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IDEAS THAT MAKE YOU GO ...

OOF

OOF!

INTRO

The origins of f&ck, I wish I’d thought of that lie in 2011. Two people decided to start a consumer brand agency and had some time on their hands as they waited for the phone to ring and the clients to come flooding through the doors.

As it happened, both of those things did come to pass. But at the same time a couple of quiet months meant that a book was created – christened Ideas of the Year. It was a collection of around 60 of the best pieces of work from across the industry.

Fast forward to 2020 and a second tome was created – this time called Interesting Times – as a collection of Covid-inspired ideas and a celebration of the creative resilience that was displayed during that weird 18-month period.

In 2025 (or 2026 as it now is) we thought that we’d revive the tradition. We believe firmly that, in looking at the best work from across the industry, we learn. So having a team of 85 or so people hunting down great examples of earned-first campaigns fills our collective consciousness with tools and tactics that will no doubt feed into our work in the year to come. If you’re not occasionally inspired by the work that others produce you might wonder why you’re in this business in the first place.

We hope that this little book will inspire a new generation of people in the industry. Whether you’re a student and have stumbled across it or a young person starting out in the business,

you will find great work, smart ideas, insightful observations and we hope that you’ll find the source of your next response to brief – or that you might find the notion of creating such campaigns interesting enough to join the industry.

We also do this because we think it is worth keeping a catalogue of the work that the public relations industry creates. We will from time-to-time tell others that today’s news is tomorrow’s chip paper – such is the ephemeral nature of what we do. It is because it can be so ephemeral that we think it is worth collating and collecting.

That philosophical perspective out of the way, some notes. This book is entirely subjective, there were no judges involved so the only arbiter is the taste of a member of the Hope&Glory team who chose to include (or not include) any given piece of work. We’ve sought to credit where we are able and are more than delighted to add or amend credits retrospectively if you get in touch. We have begged, borrowed and stolen the visuals throughout these pages but if they are yours and you would rather they were removed, again please do contact us (the same goes if you would like to request a credit which we will of course honour).

It remains only to say that we hope you enjoy the read. We think there’s some brilliant stuff in here, we think it’s worthy of being shared as widely as possible and we doff our caps to those who made it.

James Gordon-Macintosh Co-Founder

INTRO

with thanks to

Aarti Bulsara

Adam Mack

Adrian Chitty

Alex Royce

Alice Donnelly

Alicia Bult

Amber Druce

Amelia Greenwood

Amy Jones

Amy Townsend

Amy Wheeler

Andrew Boyers

Andy Parsons

Anna Terrell

Arun Lloyd

Bea Crossley

Briar Jameson

Caleb Menyah

Charlie Strang

Chloe Morris

Claire Kane

Dalia Jafar

Dave Stitson

Dom Daly

Don Ferguson

Elise Morris

Ella Horncastle

Ella Thompson

Emma Giles

Evine Kandemir

Flora Laven-Morris

George Costi

Georgia Hastings

Grace Lynch

Hannah Brady

Hannah Jeffery

Hannah Jones

Isabel Heredia

Jack Ashton

Jacob Potter

James Brown

James Gordon-Macintosh

James Keiller

Jen Murdoch

Jenni David

Jennie Muir

Jessica Smith

Jo Carr

John-Paul Kunrunmi

Kate Mahoney

Kathrin Strohmaier

Kiran Baga

Lewis Wollington

Liam Sheppard

Lily Hall

Lily Wiggins

Lisa Barlow

Lottie Hughes

Louisa Clark

Lydia Pembridge

Meg Ruddy

Melissa Bristol

Mia Douglas

Molly Marodeen

Natacha Salgado

Olivia Timms

Phoebe Mellor

Rachael Baines

Rayo Yusuf

Ross Brown

Ryan Lambert

Sabrina Coogan

Seb Dilleyston

Sophie Badham

Sophie Bonar

Sophie Harte

Tadgh Patten

Tommy Curran Jones

Valerie Holloway

William Owusu-Ansah

Yasmine Saeed

Zafirah Badmus

Zoe Harrington

Glenmorangie

Apple TV+

Google Pixel

Lupa Pizza

Progresso

Kiehl’s

Hasbro

Heinz

IKEA

GUINNESS

Xavier Dutoit

Simply Business

Various Artists

Heineken

McDonald’s

Netflix

Mentos

Kahlúa

Sunderland A.F.C.

GUINNESS

Heineken

Top Secret Comedy Club

Hellman’s

Safe Surfer

Aldi

Testicular Cancer Society

Heineken

Heinz

Netflix

Wedgwood

Lovehoney x Surreal

ASICS

Gymshark

McVitie’s

Taco Bell

Dr. Squatch

Heineken

LEGO

Subway

Popeyes

Tesco

Red Cross

Greggs

British Skin Foundation

Currys

Decathlon

Prada

Alia Guagni

Tinder

Tails.com

Burger King itsu

July September to

Astronomer

Peachy Den

Stella Artois

Vattenfall

Domino’s

Guide Dogs

DC Studios

EAFC

People Like Us

ASICS

LEGO

Bournville

La Popote

M.A.C

Oasis

Tommy Hilfiger

Mer Organdonation

Currys

Visit Sweden

Aldi

Swindon Town FC

GUINNESS

Channel 4

Quaker

Paddy Power

Absolut

Lime

Rightmove

Persil

Adidas

Gail’s

Nike x Palace

Jeep

Aldi

Tuzla

Mattel

Burberry

Innocent

Goldfish

National Lottery

GUINNESS

Greyhounds

Ricola

Grindr

Greene King

Unicef Finland

Visit Iceland

Danish Road Safety Council

San Pellegrino

Disney+

Netflix

Columbia

Hanover County Animal

Protection & Shelter

Tesco

IDEAS

IDEAS

ID EA S

January - March

Once Upon a Time in Scotland Glenmorangie

John Doe, Bandits Production

The world didn’t need another celebrity whisky ambassador as, let’s face it, it’s riddled with them (hello Sabrina x Johnnie Walker). But somehow, Harrison Ford’s self-referential approach struck a different note.

Once Upon a Time in Scotland, directed by Joel Edgerton, brought unexpected charm to the talent x Scotch cliché.

Severance: The Cube Apple TV+

Jellyfish Global

A wonderfully immersive second season launch saw a glass box appear in the centre of New York’s Grand Central station containing the actors in character. One of those ideas you know a client will see and say “can we do that?”. And the answer is “yes” ... if you have a beloved IP and the full cast of a show ready to take part in your stunt. Who said making sure the right clauses are in the talents’ contracts isn’t an artform?

Switch like Sol Google Pixel

Google Creative Labs

A confident Google came out swinging in 2025. Knowing that switching from an iPhone was hard, they leant into a controversial move in a different category. In a well-judged and very tightly written one minute social film (dropped just before the North London derby), famous traitor Sol Campbell made the case for switching. The football internet exploded.

£100 Hawaiian Lupa Pizza

In house

Lupa Pizza are here to yuk your yum with an extortionately-priced pineapple pizza, punishing you for your ‘criminal’ choice. The world’s appetite for debating things that are clearly a matter of personal taste seems undiminished as they landed global coverage.

Edelman Soup Drops Progresso

During cold and flu season soup was losing the battle to actual medicine as an at-home remedy. The superb and simple solution was to make soup look like medicine. Suckable soup-flavoured cough drops that sold out in minutes landed Progesso in conversations worldwide.

Kiehl’s

Pubic Display Font

Marcel

Banned from using images of models with actual pubic hair, Kiehl’s pivoted and removed the models rather than the hair, creating a free-to-download typeface made using real pubes. One in the eye for prudes.

Hasbro

Mummy Pig is Pregnant

PrettyGreen

This transformed a cartoon plot into a cultural sensation. In traditional media, the phased rollout was likened to a royal birth, securing a world exclusive announcement on Good Morning Britain and highprofile features in celebrity magazines like Grazia and Hello!. Stunts included a gender reveal at Battersea Power Station and a birth announcement complete with town-crier, scroll and official notice. The TikTok clip of the reveal alone hit 61 million views and overall campaign-related posts reportedly gained 264 million TikTok views.

Blue String Soup Heinz

The Kitchen

The return of everyone’s favourite diarist prompted many a newsjack. But this one stood-out for its subtle humour and appeal to fans of the first film, capturing a meme-able moment.

IKEA

U up?

Rethink

Was this campaign okay? We’re still really not sure that the slightly ‘Big Brother’ approach wasn’t dystopian marketing taken to an extreme. But IKEA sliding into customers’ inboxes (who we’re assured had clicked the “contact me wherever and whenever you want to, I’m fine with that” button when they opted-in) certainly got people talking. And the gentle use of slang for what those of an older generation might call a ‘booty call’ raised a wry smile.

Field of Vision GUINNESS

Catapult

This campaign was proof that you can lift a successful format from one sport (in this case football - Field of Vision’s partnerships in the Premier League are as well-documented as they are successful) and apply it to another one. Blind fans of Rugby’s Six Nations got to experience the game as it happened on touch-boards that brought matches to life play-by-play.

Calexit Xavier Dutoit

Following Donald Trump’s request to annex Greenland, Xavier Duotit responded with a bid for California which, he suggested, would be subject to ‘Denmarkification’ with Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet. One of the weirder pieces of national marketing we saw in 2025. Let’s see how well it goes in 2026.

Calculating the Damage Simply Business

Golin

In a genius cultural hijack, the insurance provider took the Eastenders 40th Anniversary pub fire and assessed the damage ... What figure would the Queen Vic insurers be looking at after four decades of robberies, brawls and accidents? The final figure was a staggering £14.1 million. Cue reams of coverage and brand fame for Simply Business. A classic story executed with excellence.

Silent Album Various Artists

Various Artists

In a protest against plans to make it easier for singers’ voices to be replicated using AI, 1,000 musicians (including Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, Kate Bush and Dua Lipa) ‘released’ a silent album entitled - Is This What We Want?. Each track featured sounds from empty studios and profits went to the charity, Help Musicians.

Excuses Bars Heineken

LePub (HQ)

Built on the beautifully simple insight that people (well, mostly men apparently) lie about where they are when they’re actually going to the pub to watch a match, Heineken Spain’s campaign revolved around renaming bars with appropriate excuses so football fans wouldn’t have to tell a porkie. Introducing the ‘Emergency Dentist’, ‘The Vet For My Cat’ and the brilliant ‘My Mother-in-law’s House For Her Birthday’. Simple genius. I’m off for a pint at ‘The Home of My Friend Who’s Having Relationship Issues’.

Oscars Breakfast McDonald’s

Wieden+Kennedy

In the ongoing battle to win food occasions, McDonald’s revealed an assortment of Hollywood stars’ breakfast orders on the morning after the glitziest awards event in Tinseltown.

Dentsu Toxic Billboard Netflix

Netflix continued its run of creative OOH stunts to promote its shows, this time with Toxic Town billboards that ‘smogged up’ if the air quality was too low in London. The digital OOH sites tracked real-time airquality data and changed if emissions rose.

Mentos

Fizzooka

BBH London

We’ve all seen the ‘Mentos Mint in the diet cola’ videos at some stage or another. Taking the phenomenon to its not-so-logical-until-you-think-about-it conclusion, Mentos partnered-up with Fortnite Creative to turn the classroom chemistry trick into a weapon. Players could blast their way through the game wielding the bubbly Bazooka as they went. Digital-first thinking to reach the next generation of mint fans.

Kahlúa

Fake GUINNESS

Wieden+Kennedy

By disguising an espresso martini as a glass of GUINNESS, St Patrick’s Day celebrants were encouraged to enjoy a different glass of the black stuff. Marketing LinkedIn debated whether all Kahlúa was doing was promoting the normalisation of GUINNESS as a drink for the big day, while Kahlúa drinkers simply celebrated the cunning stunt from the brand they so adore.

Sunderland A.F.C.

The Sinking Badge

In house

Spotlighting the devastating effects of climate change, Sunderland A.F.C. amended their crest for one game only, ‘sinking’ their club name as the waters upon which it normally elegantly floats rose up to engulf it.

Never Settle GUINNESS

Ogilvy

Women’s boot brand IDA Sports partnered with GUINNESS for the Women’s Six Nations and launched a rugby boot engineered for the female foot. Echoing campaigns that have already happened in running and football, the Irish brewer successfully integrated itself into the women’s game with a thoughtful addition to the sport.

Succession Heineken

LePub

The Dutch brewer has had a stellar year with a number of campaigns that we’ve adored. This one, from Ireland, sought people from across the globe who shared a surname with a retiring pub-owner to preserve the name of the traditional Irish bar (due to a tradition in the Emerald Isle that pubs retain their owners’ names). The succession idea went truly international and the campaign combined a killer insight with a stunningly sentimental pay-off that pitted the interloper brand against hometown favourite GUINNESS, and somehow made a Dutch brand feel more Irish than the Irish one.

Top Secret Comedy Club

Botox Ban

Idea Farm

The Top Secret Comedy Club in Covent Garden came out against aesthetics and banned patrons who may have over-indulged in facial enhancement, presumably rendering them unable to smile. Simple, on-topic and (appropriately) made us laugh.

ID EA S

April - June

Mayo Exchange Hellmann’s

Edelman Mayo lovers face injustice with every meal. Where free ketchup sachets are abundant in food outlets, mayo is either non-existent or costs extra. Hellman’s flipped this discrepancy by creating the Mayo Exchange, offering fans the chance to trade-in unwanted ketchup sachets for packets of Hellman’s at 62 currency bureaux nationwide.

Worst Children’s Library Safe Surfer

DDB Group Aotearoa

A dystopian masterclass in translating the virtual into the physical world, internet safety campaigners filled a school library in Auckland with bookshelves heaving with titles representing the darkest corners of the internet, from bomb making to self-harm. It highlighted the information freely available to children at the click of button while promoting the new KidSafe Smartphone with Samsung New Zealand and Safe Surfer.

Only Fans Aldi

Taylor Herring

With temperatures soaring across the country, Aldi announced it was launching an ‘Only Fans’. Of course, it was literally a site featuring a range of fans. Teasing the announcement on social media, the supermarket posted to its Instagram and Facebook pages, sparking frenzied speculation. Instead of racy content, however, shoppers were directed to an altogether more wholesome collection of content, in the form of the supermarket’s Specialbuys fans. Bravo to Aldi for signing this one off ...

Sponsored Balls Testicular Cancer Society

FP7McCann

Football kits are prime real estate for brand sponsorships –except for one region no one dares to touch. To confront the silence around the disease, the Testicular Cancer Society broke taboo with the world’s first front-of-shorts sponsorship, placing its cherry logo in the exact area the disease affects. Following declines from countless clubs, the charity eventually partnered with Madrid’s CD Leganés for a match 20 million tuned in to watch, sparking a conversation that millions of men often avoid.

The Flipper Heineken

LePub A phone case that has a ‘flipper’ on it activated by utterances of the word “cheers” was Heineken’s contribution to encouraging phone-free socialising. The brand has been all about communion over the course of the year and this was a cute tactical way to nudge behaviour amongst drinkers.

Grillz Heinz

Africa Creative

Let’s face it, we have all, at some point, had to resort to pulling open a sachet of sauce with our teeth to access the ketchup (or mayo, or mustard) for our burger (or fast food option of your choice). So Heinz Brazil made the whole process that little bit more effective with the launch of product-themed grillz to help its customers get to their condiment of choice more efficiently.

Netflix

Black Mirror: The Nubbin

A host of influencers and content creators suddenly started promoting a breakthrough consumer tech product that was known only as The Nubbin. Cue internet meltdown and much chat about what this could possibly be – a new Elon Musk venture seemed to be the consensus. A week or two later it was revealed that the whole thing was a publicity stunt for the return of Black Mirror. And a very effective one it was too.

Wedgwood

Jasperware AI

One of the odder campaigns we saw this year. Heritage brand Wedgwood unveiled an AI image generator that could create custom products from its Jasperware collections. Made to celebrate the brand’s 250th anniversary, it had the internet creating vases themed around a variety of pop-culture references, helping an historic brand feel like one with its finger on the pulse of modern trends.

Dild-Os Lovehoney x Surreal

In house

Sex toys brand Lovehoney partnered with adult cereal brand Surreal to create a wave of nostalgia for those old enough to remember toys in your breakfast cereal. Expertly named ‘Dild-Os’, the cereal arrived with a complimentary vibrator, to start your day with a buzz ... a puntastic release, expertly (ahem) positioned.

Mind’s Best Friend Ambassador

ASICS continued their domination of the ‘exercise is good for your mental health’ arena, naming Felix the Samoyed its new ambassador.Who was appointed after research found that dog owners are 35% more likely to meet physical guidelines, averaging 240 minutes of exercise per week. A frankly stunning hero campaign video showing Felix zooming through the countryside care-free, very much did the job of representing the feeling of mental clarity. Team that with an open casting call for other dog owners to put forward their pups for an ambassador role, and you’ve got yourself a winning campaign.

Londrette Gymshark

Scratch Creative

At HYROX London 2025, Gymshark celebrated community beyond the finish line by transforming a nearby sandwich shop into a 1950s retro laundrette-meets-tailor. Finishers could get their hard-earned patches stitched onto free hoodies or bags, creating personalised post-race keepsakes. The pop-up also featured washing machines filled with Gymshark gear (unlocked with special coins) and ‘Electro-Whites’ recovery drinks served in detergent-style cartons. The campaign embedded the brand in a meaningful post-race moment, strengthening brand loyalty and cementing Gymshark’s place in fitness culture.

100 Years McVitie’s

Taylor Herring

To mark 100 years of its famous Chocolate Digestive, McVitie’s revealed to the nation that people weren’t eating them in the way they were designed to be enjoyed. Shock horror, but the chocolate topping was actually meant to be the base, melting against the tongue on first contact to enhance the taste experience. The news sparked a wave of disbelief and a heated online debate.

DIY Packaging Taco Bell

The Or

Based on the trend of second-hand sellers using crisp packets, bin bags and cereal boxes to post items sold on Vinted and Depop, Taco Bell transformed its paper bags into ready-to-use packaging. The quirky solution was brought to life at a pop-up Taco Bell DIY postage station where sellers could bring their items to be bagged-up. A fun creative campaign tapping into sustainability and circular fashion – and a free taco.

Dr. Squatch

Sydney’s Bathwater Soap

Somehow this ended up being one of the least controversial things Sydney Sweeney was involved in this year and makes our list purely for Dr. Squatch having the relationship with the talent, or the agent (or merely the budget) to get it all approved and out there. The soap predictably went viral, the 5,000 ‘bathwater infused’ bars sold out in 8 seconds and if you really want one, you can pick one up on eBay for £188.

Pub Delivery Heineken

LePub

As frequent patron of the Twelve Pins we were very happy to see Heineken recognise its lucky properties and move it to Lisbon ahead of the Women’s Champions League Final between Arsenal and Barcelona. The look and feel of the final build doesn’t really capture the ambience of the real thing, but it obviously was very lucky as Arsenal went on to win the match. So thank you, Heineken.

F1 Cars LEGO

Given the amount of back-and-forth between F1, all the teams involved and all the drivers, there must have been a heinous amount of work behind the scenes to make this happen. And that’s before you even get to the 22,000 man hours needed to create the LEGO recreations of the cars. But happen it did. LEGO brought drivable replicas of all 10 team cars onto the grid at the Miami Grand Prix, delivering arguably the stunt of the year.

Flatpack Meatball Subs Subway

When IKEA came to Oxford Street, Subway responded with a cheeky campaign across the area promoting their Meatball Subs with visual reminiscent of the Swedish retailer’s manuals. Cute, reactive work.

Popeyes

Pope Yes

In house

Not a lot to say about this one. Just a super-smart piece of social copywriting that shows that the art of the welltimed post is far from dead.

Wedding Registry Tesco

A nice simple story here from Tesco, which spotted the trend for ever-escalating wedding registries and made itself an alternative based on the insight that couples increasingly want practical gifts. Maybe not quite as practical as the loo-roll bundle that was featured, but it’s a smart way to highlight a huge range of products the supermarket offers in one story.

Laws Under Attack Red Cross

TBWA/RAAD

In the middle of a warzone the Red Cross used the bombed-out shell of a hospital to remind the world about international law. The organisation printed the words of the Geneva Convention on a building in southern Lebanon as a stark reminder to us all.

Madame Tussauds Greggs

Here Be Dragons

National treasure Greggs partnered-up with Madame Tussauds to place the humble sausage roll in its hall of fame. Simple. Elegant. Highly effective.

Burnable Billboard British Skin Foundation

Wonderhood Studios

Sun safety messaging is usually quite dull and formulaic, relying on consumers to remember to reapply. The real danger – UV rays – is invisible, which breeds complacency. Understanding this, the British Skin Foundation created the world’s first ‘burnable’ billboard – a billboard showing someone’s skin printed with UVreactive ink. As the sun beat down, the image slowly changed from healthy skin to skin that was severely sunburnt and turned a simple awareness campaign into an incredibly visual, memorable warning in real time.

Mr. Worldwide Adapter Currys

In house

Someone has been clever and silly enough to see Mr. Worldwide and worldwide plug adaptors, and spot an opportunity. When it came to the execution, in true Currys style there’s relevance and the product is front-and-centre in a suuuuper creative way. It was also fully on-point for the Pitbull audience. Bald caps everywhere, full chaos, maximum energy. Even better was the absence of any formal partnership, it was executed pure guerilla style. Chapeau.

No Tent Left Behind Decathlon

The Academy

As festival season came around once more, outdoor retailer Decathlon brought back their tent pledge –a reminder to music fans to bring their tents back with the promise that they would refund the full price in a gift card if they were returned before the summer was out. All in a bid to reduce the number of abandoned tents at events.

Sabrina’s ‘Manchild’ Prada

In house

Prada tapped into Sabrina fever with a remarkable placement across the diminutive starlet’s promo video. It hit social media and got everyone talking. Expensive, but impressive nevertheless

CV Shirt Alia Guagni

During her last match for the club, Como FC defender Alia Guagni printed her CV on her match shirt to highlight the challenges that women footballers face when they leave the game – not well-off enough to retire but facing a tough time finding a new role beyond the game, having dedicated a lifetime to sport.

Emotional Baggage Tinder

A particularly daft campaign from the online dating app that offered to ditch ‘emotional baggage’ in its bin, helping those who may have suffered a split to move on and get back into the dating scene feeling a little lighter.

Lam(pH) Posts Tails.com

Tails.com installed lamp posts that told dog owners if their pup was ill. The story was based on the insight that millions of days are lost annually to people taking time off to care for their poorly pooches. Whether that maths adds up or the solution works is up for debate but we certainly take our hats off to the creativity that made this one of the year’s stronger canine stories.

Arch Nemesis Burger King

BBH

Burger King does love to rip into a McDonald’s activation. This was one of our favourites from 2025. Clever wordplay, simple, low budget, sharably effective trolling. Hungry, now…

It’s Who?

Block Report itsu went retro-social this year and signed up a roster of meme-able personalities to land its messages. In this case Ronnie Pickering turned up, as itsu deployed him to raise awareness of the brand amongst a new generation of Japanese food fans.

ID EA S

July - September

Astronomer

Temporary Spokesperson

Maximum Effort

Where to even start ... after the infamous kiss-cam gate, in which two of their top execs (who were married ... but not to each other) were caught embracing at a Coldplay concert, data company Astronomer absolutely slam-dunked the crisis response, hiring Chris Martin’s ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow to (kind of) answer the burning questions on everyone’s lips.

Peachy Den x ameliadimz Peachy Den

In house

The Gen-Z broadcaster at her peak met the Gen-Z cult brand of the moment. Amelia Dimoldenberg put together social media catnip content to launch the perfect zeitgeist-capturing capsule collection. Perfect match, perfect timing.

White Can Stella Artois

Couldn’t be simpler. Wimbledon’s dress rules for players state they must wear “almost entirely white” though “a single trim of colour around the neckline is acceptable”. So to insert themselves in a cultural moment usually reserved for Pimms or Champagne, Stella Artois transformed their can to fit match-appropriate dress. Bringing in David Bechham and Maria Sharapova to unveil it was classily done.

Motherf**king Wind Farms Vattenfall

NORD DDB Sweden

The collab no-one saw coming. Leading European energy company Vattenfall challenged the perception of wind farming with help from Samuel L. Jackson. He opens the film with “Motherf**king wind farms. Loud, ugly, harmful to nature ...” before eating a seaweed crisp, harvested from around of the aforementioned wind farms. The aim is to showcase a use for the tech beyond fossil-free energy (regenerating marine life and producing food). A brave move and a genuinely good watch.

Domidog Domino’s

One Green Bean

Someone had to get their hands on a Boston Dynamics robot dog and use it to deliver (or we suppose fetch) something. Domino’s was the first to activate, bringing seagull-proof deliveries to Brighton Beach. It remains unclear how the robot protects your pizza better than a human, and we enjoyed the fact that you’re left to be pecked to death post delivery. But nevertheless great to see the tech put to good (PR) use.

Guide Dogs

Remote Control Squirrels

72Point

As far as silly season stories go, this was a classic. Guide Dogs for the Blind using remote control squirrels to train pups was a sure-fire media hit.

Superman: The Shard DC Studios

Warner Bros.

We haven’t seen many blockbuster stunts this year, which is probably why this one stood out. Superman suspended from the top of the Shard was a media moment that everyone in the industry ooohed and aaaahhed at just a little bit. Old school tactics delivered with style and scale in equal measure.

Zlatan is Back EAFC

Uncommon

Zlatan was the unlikely hero of the EAFC 26 campaign after his public spat with the brand in times past. Harnessing the talkability of the rights dispute, EAFC re-shot a childhood photo of him staring at his idol Ronaldo, announcing ‘Zlatan is back’ and getting football fans and gamers hyped for the launch.

The Ethnicity Bill People Like Us

Worth Your While

July brought us an impactful campaign from People Like Us, which created visuals demonstrating the UK’s ‘Ethnicity Bill’ - around £3.2 billion by all accounts. A thought-provoking way to raise awareness of inequality across the nation as the group continues its campaign for ethnic pay gap reporting and greater levels of equality.

The Undropped Kit ASICS

We all know exercise is good for us, but 64% of UK girls will drop out of sport before they turn 16. One of the key reasons is unflattering, uncomfortable PE kits. ASICS came to the rescue by creating a new range of concept kits – designed with and for girls – to help them feel more comfortable and keep them playing.

LEGO x Time

Girls of the Year

Young women face an invisibility crisis, struggling to see themselves as ‘builders’ and often unaware of the female pioneers behind inventions like Wi-Fi and the moon landing. The LEGO Group saw this outdated societal stereotype as a limit on potential, so partnered with TIME to launch the inaugural ‘Girls of the Year’ list. The initiative highlighted ten extraordinary, young global leaders, aged 12 to 17, who are actively turning imagination into real-world impact and providing the next generation with the visible, unstoppable female role models they deserve.

Made to be enjoyed, not endured Bournville

VCCP

First-class social advertising content as the Bournville brand decided to go head-to-head with dark chocolate pretension. The copywriting is first class and the phrase “this one captures bitterness, astringency and resentment” has been living rent-free in our minds since it stopped our scroll.

Water Sommelier La Popote

In house

In a bid to stand-out in the ever-more-competitive world of fine dining, Macclesfield restaurant La Popote launched a ‘water sommelier’ to guide diners through the myriad options on its menu. Said menu comprises three still waters and four sparkling waters, ranging from £5 to £19. Cost of living crisis? What cost of living crisis?

Doja Cat’s Confectionery Cosmetics M.A.C

In house

When Doja Cat bit into her M.A.C Lady Danger on the VMAs red carpet the internet went into meltdown. As it turned out, the lippy in question was in fact a chocolate replica made by Amaury Guichon. However, that did nothing to diminish the hype created by the moment.

Tommy Hilfiger

KatFromFinance

In house

In a year that saw an insane number of fashion brands get together with unlikely content creators (we’re looking at you Burberry and Bus Aunty), Tommy Hilfiger teamed-up with KatFromFinance for a photoshoot that made social media fashionistas swoon.

Mer Organdonation

I’d Give my Kidney for a Ticket

NORD DDB

Way Out West tickets sold out quicker than ever before, leaving hordes of broken-hearted music fans screaming the age-old hyperbole: “I’d give my kidney for a ticket”. So Way Out West decided to call their bluff (well sort of). Facing a 30% decline in sign-ups to the donor registry, Way Out West partnered with Mer Organdonation and NORD DDB to release a limited number of tickets exclusively for people who signed up as donors. Not only did fans get their hands on the sought-after tickets, but by taking a figure of speech literally, the campaign forced the conversation about organ donation back onto people’s radars.

Mind the Grab Currys

Red Consultancy

A red-thread that connects Londoners at the moment?

The fear of getting your phone swiped. To combat this, Currys painted the town purple. In collaboration with the police and Westminster Council, it painted purple lines on Oxford Street to get shoppers to step back from the curb and keep their phones out of reach.

The Sweden Prescription Visit Sweden

Prime

Visit Sweden pulled off another epic travel stunt, declaring the entire country the world’s first travel destination you can get on prescription. The ‘Sweden Prescription’ campaign elbowed its way into the healthcare conversation, urging doctors to ditch the pills and literally prescribe a trip to cure stress and burnout. Backed by real research showing people are ready for nature prescriptions, the initiative elevates Sweden’s chilled-out lifestyle (lagom) from a cultural quirk to a medically-endorsed remedy.

Cap-Aldi Aldi

Taylor Herring

In a crossover powered by nothing more than a pun, Lewis Capaldi staged an unannounced rooftop gig at a Nottingham Aldi. The store rebranded itself in tribute, complete with a simple DIY cardboard sign reading “Cap-Aldi.” Fresh from his Glastonbury return and true to his chaotic charm and humour, the stunt left people genuinely unsure whether it was a planned brand partnership or simply something he did for a laugh.

UV Kit Swindon Town FC

Swindon Town FC created a tribute to manager Ian Holloway with a patch applied to training kits that changed colour when exposed to an excess of UV radiation from the sun. Holloway had a skin cancer scare and underwent surgery in May to remove a growth from his face which made it all-the-more fitting that this campaign came out as the 2025/26 season started.

Pint of View GUINNESS

Born Social

Proof that not everything that went viral in the world in 2025 was AI-generated content. In fact quite the opposite. Handing out beer mats with the iconic GUINNESS glass as a cut out was the perfect social media antidote to digital saturation and encouraged people to get physical as well as digital in their content sharing – promoting the brand as they did so.

Joe Wicks: Killer Bars Channel 4

4creative

Joe Wicks ‘launched’ the Killer brand – a product containing 96 artificial and potentially dangerous chemicals which could still be promoted as an ‘energy bar’. All part of a wider campaign to promote Channel 4’s investigation into UPFs in food, it caused intrigue and outrage in equal measure.

The Invisible Workout Quaker

The team behind this one recognised that fitness trackers don’t pick up movement and exercise undertaken during many childcare tasks. They called on manufacturers to better take account of these ‘invisible workout’ moments in recognition of the energy that parents put into their roles.

343 Paddy Power

Pitch

As much as we love a finely-crafted campaign that has been months in the planning, we also celebrate the quick wins. This was a classic Paddy Power move, trolling Manchester Utd’s Amorim with a bus and a cheeky spot of copywriting. As things turned out it was a prescient move.

Haring Cross Absolut

Pangolin

Another campaign that spotted the pun and made it real. London’s Charing Cross Station was given a makeover in honour of the vodka brand’s art partnership with Keith Haring. The result was obvious when you see it, but a brilliant creative leap to get to it in the first place.

Good Service On All Limes Lime

The Or More cunning wordplay as Lime went out with a responsive ‘ad’ – or mock-up, let’s be honest here shall we? – as thousands of Londoners took to two wheels during the Tube strikes. Stunning copywriting and a quick-witted piece of work that delighted workers across the capital.

Rightmove

The London Pear

In house

The viral ‘London Banana’ caused a stir amongst the capital’s property-obsessed populace. Rightmove retaliated with the London Pear – apparently a more accurate fruit-based depiction of the most desirable spots for wannabe homeowners.

Persil

Every Stain Should be Part of the Game

MullenLowe UK

Persil partnered-up with Arsenal FC Women to destigmatise period stains. The campaign pointed out that bloodstains from other parts of the body were a source of pride, whereas those from menstrual bleeding were a source of shame for many in sport. A bloody good piece of work.

ID EA S

Oasis

Aldeh Aldi

Taylor Herring

The Aldi local to Oasis’ homecoming gigs changed its name to Aldeh - in celebration of the band and the local dialect. So far so simple. But it gained unplannable organic momentum, with the outpouring of joy so strong that the sign was listed on Google maps as a cultural landmark, fans travelled from far and wide to take selfies, and a petition to keep it receiving support from the local MP and even Liam himself. Aldeh - it’s here to stay.

Lidl by Lidl Lidl

The Romans

Two days out from the reunion, Lidl created a limited edition parka-style jacket inspired by the band’s fashion, in (in)famous Lidl colours. Well designed, iconicly named, it features two built-in cooling lager pockets and a bottle-opener zip. Topped off with a 30ft mural to launch it, painted on a (wonder)wall outside the Etihad stadium and modelled by a Liam-alike. Every detail considered. A masterclass.

Keep Milk Fresh Fork Deliveroo

The Romans A classic IYKYK moment. Deliveroo took a viral Liam anecdote and brought it to life. For any fans buying milk via their grocery offer, a free fork inscribed with “keep it fresh”was delivered as a memento. Fun way to remind your customers you also sell grocery staples.

Liam Lasagne Asda

Smarts

A quirkier way to jump on the Oasis wagon. In homage to some of Oasis’ lesser celebrated lyrics (“If you could come to mine for tea, I’ll pick you up at half past three, we’ll have lasagne”) the supermarket created a 2ft wide lasagne adorned with Liam’s face. Despite the move being a bit of a slap in the face for Noel who actually wrote those lyrics, and it essentially just being a slightly large family lasagna, the move got people talking.

October - December

Petwear adidas

In house

The disappointment when the team found out this collection was a China exclusive was palpable. Firstclass artwork, three stripes fits and loveable pets. What’s not to love? The internet lost its mind when this dropped and who are we to blame them?

Nighthawks Gail’s

In house

A perfectly snapped shot went viral as a Gail’s store ended up looking precisely like Hopper’s Nighthawks. The brand snapped-up the pic and owned the trend just as the story tipped from social to editorial media. A fine example of reactive communications

Nike x Palace

Manor Place

In house

This was a community project to rival all community projects as Nike and Palace (mostly Nike we suspect) unveiled a dual-use football pitch and skatepark at Manor Place. No temporary pop-ups here, this was a genuine contribution to the area’s youth, offering a space to play that brought the passions of both brands’ audiences together under one roof.

CFO Jeep

High Dive

There is barely a marketer in the land who hasn’t come up with the ‘car-ma sutra’ pun at some point. Jeep went and bought the ‘and finally …’ idea from the pitch deck, enlisting Iliza Shlesinger as its CFO (family apparently) to pitch an idea in which the new Grand Wagoneer was positioned as “the best car to have sex in”.

Jacket Jacket Aldi

The idea was absurd. The launch creative was even more unhinged. Watch as the foil is unravelled to reveal Aldi’s winter warming Jacket Jacket. Social media fawned over the discounter’s latest innovation.

Stat Crosswalk Tuzla

Concept

To Istanbul, Turkey for this one. A local council created a zebra crossing (crosswalk if you prefer) illustrating the numbers of road deaths caused by people not using designated points to get across the street. Simple but effective.

Rugby Barbie Mattel

72andSunny

Hot off the studs of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, Mattel dropped a set of one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls celebrating four of the tournament’s biggest stars. From Ellie Kildunne’s nose piercing and curls to Ilona Maher’s signature red lipstick, the likenesses for each athlete’s doll were spot-on. The collection supported Mattel’s wider ‘Dream Gap’ mission to inspire young girls, as research found that one-in-three girls drop out of sports by age 14, with lack of visible role models and self-doubt the driving factors.

Olivia Colman Burberry

In house

It was very much Burberry’s year in social media (although there are still questions about whether it’ll translate to sales). That said, the creative team has done everything they can to help the luxury brand climb its way out of the red and the work with Olivia Coleman in traditionally British scenarios has been stand-out stuff across social channels this year.

The Big Knit Innocent

As a continuation of their ‘Big Knit’ campaign with Innocent, Age UK partnered with Gen Z favourite House of Sunny to launch a range of bespoke knits. The limited-edition collection features bright, playful designs in classic House of Sunny style. The assets are equally fun, featuring real Age UK knitters aged 69–85 modelling the collection alongside TV royalty, Prue Leith. The campaign was unexpected, eye-catching and helped capture the attention of a younger generation through a clever collaboration.

Mini Float Goldfish

Mischief @ No Fixed Address

PR has a tendency to make it massive. Snacking brand Goldfish went the other way and made it miniscule creating the smallest float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. A remote controlled truck pulled a 30 cm float through the streets of NYC and social media adored it.

fuckiwishidthoughtofthat

Scratch Card-igan National Lottery

Sometimes you’ve just got to go with the best pun that came out of the brainstorm and make that the campaign. The National Lottery made the world’s first (we predict only) card-igan with scratchable panels revealing the amounts wearers won. Fronted by Tom Daley, what’s not to fall in love with?

Pint Umbrellas GUINNESS

Born Social

GUINNESS continues its campaign to de-seasonalise its brand and ensure that, whether shine or (in this case) rain, it’s an iconic British drink. While the silliness may have divided opinions it certainly got people talking.

The Simpsons Greyhounds As Pets

Special

If you’ve got a pretty niche charity campaign to land then some borrowed interest and some top-class earned media is one route to global attention. Which is probably why The Simpsons’ ‘Santa’s little helper’ backing your campaign to rehome greyhounds as the sport is banned was always going to work.

Throat Scarves Ricola

Tombas Ricola, like so many brands, has released a fashion range. Unlike so many brands, their logo looks fantastic and the shoot was styled beautifully. But the most distinctive thing that makes Ricola, Ricola is the smell. And what elevates this even more is that they have infused the materials used with the scent allowing people to, as they said, ‘protect your throat in style’.

Grindr

I Wool Survive

People's Revolution

We loved this campaign from dating app Grindr which debuted a fashion collection made from wool fibres shawn from gay sheep. For those who don’t know (there was a Cannes-winning campaign around the product itself that preceded this piece of work), gay male sheep are normally destined to be put down, but one German farmer has given them homes and has created a profitable business making wool from their fleeces. The collab with Grindr could not have been more perfect.

The Big Christmas Shift Greene King

Grayling

The insight that there are groups of people in society who have to work over the festive season and so miss Christmas Day is as old as the hills. But no one has stepped in to activate around it better than Greene King which announced free meals ahead of the big day for those who would be missing out. Simple, elegant, heartwarming stuff.

Ukraine’s Air Raid Sirens Unicef Finland

United Imaginations

To highlight the circumstances that Ukrainians endure on a daily basis, the sound of air raid sirens from the besieged nation were played across the streets of Finnish capital Helsinki - all the more ominous given the European country’s proximity to Russia. A challenging but poignant reminder to those who sleep safely in their beds that just a few miles away there are people for whom such a thought is a longed-for luxury.

Is Iceland AI? Icelandair

Kubbco

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, they say. Just as everyone jumped headlong into AI-generated advertising, Iceland went the other way. The schtick was that their protagonist thought that Iceland itself was AI generated – such is its unworldly beauty. This content follows an attempt to debunk said individual of their conspiracy. All while showing off Iceland at its very best.

Licences up in Smoke Danish Road Safety Council

Worth Your While

The Danish Road Safety Council took creative measures to shift perceptions of drug driving among 17 to 24 year-olds (the group most often involved in cannabis-related accidents). By creating rolling papers that looked like Danish driver’s licences, the packs forced smokers to literally hold their licence in their hands while getting high, making them think twice before getting behind the wheel.

Italian Time San Pellegrino

Ogilvy

Stanley Tucci teamed-up with Diane Morgan in her role as Philomena Cunk to explore the notion of Italian Time. The social series was one of the funniest things we’ve seen from a brand this year and Tucci deadpans his way through it like an absolute pro. Sometimes ultra-funny, sharable content is enough.

Percy Jackson Billboard Disney+

NVE Experience Agency

Celebrating the release of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Disney+ unveiled an immersive OOH billboard and splash zone for unsuspecting passersby in Hollywood. From afar the billboard appears harmless, just a standard digital screen showing clips from the film. However it isn’t until the lights begin to flicker that it truly comes to life. Disney+ has shown us if you’re going to do a special build billboard, do it properly.

The Squawk Netflix

Firmative

Netflix left no stone unturned when it came to promoting the final Stranger Things season. They teamed up with Global to bring Hawkins fictional radio station, WSQK ‘The Squawk’ to life as a real broadcast. It wasn’t just a nostalgic Spotify playlist, it was full-scale audio worldbuilding. Amidst a soundtrack of the 80s, the station features its own hosts, retro branding, and hourly ‘Hawkins News’ headlines, alongside fake ads for local businesses and plenty of show Easter eggs. Fans went crazy for the escapism. And rightly so.

Expedition Impossible Columbia

adam&eveDDB

Columbia dared Flat Earthers to find the place no-one has been to before: the edge of the Earth. Promoting its rugged gear and adventurous spirit, the tongue-in-cheek invite challenges conspiracy theorists to take part in ‘Expedition Impossible’, with anyone succeeding getting all the company owns

Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter

Trashed Panda

In house

What do a ransacking raccoon and a savvy fundraising team have in common? They both know how to clean-up. Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter jumped on the viral bandwagon of Ashland Drunk Raccoon - the looting raccoon that made national headlines for its booze-fuelled liquor store rampage before passing out face down on the bathroom floor. Spotting a moment for some reactive fundraising, the charity dropped a limited run of ‘Trashed Panda’ merchandise. Proceeds went directly to the shelter, and in just a few days, they raised over $150,000.

Wonky Trees Tesco

Taking the wonky veg trend one step further, Tesco offered free ‘wonky trees’ in ten stores, thus reducing waste and allowing the trees to live up to their ‘festive potential’. Donations were taken for Fareshare and Trussell Trust, in their busiest month.

Marty Supreme x Esdeekid

In house

Leaning harder into a meme than Zoe from the Jet2 ads, Timothee Chalamet closed out the year with a final Marty Supreme-related flourish. For reasons unfathomable to this author social media was rife with speculation that the actor led a double life and was in fact also Liverpudlian rapper Esdeekid. To put an end to the rumour the pair created a collab video marketing the most-hyped movie of 2025. Fans of both the actor and the artist made this one of the internet’s most memorable moments.

A brief disclaimer

We have tried to credit all the work where we have been able to find details.

However, if there is something in here and you would like to claim credit for it, please let us know.

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