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MICHAEL’S OFF TO A FESTIVAL. We should specify, it’s the prestigious Drum Awards Festival, where this year Michael is a judge, sitting in the Agency Business Jury. He’ll be joining fellow industry experts in deciding which agencies have delivered the most impressive business growth, creative output, client impact, and culture this year across Advertising, B2B, Content, Design, Digital Experience, Experiential, Media, PR and Social. We trust he’ll help make sure the most successful agencies are successful.

We are excited to announce that our colleague Chris Graham FCIM has been shortlisted for the Industry Icon award at the Global Branded Residence Awards, a recognition for his lifelong commitment to branded residencies and work which has shaped the industry. You can show your support by voting for him here! https://tally.so/r/PdZYqB

'SHOES OFF PLEASE'. THOSE 3 HORRIFYING WORDS. Your heart drops. Is it too late to leg it? No. They’ve smelt your socks already. The shame consumes you… Or you applied Odor-Eaters earlier, and it’s not a big deal. Last month, we launched our OOH and social campaign for the UK’s number one foot odour fighters. It zeroes in on the liberating feeling that comes with having completely innocent-smelling feet. People can sniff all they like. But you’re safe. 'Nothing to smell here' 😎

REPENT YOUR SHINS. To celebrate Michael Carr, our wonderful CEO, turning 60, we decided to surprise him by disregarding his no-shorts policy and baring our shins all day. Luckily, he eventually recovered from the sight and we made it up to him with a Michael-themed party. It was a brilliant opportunity to celebrate him and everything he does for the agency. Between chasing leads, making the big decisions and handling the big numbers, he keeps our beautifully independent ship sailing. We appreciate ya, Cap’n. A VERY, VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

GOLD-SCHMOLD. Alright. Winning gold at Cannes is nothing to sniff at. But last week at The IPA’s Unsung Heroes of Cannes event we were reminded not all the best ideas come back with a Lion. The panellists took us through some campaigns that didn’t win, but were just as brilliant as those that did. FIRST UP. Rasmus Smith from Ace of Hearts discussed Marty Supreme’s ‘leaked’ internal PR call with Timothe Chalamet. Showing the star brainstorming the worst PR ideas for the film turned out to be the best PR idea. It was funny, self-aware and a brilliant example of how unpolished, guerilla marketing can reach further than your standard actor interviews. SECOND UP. Mark Elwood from Leo UK presented The Fountain of Filth, Channel 4's powerful activation for its documentary on UK water pollution. By combining a fountain, a traditionally beautiful sculpture, with people vomiting sewage, this special build created a striking juxtaposition that was impossible to ignore. Another unique piece of PR. LASTLY BUT NOT LEASTLY. Juliana Paracencio from Draga5 introduced Grindr’s ‘I Wool Survive’. They partnered with a wool farm that rescues gay rams from slaughter (yes, 1 in 12 rams are gay) to create a collection for ‘the gayest fashion show ever’. It affirmed that being gay is natural, not a choice, in an incredibly engaging and empowering way. Awards are nice. But not everything. If you make good work, you’ll be awarded in being remembered. Besides, trophies are heavy.

This week's Power Hour was an absolute treat. We had the pleasure of hearing from Paul Burke, whose career spans four novels, hundreds of ads, countless radio spots, and more radio awards than anyone else in the business, including three D&AD pencils and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio Academy. But what really stood out wasn't the list of achievements. It was Paul himself. For an hour, he had every single one of us completely hooked. The stories flowed effortlessly, whether he was talking about his fascinating route into radio, encounters with celebrities, navigating the layers of bureaucracy that seem to exist in every era of big advertising, or what actually makes a great radio ad. Most importantly, he reminded us that great advertising starts with a genuine interest in people. It sounds simple, but hearing it from someone who's spent a career mastering the craft made it hit differently. There was also a lot of laughter. And by a lot, we mean literally everyone in the room laughing throughout. Paul's storytelling, wit and delivery had us all wishing the session was longer. The hour flew by. There were plenty of insights to take away, but what we'll remember most is how engaging, entertaining and generous he was with his experiences. A huge thank you, Paul, for giving up your time to spend it with us. We loved every minute of it and could happily have listened for another hour.

THE MOST EXCITING COLLAB SINCE ROALD DAHL AND QUENTIN BLAKE. Or, at least, a collaboration we’re very excited about. We’ve been working on the launch of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. A destination that shares and celebrates original art and the artists that make it. Our media team rolled out a strategy that spans OOH, Meta, search and geo-targeted contextual display to get the word out and the visitors in. If you’re in Clerkenwell, it’s well worth a visit.

ONE SMALL STEP FOR A HIPPO SLIPPER — ONE GIANT LEAP FOR CARPET ADVERTISING.  This weekend, we launched our new TVC for Tapi carpets and floors and it's no exaggeration to describe ourselves as proud, beaming, giddy, drunk.. drunk? Yeah a little bit over the weekend actually. A huge, vast, bottomless pit of thanks goes out to everyone who helped make this happen: 👇 Our incredible, visionary, wonderfully collaborative clients at Tapi Carpets & Floors (Johanna Constantinou, James Stringer and William Barker.). The unassailable creative force majeure that is our director Florence Poppy Deary and Biscuit Filmworks. The world's single most tenacious producer, Jody Allison and the whole team at Heads Up Production. The best-of-the-best-of-the-best character animators Untold Studios., led by Ben Cronin. And of course, the amazing sounds of 750mph, as brought to life by the wonderful Jake Ashwell. You helped us put our best feet forward: all ten of them 👠 👠 HAVEN'T 👀 IT YET? Got feet haven't you? What are you waiting for?

THE DANCE OF THE DRY LIPS. Strange, isn’t it? The movements our lips make when they’re dry. It’s as if they’re trying to tell us something… Our OOH campaign for Blistex Inc. translates for them – turns out they want something that actually moisturises. Specifically, Blistex. Who knew?

YESTERDAY WAS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. Across the industry, powerful campaigns are shining a light on women’s health, equality and lived experiences. Here are three that caught our attention. Peanut x Tommee Tippee’s ‘Matrescence’ ‘Matrescence’ is the transition a woman’s brain goes through when she becomes a mother – it’s as significant as adolescence. And yet it’s not a ‘real word’ yet. Peanut and Tommee Tippee are campaigning for it to be added to the dictionary to spread awareness of the change so we can all support new mothers better. Check it out here:  https://lnkd.in/eZyF95tg https://lnkd.in/ekStMBuh Bodyform’s ‘Never Just a Period’ There’s a huge gap between what women+* are told to expect by healthcare professionals and their lived experiences. Debilitating pain is ‘just a period’. A coil insertion is ‘just a small pinch’. Bodyform does what they do best and shares these stories with a more appropriate level of drama: a hugely evocative ad, supported by a full orchestra to create a witty, touching and (crucially) engaging call for change. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/et7XNU2U Nike’s ‘Dream Crazier’ To become the best, you have to be passionate. Intense emotion in professional sports is to be expected. But there’s a double standard. If a male athlete shows anger, he’s angry. If a female athlete shows anger, she’s called ‘crazy’. Nike challenges this bias and celebrates all the times ‘being crazy’ has led to barriers being broken down by women. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/e7kvXTz *Women+ refers to women PLUS anyone who has a womb or menstruates, such as trans and non-binary people.