prepares for a slow recovery from the pandemic.

Domestic tourism is likely to be worth £51.4bn in 2021, significantly down from £91.6bn two years ago, according to forecasts by VisitBritain. Meanwhile spending by foreign tourists is expected to be even worse hit, down from £28.4bn in 2019 to just £6.2bn this year.

These figures have been released ahead of a summit in which VisitBritain and VisitEngland are bringing together UK tourism leaders to discuss the sector’s recovery.

Last year, the UK suffered a £58bn blow to the economy as domestic tourism dropped by about two-thirds on account of Covid restrictions, forcing many to cancel and postpone plans.

But despite the forecast for this year, analysts have suggested demand may well outstrip supply for UK holidays as foreign trips are off the table for many.

Monday, 24 May

TikTok looks to ‘cement’ connection to football culture ahead of Euros

TikTok is celebrating football fandom with a new campaign promoting the platform’s partnership with the Euro 2020 tournament, which kicks off next month after a year of delays.

Designed by creative agency Dark Horses, the ‘Where Fans Play’ campaign is designed to cement TikTok’s connection with football and give new audiences a window into how the sport is building a following on the social platform. The hero TV spot is intended to combine the passion and excitement of the Euros with the “fun, inclusivity and playfulness of TikTok”, overlaying unforgettable moments from the tournament with current TikTok content.

Launching today, Where Fans Play comes as the football hashtag has attracted more than 119 billion views on the platform, up from 70 billion when TikTok’s Euro 2020 partnership was first announced in February.

The England team has been using the site to post behind the scenes content under the #ThreeLions and #Lionesses hashtags, while football stars such as Spain’s Sergio Ramos, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski and Portugal’s João Félix have shared their keepie uppie skills and goal celebrations.

Where Fans Play will run in key markets across Europe, with a focus on the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Germany, as well as in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, and Japan. The ad will be shown during coverage of the UEFA Champions League final on 29 May, as well as during key fixtures throughout the tournament itself.

“We’re proud to have a passionate and ever-growing community of sports lovers on our platform, and football content in particular has had a meteoric rise on TikTok this last year,” says James Rothwell, head of marketing for EMEA.

“The culture of football and the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020 chimes perfectly with the TikTok community, who love to celebrate and participate in football in creative ways that are unique to the platform. We want to celebrate those fans and bring even more onto the platform to give new audiences a window into football on TikTok and prove that TikTok is where fans play.”

BT ramps up fight against online abuse with Hope United campaign

BT has brought together a diverse team of footballers from across the Home Nations to tackle online hate ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament in June.

The Hope United team comprises 20 footballers, including Marcus Rashford, Gareth Bale, Lucy Bronze and Andy Robertson, brought together by their own experiences of online hate.

The squad, who are being managed by former England stars Rio Ferdinand and Karen Carney, want to drive change by educating the nation on how to protect themselves online and be good digital citizens.

Launching today the multimillion pound campaign, devised by Saatchi & Saatchi, will run across social media, TV, outdoor and press throughout the Euro 2020 championships. Utilising the company’s sponsorship of the four Home Nations football teams, the campaign will also be promoted on BT and BT Sport’s social, digital and broadcast channels.

A 90-second film, premiering on BT Sport during the UEFA Europa League Final on Wednesday, will feature members of the all-star squad explaining the impact receiving online hate has had on them.

The Hope United branding will be visible on matchday during the warm-up friendly matches being held ahead of the Euros, as well as across the UK via the outdoor campaign, which includes placements in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The squad will also feature in BT Tech Tips content, free resources equipping people with the skills they need to tackle hate online. The tips will include showing people how to recognise hate crime, help for children to navigate the online world and advice on how to support victims of cyberbullying.

The roll out of Hope United follows the launch in April of BT Sport’s ‘Draw The Line’ campaign, which saw the company take a stand against hate speech and abuse on social media.

Made.com readies for £1bn IPO

Online furniture retailer Made.com is preparing to float on the London Stock Exchange after seeing growth accelerate during the pandemic.

The initial public offering (IPO) could value the business at up to £1bn, the Financial Times reports, after a year of lockdowns have encouraged a greater number of consumers to buy big-ticket items like furniture online.

Chief executive Phillippe Chainieux told the FT the past 12 months have enabled the company to attract a “broader customer base both geographically and demographically”, which is important as its “core millennial customers” are being targeted by rivals.

Chainieux also confirmed that while the business has several small showrooms every shopping experience will begin and end online, with stores remaining “part of the digital experience”. Made.com also wants to stay vertically integrated and selling direct-to-consumer, rather than operating a wholesale or concession model.

Other businesses to successfully IPO on the London Stock Exchange this year include gifting and card company Moonpig, which saw shares soar on its £1.2bn float, and online wine retailer Virgin Wines. By contrast, Deliveroo’s flotation in March has been described as “the worst IPO in London’s history”, as doubt was cast by investors over the business’ prospects and the treatment of its gig economy workers.

Activists oppose BP sponsorship of British Museum exhibition

Activists have protested in opposition to oil company BP’s sponsorship of the British Museum’s next big exhibition opening this week.

Protesters from theatrical activist group BP or not BP played violins and sang as part of a “choir of fire”, dressed in gowns and headdresses of paper flames, to symbolise the Earth heating up due to global warming. The activists want the British Museum to cut its ties with the oil industry, including BP’s sponsorship of the Nero: The Man Behind the Myth exhibition, opening on 27 May.

At the same time, the UK Student Climate Network led a protest at the Science Museum in response to a new climate exhibition sponsored by Shell.

One BP or not BP activist told the Guardian that the oil company’s sponsorship contributes less than 1% of the British Museum’s annual income and with the deal up for renewal this year, the implication is the museum is making an “active choice” to continue its partnership with BP.

The oil giant signed a five-year £7.5m sponsorship of the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company back in 2016.

Howerver, the Royal Shakespeare Company ended its tie-up with BP two years early in 2019. The energy company had subsidised the RSC’s £5 ticket scheme for 16 to 25-year olds since 2013, but the “strength of feeling” expressed by young people in opposition to the sponsorship caused the organisation to terminate the deal.

BP’s 26-year sponsorship of the Tate came to an end in 2017 after continued protests, while the company’s deal with the Edinburgh international festival finished after 34 years in 2016.

Kind Snacks launches debut UK TV campaign

US healthy snack brand Kind Snacks is making its UK TV debut in a bid to reach 21 million households over the summer.

The campaign, part of the roll out of Kind’s new global creative platform ‘Live Kind’, is launching tonight during A&E After Dark on Channel 5 and will run for seven weeks across TV, outdoor, social media and digital. The TV ad will then get a second phase push from 30 August.

Developed by creative agency Energy BBDO with a view to motivating consumers to make kinder choices to their bodies and communities, the campaign comes as Kind has experienced growth in the UK healthy snacking category and signifies the brand’s “increased investment” in the UK market.

“Our Live Kind campaign couldn’t come at a better time with the past 18-months showing us all how even the smallest acts of kindness can go a long way in making a positive impact,” says global brand director, Alexa Dalton.

“As a brand that lives this philosophy in everything that we do, from our ingredients through to our working practices and founder’s story, this campaign marks an incredibly important phase of our journey so we really look forward to seeing the impact it has and how this becomes a building block for future growth of the Kind brand in the UK and globally.”