A new 1min 45sec film premiered to world leaders at the UN General Assembly this week as part of the annual SDG Moment which is held at the beginning of the High-level week and serves to place a spotlight on the Sustainable Development Goals. The film shows the 17 Goals, which world leaders promised to achieve by 2030, represented as giant sticky notes that lift from iconic locations around the world - eventually converging at the United Nations Secretariat itself as a powerful reminder of what still needs to happen.

Directed and produced by nineteentwenty, the new film features the song ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ - made famous by Bob Dylan and sung by up-and-coming artist Cloves - to underline the key message that the answers are not ‘blowing in the wind’, they are set out in the Global Goals and leaders at the UN General Assembly are the ones who can make them happen. For the premiere of the film the song was performed live in the GA Hall by Judith Hill.

Project Everyone is a not-for-profit promoting the UN’s 17 SDGs set-up by film writer, director and SDG advocate Richard Curtis.

This new campaign, which includes social, digital and OOH running in nine cities globally, builds on the ‘World’s To-Do List’ creative platform originally developed by Accenture Song’s UK team in September 2021 - which was launched in response to world leaders’ 2015 pledge to deliver on the Global Goals by 2030.

This year the campaign speaks directly to world leaders, holding them to account and ensuring the Global Goals are being addressed with urgency at a fragile time when progress on many has been reversed by COVID-19, and when the world faces a deepening cost-of-living crisis that could further undermine progress towards the SDGs.

Adam Kean, Executive Creative Director at Accenture Song, said: “The film beautifully dramatises a simple, but important message. That the answers to the world’s problems aren’t somewhere, out there in the world, waiting for someone else to find. We have the answers set out in the Global Goals- we simply must get the ‘World’s To-Do List’ done.”

Richard Curtis, co-founder of Project Everyone said: “It’s never been more crucial that world leaders and the world at large rallies behind the SDGs. They are the World’s To Do List – a blueprint for a better world - and it’s time they’re prioritised and leaders come together to get them done.”

As well as the hero film, Accenture Song has also created a version for the public with the broader role of raising the profile and importance of the Global Goals across the world and energising and motivating individuals to take action.

Cities across the world are also participating in the World’s To-Do List campaign, with physical and digital activations taking place in Barcarena, Bogota, Bristol, Cannes, Curitiba, Doha, Durban, Freetown, Liverpool, London, Londrina, Mexico City, Milan, New York and Yokohoma.

Kate Garvey, co-founder of Project Everyone said: “The World’s To Do List campaign has gone from strength to strength. It’s been brilliant to see so many mayors adopt it this year – we know that cities - hotbeds for innovation, education, and creativity – hold the keys to tackling the climate emergency and achieving the Goals.”

Partners have also rallied behind the campaign: Vice Media will donate digital space across their portfolio; in the UK Ocean Media and Open Media are gifting media space in support of the campaign. 

Monday 20th September: Karmarama, part of Accenture Interactive, has teamed up with Project Everyone, a not-for-profit promoting the Global Goals, devised by Richard Curtis, to unveil "The World's To-Do List", a campaign to inspire action to meet the UN's 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

The campaign enlists some of the world's biggest brands during Global Goals Week, an annual event to mark the anniversary of the Global Goals during the UN General Assembly, from 20-26 September.

The UN's 17 Global Goals aim to end poverty and inequality and solve the climate crisis by 2030. "The World's To-Do List" campaign urges world leaders to act now to achieve these Goals and gets the business world to put its considerable weight behind them.

The campaign reframes the 17 Goals as "The World's To-Do List" in order to remind people we have a blueprint for a better world. Each goal is hand-written on giant sticky notes placed in iconic locations across the globe and on billboards and projected onto buildings in major cities, from New York to Venice. The playful yet profound messages re-imagine the Goals as a series of short actionable 'to-do's', setting a clear reminder that we have the plan to fix the world's problems; we just need the action to get it done. The 17 ambitious tasks scrawled on the giant sticky notes include 1. End poverty, 2. End world hunger, 5. Achieve gender equality and 13. Tackle the climate crisis.

As part of the campaign, companies, known as the Global Goals Business Avengers, comprised of Arm, Avanti, Commvault, Diageo, DPDgroup, Google, Mars, NTT, Reckitt, Salesforce, SAP, Unilever and Wood (representing over 700,000 employees, with a combined social media reach of over 100m) become the champion of one of the 17 Global Goals. Each company is actively working to raise awareness of the Goals and take actions within their own organisations to help achieve them.

The Global Goals Business Avengers are sacrificing physical and digital space - their corporation's buildings, social media channels and websites - to 17 Global Goal sticky notes. Including sharing the actions they are taking which are contributing to the achievement of particular Goals whilst also stating what is on their 'To-Do List' for the near future.

For example, Unilever has committed to ensuring that everyone who directly provides goods and services to the company earns at least a living wage or income, by 2030, aimed at making progress towards Goal 10 - Reduced Inequalities. Google, meanwhile, recently launched its Impact Challenge for Women and Girls with a $25 million fund to create pathways for women and girls to thrive, aligned with Goal 5 - Gender Equality.

The campaign aims to inspire both business and world leaders to move from talking about doing good to taking real action.

The campaign will be launched with a film created by Karmarama, played at the Global Citizen Festival, a 24-hour live-streamed festival across six continents.

Giant sticky notes will also appear as a large-scale art project throughout India with the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, painting murals across villages in five states while working with local communities to educate and support the issues raised by the Goals.

The sticky notes will also appear on static and animated billboards worldwide and Instagram, Twitter, and brand website takeovers. Other activations include projections on buildings in the UK and DPD van takeovers.

The launch campaign runs from 20th – 26th September to coincide with Global Goals week, culminating in the Global Citizen Festival. There will be further activity during the COP26 global climate conference in November.

Richard Curtis, Writer, Director & UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, said:

“It’s been a tough year on so many fronts - but I’m still delighted and cheered every day by the passion and action of so many businesses in support of the Global Goals. It’s such an interesting time, as well, as consumers expect more of businesses and increasingly support those fighting for sustainability and as more and more employees expect their firms to reflect their ethics and priorities. The World’s To-Do List campaign, led by businesses, is a vivid reminder of what is needed, and how the Goals are a To-Do List we all must get done.”

Ben Bilboul, CEO, Karmarama and Managing Director at Accenture Interactive, said: "Time is running out. If we're going to hit the UN's Goals by 2030 we need to shift from talking to doing. And enlist business to help us get there. The world's To-Do list is a simple idea that everyone can get behind, and harnesses the power of business to help save the planet"

Adam Kean, Karmarama Creative Director said: “Important stuff that needs doing now? We write it on a sticky note. Well, it doesn’t get more urgent and important than the Global Goals. So we went big and unmissable. Let’s get The World’s To-Do List done.” 

Karmarama, part of Accenture Interactive today announces its latest recruitment campaign for Capita for the British Army entitled ‘A Soldier is a Soldier’. The campaign shows how in the Army, soldiers are defined by their skills, not gender, and demonstrates that the Army is an inclusive employer with equal pay according to rank, and equal expectations for all soldiers.

Through the campaign, the Army want to show its ongoing commitment to addressing its gender balance and demonstrate that it’s not purely a combat focused environment. In the Army, you’re not defined as by your gender but by the skills you bring and how well you do the job. This year, the Army is looking to encourage more women to apply to join them with female representation currently at 9.8% in the British Army and 14.2% in the Army Reserves.

‘A Soldier is a Soldier’ is an integrated campaign across cinema, video-on-demand, radio, and social media. The 60” film, narrated by serving female soldiers, opens with a soldier pondering the question “what’s it like being a female soldier?” with the narrator explaining “I wouldn’t know” because in the Army, a soldier is a soldier. The real female soldiers’ voices narrate striking visuals, opening with a wound held together with stitches that spell out “good for a woman”’ as the narrator explains that “no-one calls me ‘good for a woman’ when I’m the one stitching them up.” 

Addressing stereotypes head on, the advert then cuts to ridiculous concepts of female-adapted Army equipment such as “beach body rations” and a rifle with an “easy-pull trigger for smaller hands”, outlining how these would never exist in the Army, before the voiceover goes on to speak about how there are no male or female signs on toilet doors or teams of women in the Army.

Further adverts will run across social media and radio. The campaign was developed by Karmarama together with Capita for Capita and the British Army.

Major General Sharon Nesmith, General Officer Commanding Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command said: “The Army is incredibly proud of the progress that has been made towards gender equality. Huge changes have taken place over the last few years, and we want to continue to make positive changes to attract and retain the best talent regardless of gender. We hope that ‘A Solider is a Soldier’ challenges people’s perceptions of female soldiers and highlights the incredible work all of our soldiers do, in order to inspire potential new recruits to consider Army jobs.”

Siobhan Penrose, Head of Marketing for the British Army Recruiting Group, comments: “We’re proud to be launching a campaign with the Army that directly addresses our attitudes to diversity and inclusion. We hope to build on the success of previous campaigns and ultimately offer all soldiers a chance to reach their full potential through a great career in the British Army.”

Nik Studzinski, Chief Creative Officer at Karmarama said: ““Building on the foundations of our ‘This is Belonging’ campaign, ‘A soldier is a soldier’ further challenges perceptions some people may have of the Army. In this case, gender labelling. The most important thing in the Army is what kind of soldier you are. Not what gender you are. We’re proud to work with Capita and the British Army and driving further progress towards gender equality is something that’s really important to everyone at Karmarama.”

Support for ‘A Soldier is a Soldier’ also comes from a partnership with social media publisher, LADbible. The publishing group reaches two thirds of 18-34 year olds in the UK and half of their audience are female. LADbible Group also discovered that out of the first 100 images of soldiers on Google, 99% were male. Using these insights, they have created content featuring female soldiers sharing stories about their jobs and have ‘hacked’ google images to ensure more women are seen as soldiers when people search online. Their support will aim to redefine what it means to be a soldier amongst their young audience and drive a lasting impact on what young people see when considering the Army as a career.

‘A Soldier is a Soldier’ is the latest iteration in the long term ‘This is Belonging’ series, with this campaign showing how belonging means everyone’s’ potential and skills are spotted and valued.

A Soldier is a Soldier launches on 22nd July 2021. The Army is recruiting Regular & Reserves now.

Search Army Jobs or follow the hashtag #ASoldierIsASoldier. 

Building on the success of Lidl’s Christmas campaign last year Big On a Christmas you can believe in, this year’s advert uses an amusing parody in an animated world to support the same sentiment. The ad nods to the unbelievable and unrealistic nature of Christmas ads whilst interrupting these Christmas advertising tropes, and side-stepping them for great Lidl products, at great Lidl prices.

The campaign sits within Lidl’s ‘Big On’ creative framework launched last year with advertising agency Karmarama and looks to highlight the brand’s commitment to being ‘Big on’ quality and always ‘Lidl’ on price. 

Opening with a seemingly traditional scene in which the world is ‘hushed and white with snow’, the sweet toned vocalist questions whether a young girl and robin could be about to spark an unlikely friendship - before abruptly bringing viewers back to reality by reminding them it’s a Christmas ad from Lidl with its award products at low prices!

The ad continues in this theme by making playful references to ‘emotional gravy’ and moments designed to make viewers sad.  For those who take a closer look, Lidl takes one step further when the vocalist explains you ‘don’t need cutesy characters when carrots taste this good’ – before a carrot is unceremoniously poked with a fork. 

A whole host of delicious looking food and drink are shot as real film and contrast against the animated and unrealistic scenes the ad looks to parody. 

Delectable products featured in the ad range include Lidl’s Outstanding-rated Crémant de Loire, its award-winning Deluxe 24 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, and a full festive spread with a free-range British turkey. 

Product prices are put front and centre to demonstrate that if consumers can be assured of at least one thing this year, a Christmas of delicious food at amazing value needn’t be a thing of festive dreams but a reality, and all for a ‘Lidl price’.

Claire Farrant, Marketing Director at Lidl GB commented: “Traditional Christmas advertising campaigns follow a very traditional formula of fantastical situations, stories and food - all of which are perfect for disruption. This year, we’ve parodied these tropes to show that Lidl’s incredible quality and value can give customers a Christmas reality they really can believe in.”

Nik Studzinski, Chief Creative Officer at Karmarama, as part of Accenture Interactive commented: “At the end of a year that hasn’t given us too much to smile about, our Christmas campaign for Lidl makes a little bit of fun at the clichés of Christmas advertising. We don’t want any of your ‘emotional gravy’ thank you very much. Just give us a Christmas we can believe in.”

Reflecting the challenging realities some people face this Christmas, Lidl has also launched the ‘Teaming up to Tackle Hunger’ scheme – a retail first which allows customers to donate essential food items directly to their local community at the till, with the retailer matching every donation made.

The initiative forms part of Lidl’s ongoing partnership with Neighbourly, which has seen Lidl donate over 6 million meals to an existing network of 2,220 local charities.

As a brand with a proud Yorkshire heritage, Plusnet wanted to mark the little-known Yorkshire Day (Aug 1) with a campaign that would inspire the rest of the nation to enjoy occasion and think more Yorkshire when it comes to their spending.

Inspired by the famous Yorkshire eye for a bargain, we worked with one of the county’s favourite sons, legendary goalkeeper and master of saves David Seaman to share stories and savvy saving soundbites from his life in God’s Own Country.

The e-book will launch on Amazon ahead of Yorkshire Day and is illustrated with quirky images of David throughout the years with chapters including:

• The Savvy Speaker: How to talk your way to a good deal the friendly Yorkshire Way. As David says, “every ‘no’ is a step further towards a ‘yes’”
• Bagging a Bargain: David’s ultimate tips for shopping around, comparing prices, and never paying more than you have to
• Knowing Your Worth: How repeat custom and loyalty equals friendly freebies – from getting to know your butcher to out-dealing a dealer
• Turning Pennies to Pounds: How David’s Yorkshire upbringing helps him make every day small savings and turn pennies into pounds (did you know you can get two brews from a teabag?)

Jamie Mancini, Creative Director at Karmarama said: “Yorkshire Day comes but once a year and we wanted the nation to think a bit more Yorkshire when it comes to spotting value. This partnership with David produced a real page turner for savvy savers. We’re certain this will be a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.”

Sam Calvert, Marketing Director at Plusnet said: “Being from Yorkshire, we're obsessed with giving our customers the best value – and what better day to celebrate this money-saving attitude than on Yorkshire Day, with one of Yorkshire’s most famous savers. We hope people can be inspired by David’s tips and use them to bag a bargain the Yorkshire Way.”

The series launches following new research that reveals that whilst 89% of Gen-Z believe self-confidence is important to achieving success in life, 80% admit it’s hard to find in today’s society. A continuation of the ‘This is Belonging’ campaign, the podcast explores why real confidence is so hard to find for many people today, whether as a result of imposter syndrome or body dysmorphia and aims to encourage and empower listeners through the stories and experiences of the famous names taking part along with the soldiers.

Hosted by Metro journalist and broadcaster Natalie Morris, the episodes see Laura Whitmore discussing her struggles with body confidence with serving soldier Ella who boxes in the Army, footballer turned pundit Jermaine Jenas addressing how he’s dealt with imposter syndrome on and off the pitch with Connor, an openly gay musician in the Army, and body positivity influencer Chessie King and Kirsty exploring how using social media can actually have a negative impact on confidence.

“The podcast series is about commonality.” Said Nik Studzinski, Chief Creative Officer at Karmarama, part of Accenture Interactive. “We wanted to create an open dialogue between civilians and soldiers, showing that even though their lifestyles may seem drastically different there is shared ground. Everyone has struggles with confidence - it doesn’t matter if your job is in the infantry or as an influencer.”

Siobhan Penrose, Head of Marketing, Recruiting Group, comments: “It has been amazing to hear such inspiring and relatable stories from people you wouldn’t usually expect have to deal with issues around confidence and mental resilience. The podcast has really shown how universal these issues are but with the positive influence of those around you, how it’s possible to overcome them. Within the British Army, personal pride and confidence is one of the most rewarding attributes we see from our recruits as they embark on their journey with us and it’s clear to see the impact this has during and beyond their time rising through the ranks.”

The Locker can be found on all major podcast directories from 3rd August, including Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts, with new episodes out every fortnight. Head to apply.army.mod.uk/thelocker to find out more.

The one-day event will bring together 16 – 18-year olds from across the UK who want to make the world better and give them a full day of hands-on learning with some of the industry’s most progressive innovators.

Taking place on Saturday 30^th May, the ‘create-a-thon’ will partner eight teams of participants with their own digital mentor who’ll help each group identify a social issue or problem they care about and use skills such as AI and coding to show how technology could help solve it.

Mentors include creative coder Rifke Sadleir, founder of A Vibe Called Tech Charlene Prempeh and creative technologist Jazmin Morris, who champions digital collaboration and emerging technologies.

The event forms part of Karmarama’s CTRL Your Future diversity campaign for the IoC, a series of collaborations with role models and initiatives working to make the digital sector more inclusive, with the aim to inspire a more diverse mix of young people into digital careers via higher education.

Sisterhood is one of the 22 groups and individuals that the IoC have teamed up with for the campaign. They deliver creative programmes that instil confidence and self-esteem in young girls in the hope they go on to become the leaders, creators and changemakers of the future. 

“The CTRL Your Future campaign is about encouraging and inviting the younger generation to take control and move into new spaces.” said Jamie Mancini, creative director at Karmarama, part of Accenture Interactive. 

“Inspiring change with Gen Z has to come from the people who they can relate to and admire which is why our collaboration with Sisterhood is so important. They’ve got full creative control, collaborating with digital mentors at the event to tackle the issues that matter. It’s our job to support these voices and give them a platform to amplify their important opinions and spark the change.”

Rachid Hourizi, director at the Institute of Coding, said: “This digital ‘create-a-thon’ will provide an exciting opportunity to explore how technology could make positive change in the world. We want to inspire diverse young innovators to start their digital skills journeys through higher education and discover how digital can help them achieve their ambitions.”

The Do Good with Digital workshop runs alongside the IoC’s existing suite of over 60 online courses, providing an easy-to-access route for people to develop and learn new digital skills from their own home during lockdown and beyond. To find out more about the IoC’s other courses, visit their course catalogue.

Recent changes to ways of working and the quick shift to a working at home model have opened up the possibilities for those looking at careers in what has historically been a London-centric market. Now, with just a laptop and a couple of apps it’s possible to become quickly immersed in the day to day working environment of a creative agency and get access to the teams and support networks to develop.

For Karmarama, this is an exciting new venture to help the agency find untapped talent nationally. Luke Prebble, head of Employee Experience at Karmarama, commented:

“Arguably the most obvious barrier when we think about accessibility for entry level recruitment is proximity to London. Internships and work placements, as they currently exist, give priority to a very small demographic of talent in the UK and is a contributing factor to the ongoing lack of diverse representation inside our organisations.

“Operating successfully as a fully dispersed workforce over the last couple of months has proven to us that proximity is a barrier that need not exist. We hope our innovative virtual scheme will go some way to popping the ‘London bubble' and opening new career opportunities to a more diverse audience than ever before.”

The programme will run for four weeks initially and provide a mix of educational sessions and insights into the industry, as well as daily project work with current clients and within a team structure. Information on how to apply will be available at Karmarama.com from 1^st June. 

Katie Hunter, head of social & influencer at Karmarama added: “The range of work and disciplines within the agency is expanding all the time. This is a brilliant way for us to open up the opportunities to a broader audience, make careers in the creative industry even more accessible and – selfishly – benefit from all the amazing talent out there!”

first direct bank is going big with its latest brand awareness campaign, settingout its unique positionas a brilliant, modern digital bank, with amazing people available 24/7 to help with all the bigger stuff.

The 28-year old brand is Britain’s most recommended bank and continues to hoover up awards for customer service across all industries and sectors. The multi-channel campaign has been created specifically with The Karma Group, part of Accenture Interactive, and we are social to build brand awareness and grow market share, as well as to give existing customers reasons to believe.

The campaign will cover off a wide range of proof points, ranging from Touch ID and Voice ID, to mortgages, and from the £100 switching incentive, to the bank’s 5 star rated mobile app. It launches today (Friday 1 September) with a new TV ad supported with tactical outdoor and tube station placements, together with a whole range of digital and co-created social activity.

Zoe Burns-Shore, Head of Brand and Marketing at first direct, said: “We’ve always attracted entrepreneurially-minded customers, living unscripted lives, and we know most people want a simple, high-tech banking experience, but also value and trust the human side of banking. Our aim is to show first direct is the bank that caters to all these needs and is committed to adding value.

“The creative direction of the campaign is to createa depth of engagement around people being more adventurous, encouraging them to release their ambitions and throw off the societal pressure to do things ‘by the book’. It’s not about telling people how to live, it’s about encouraging them to take those ‘first steps’, providing perspective in a relatable way rather than telling them the destination.”

The pair will be joining as Executive Experience Directors working alongside Studzinski on creative output, as well as leading the Experience Design unit within Karmarama’s team focussed on mobile-first digital products.

The pair have worked globally across three continents for an array of clients, including Sony Playstation, Coca Cola and Carphone Warehouse. They have won numerous awards for UX and design, including winning a BIMA award for reinventing the TV experience in both the physical and digital world of Sky Q, a Yahoo! Revolution Award for their work with BT.com and Tradespace, and a Webby for transforming how customers plan, book and travel with TFL. The Brothers both graduated from Brunel University, where they now act as advisors helping to engage with and mentor the next generation of digital designers.

Nik Studzinski, CCO at Karmarama, said “Every interaction between a brand and their consumer should be fluid and connected. At Karmarama, our 300-strong staff work collaboratively to produce versatile, progressive ideas that can work across any medium from brand advertising to app builds, or from PR to CRM. Gurmit and Amardeep are bringing invaluable UX skills that can further strengthen how we translate our creative work across all disciplines, I’m delighted to welcome them to the team.” 

James Corden returns to our screens this Boxing Day in the latest Confused.com TV advert, as the brand looks to accelerate growth in 2017.

The second in the series of driver-focused TV adverts for the site which is no.1 for car savings sees Corden behind the wheel once again, landing another driver win with a perfect park.

Building on the success of the first ad launched in summer 2016 - which saw Corden enjoying a miraculous run of luck as every set of traffic lights turned green as he drove through London - the latest offering has relocated to the bright lights of Hollywood.

Still celebrating the driver wins that Confused.com is now synonymous with, Corden – again joined by a companion – navigates hilarious obstacles and LA traffic to successfully complete a notoriously difficult parallel park outside a hip Hollywood eatery.

The new advert comes as Confused.com has been unveiled as the no.1 site for car savings, providing more opportunities for drivers to save money than any other website.

The brand has extended its already comprehensive range of motoring products. It now covers the widest range of money-saving offerings, including MOT & service comparison, car buying and selling, tyre comparison, and both petrol and parking price comparison tools.

In addition to the launch of its new advertising campaign starring Corden, a fully-integrated marketing campaign and a number of national media partnerships have also been secured. These include sponsorship of Drivetime across the Heart network, and a weekly column in the Sunday Times motoring supplement.

Commenting on the new advert and company direction, Paul Troy, CMO of Confused.com said:

“It’s great to end the year on a high by moving into pole position in terms of leading the category for car savings. Confused.com is now no.1 for car savings, providing more opportunities for drivers to save than any other site, which is exactly where we wanted to be. This latest ad is bigger and better than the first, and demonstrates how Confused.com is moving up a gear when it comes to driver wins and providing car savings to millions of customers.”

Nik Studzinski, chief creative officer at Karmarama added:

“We couldn’t be more delighted with our new advert for Confused.com, which sees James Corden secure yet another driver win – this time with the perfect park. It follows the first in the series, which worked incredibly well to establish the business as the ultimate destination for drivers.  We’re confident that this next phase will not only consolidate, but build on the success of the first.”

The campaign, launching on 12th November, demonstrates how the app allows children to discover and explore new games with familiar faces from their favourite shows

The series of TV trails, set to the soundtrack ‘Beyond The Sea’ by Bobby Darin, and directed by Eliot Dear, director of ‘The Bear and The Hare’, combine different animatic textures and filmic styles, such as animation, live action and model making.

The trails illustrate children journeying to an exotic faraway island of the imagination and features characters from CBeebies programmes: Peter Rabbit, The Furchester Hotel, Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures and Topsy and Tim who are now included in games on the app.

Nik Studzinski, CCO at Karmarama says “The CBeebies Playtime Island app is one that was co-created by children and has creativity and play at its heart. This campaign captures a visual snapshot of a child’s imagination, with the help of iconic children’s characters. We’re proud of the craft that has gone into the work as we’ve created something that will ignite the curiosity of both children and parents, encouraging them to bring the brand to life wherever you are, on the new Playtime Island app” 

The creative tells the journey of a young dairy cow farmer as he cycles through a rainy village in Ireland on his way to work. The rain is torrential, but our protagonist greets the rain with glee, savours the soaking of a passing car splash, and delights throughout the deluge. On his winding journey we see that everybody in the town acts the same way, absolutely overjoyed by the rain. The farmer passes a family enjoying a soggy picnic, three old men reading a drenched paper, and a just-married couple, beaming on their exit from church in a downpour. And the reason that the people in this damp Irish village are so happy? Because they know that that the wetter the weather, the greener the grass, the happier the cows, and the better the butter.

The ad was directed by The Bobbsey Twins, who have worked on brands such as Virgin Atlantic and McVitie’s, recently winning a Cannes Lion for their work for Halfords.

Mike Harper, Director of Marketing at Ornua Foods said “It was very important to us to produce a campaign that remained true to the Kerrygold brand and its Irish roots. Karmarama really understood this, and wove this into the strategy from the get-go.”

Nik Studzinski, CCO at Karmarama says “Putting a product truth at the centre, gives the work an authentic nature that is impossible to manufacture, proving that Kerrygold should be the only butter in the family fridge.” 

The campaign comprises of multiple creative variants aimed to leverage the various formats in which online ads are now served. Brand front man ‘Plusnet Joe’ pokes fun at the situations we often find ourselves in when faced with ‘yet another ad’ by cutting through to the unassuming viewer and making light of the situation.

The skippable formats aim to encourage viewers to stick around a bit longer rather than just hitting the skip button as soon as it’s presented, whilst the forced executions acknowledge the truth that they’ll be intruding on the viewers own time for the next 30 seconds and there’s not much the viewer or Joe can really do about it.

Some even go as far as apologising for the interruption, with one ad starting with Joe saying, “If you’re after a great deal on broadband, Plusnet can help you out”, …”If not then I’m very sorry, someone somewhere has messed up…You see, you’re only supposed to see this ad if you’re interested in Unlimited broadband. And if you’re not, well, something has gone badly wrong.” Before shouting off screen to those presumably responsible for the poorly targeted interruption, “Darren! You’ve got bad data!”

The online activity will be running from August, whilst Plusnet Joe continues to be present across all of Plusnet’s direct response marketing channels.

The new creative joiners include Imogen Jones and James Rooke, a creative team from McCann. Jones and Rooke were previously Creative Leads at McCann working on Subway, Premier Foods, and MasterCard. They most recently made Joey Essex the face of Batchelors Cup a Soup.

Creatives Meigan Brown and Tobias Owen join Karmarama from Antidote London where they have been working for the past two years on brands including Travel Republic, Blinkbox and Team Sky.

Creative team Duke Safo and Mads Nielsen join Karamarama from Grey London. They received a Cream award for having one of the top 20 emerging portfolios worldwide and did placements at Saatchi & Saatchi and Wieden & Kennedy, where they created the “Rumour Crunch” campaign for the Three network.

The teams will report into Karmarama’s Chief Creative Officer Nik Studzinski and will work across a wide range of clients.

Karmarama’s new Deputy Executive Creative Director Dickie Connell joined the agency five years ago from VCCP where he was one half of the team that created the “CompareTheMeerkat” campaign. Since joining Karmarama he has been responsible for work including the Plusnet ‘We’ll do you proud’ advertising and the Pilgrim’s Choice ‘Choose a Choon’ multi-channel campaign.

Connell will now be Deputy Executive Creative Director on brands including Plusnet and Just Eat. He will work alongside Executive Creative Director Adam Kean and report into Nik Studzinski.

Nik Studzinski said: “We are continuing to grow our creative strength at Karmarama with external hires and an internal promotion. We're lucky to have three brilliant new creative teams joining us and I’m absolutely delighted to be bringing some of our existing talent to the fore by promoting Dickie Connell to Deputy ECD.” 

James Corden unveiled as the new face of TV ad.

Confused.com, the first car insurance comparison site, will once again lead the industry as it announces plans to be a one-stop, money-saving shop for Britain’s 45.5 million motorists.[1]

The company has taken the category to the next level by specialising in car savings – simplifying its proposition by focusing solely on drivers, to champion consumer rights and road safety. 

With an estimated combined revenue of £800m,[2] the price comparison sector is one of the UK’s biggest advertisers, with a 12% increase in ad spend to £120m in 2015.[3]  A marketing war has led to diversification of products among the industry, including telecoms and energy savings. However, with over two thirds of consumers now researching an insurance product using a price comparison site, the sector faces a major challenge as consumers struggle to differentiate between them. 

To mark its brand new focus on drivers, Confused.com has called upon James Corden to steer the way forward in their latest TV ad, to be aired on 3rd August.

The new campaign, created by advertising agency Karmarama, sees the British actor enjoy a miraculous run of luck, with every set of traffic lights turning green. Through this appreciation of the uncelebrated wins of driving, Confused.com is setting its stall out to be the ultimate destination for every driver looking for a win on all aspects of buying, selling and running a car. 

Since taking America by storm as the new host of CBS’s The Late Late Show in March 2015, Corden has become the most famous driver in the world, with a staggering 1.5 billion views on YouTube.
And now he will help Confused.com overtake their rivals to become the UK's leading car savings site.

In addition to the launch of Confused.com’s new ad, a fully-integrated marketing campaign and a number of national media partnerships will be announced in August – including sponsorship of Drivetime across the Heart network.  It has also launched a new range of motoring products covering MOT & service comparison, car buying and selling.

The ‘driver wins’ campaign championing the motorist is being spearheaded by recently-appointed CMO Paul Troy.  In December 2015, Troy was brought in “to disrupt the market”, and today unveils the company’s new ad and market position.

Commenting on the campaign, Paul Troy, CMO of Confused.com said:

“It’s time to lead the insurance price comparison industry again by championing drivers and creating wins for them with more car savings than anyone else. As the first price comparison website, Confused.com revolutionised the way we search for the best deal. This has saved Brits hundreds of millions of pounds over the years.

“Drivers need better products and savings from the insurance industry, and we will be championing consumer rights and savings for our customers.  

“We’ve decided to move away from gimmicks and go back to our roots, providing car savings to our millions of customers”.

Nik Studzinski, chief creative officer at Karmarama said: 

“We’re really excited to launch this new campaign for Confused.com. It marks a big shift, strategically and creatively, from where the business has been before. And in this incredibly competitive category, you need a creative idea with real substance to separate yourself from the rest of the pack. We have that, as well as one of the biggest stars of the moment – James Corden.” 

[1] As of 30 September 2014, there were 45.5 million active driving records in GB. Source: DVLA

[2] Peel Hunt figures. 20 July 2016. Source: Investor Chronicle.

[3] June 13, 2016 Source: FT.com.

The team have worked with hydrodynamics and fluid mechanics specialists and professors at universities including Birmingham University and Imperial College to develop the glassware prototypes. The final developed glassware is now in production for release this summer. The glass has a unique channel in the interior facia allowing the liquid to flow smoothly around the glass to the base, creating a whirlpool effect, releasing flavour and aroma and creating the perfect head, all in order to bring to life the beer’s ‘impossibly smooth’ positioning.

Digital OOH and press ads demonstrate the real pour in action and headlines, which talk about the breakthrough for consumers in a lighthearted way “The biggest innovation in pouring since gravity” and “Built by thirsty boffins”.

Alison Pickering, Brand Director Portfolio at Molson Coors, said: “It’s been great to work with Karmarama on such an exciting innovation. The glassware we think is industry-defining, will help create reappraisal of Cobra, adding visual drama at the bar, and ensuring the best possible pint. This is turn should help with our crucial distribution push to list Cobra in the On Trade as we expand into more bars.”

Dickie Connell, Creative Director at Karmarama, added “We’re proud that this innovation is helping Cobra ‘crack the on-trade’. It’s a great opportunity to have further fun with our Live Smooth creative platform and demonstrate its breadth.

brand which breaks all the conventional rules – is launching with a high

profile integrated brand campaign.

The launch campaign for the new digital banking service, created by lead

creative agency Karmarama, includes TV, direct response, content, online,

digital, CRM & DM, PR, staff engagement and social. The 60-second TV

execution directed by Chris Palmer, launches this week across national TV.

Global brand consultancy The Partners developed the brand, name and visual

identity for B. Karmarama provided strategic input, supported by its sister

agency Nice, who developed the app demo, with Deloitte Digital building the

app itself.

The revolutionary new service, launched by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank,

which feels more like a lifestyle app than a banking app, uses AI to analyse

spending habits to deliver tailored financial insights. Greater control,

transparency and insights on spending and saving allow customers freedom

from money worries and free to be all they can be. The name ‘B’ plays on the

concept of freedom – to ‘be’ – capturing the essence of the service as a tool

for being in control of your money, being pioneering, being creative and being

inspirational.

Karmarama has also created explanatory demo content on the site and data-

driven content, which has been created and served to different segments, to

identify moments at which customers are making large financial decisions

such as planning a wedding.

Helen Page, Propositions and Marketing Director, at Clydesdale and

Yorkshire Bank, said: "We wanted our new banking service to be built around

customers, to help them enjoy their money and feel more in control of their lives.

Karmarama and The Partners have been a core part of our team, developing the

strategy, purpose and positioning for our new brand. The big idea for the

communications, created by Karmarama, has allowed us to build a truly integrated

multi-channel launch campaign; whilst The Partners did an excellent job in helping us

to create an approachable brand identity that puts the user at the very heart of the

experience."

James Denton-Clark, Managing Director at Karmarama added: “Being part of

the launch of a new banking brand has been incredibly exciting. We share a

vision with our clients at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank to solve real

problems using cutting edge creativity and technology as well as good old

fashioned gusto”.

Dave Roberts, Executive Brand Director at The Partners said: “We are

delighted to have partnered with the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank to create

the brand for this new personalised way of banking. In a world where

confidence in banks is decreasing it is crucial to put the customer in the front

seat and give them the tools necessary to feel they are in control of their own

finances - and that’s exactly what B does.” 

The Reserve work includes an online film directed by Peter King of Outsider, supported by national radio, VOD, digital display and data-driven eCRM & social content.

Building on the success of this year’s Regulars recruitment campaign, which crucially did not depict serving soldiers, combat or weaponry, the Reserves activity features authentic conversations in civvy street environments.

Targeting apathy and misconceptions around the commitment needed to become a Reservist, the film execution powerfully highlights the way in which the Army helps you become a better you, whilst maintaining a full-time job. It seeks to tackle barriers head on by challenging the audience with “who’s got time for that?” and helps broaden consideration of the forces to a wider group.

Karmarama won the business in December 2015. The bold’ ‘Become a Better You’ campaign to recruit Regulars from earlier this year has drove a 10% uplift in website views and positive brand tracking across all key audiences. 

UK’s new Channel 4 film network sponsorship. The win follows a

competitive pitch.

The Channel 4 film sponsorship is the biggest in the market, and

includes all films across Film4, More4 and e4. The two-year

sponsorship deal begins next month, with Karmarama’s new

creative campaign going live in early summer.

The sponsorship package sees Honda return to Channel 4, having

previously sponsored documentaries on 4 from 2010 to 2013. The

new work will be an expansion of Karmarama’s existing remit on

the roster as lead UK creative agency.

The new idents will see Honda bringing to life its diverse product

range, positioning themselves as an innovator, as well as

challenging people’s perceptions of the brand.

Honda is Karmarama’s longest standing client of 12 years with an

integrated remit across the UK covering CRM, Product & Tactical

advertising, Digital, Online Content and now TV.

Paul Runza, Honda (Manager - Marketing Communications) said:

“What really impressed us about Karmarama’s response was the

way they seamlessly linked the brand truth of being a progressive

and innovative organisation to the subject of film. We are really

excited about seeing the creative come to life on TV screens in the

summer.”

Nik Studzinski, Karmarama Chief Creative Officer said: “This is a

brilliant example of our breadth of skills at Karmarama, as well as

great testament to our relationship with Honda, to be given an

even wider remit and on such a high profile sponsorship deal.” 

young people, the British Army has launched a new campaign to attract Generation Z by

showing them how they can grow and become better versions of themselves with an Army

career.

The sociological make-up of Generation Z, captured in a new survey commissioned by the

Army of 2,000 16-24 year olds, suggests they are altruistic, driven, open-minded and long to

stand on their own two feet1. The Army is seeking to grab their attention by telling them:

‘Don’t join the Army, don’t become a better you’.

Born into a world where social unrest, economic difficulties, and terrorism are reaching wider

across the globe, Generation Z fear they face a more uncertain future than their parents and

as such will have to work harder in life to achieve their goals (90 per cent). Despite this

uncertainty they are optimistic and ambitious, with nearly half (49 per cent) wanting to

become better versions of themselves and three in four (73 per cent) feeling confident they

will meet their full potential and succeed in life.

They take their inspiration from female figures such as Malala Yousafzai and Michelle

Obama (33 per cent), compared with just one in 10 of today’s young people who say they

are inspired and motivated by the country’s political leaders.

The Army has been recruiting against a competitive jobs market and record low

unemployment rates, and is now hoping to broaden consideration of the force as a career to

a wider group of 16-24 year olds, by hooking into Generation Z’s emotional drive and

aspirational desire to grow and do something that matters in their lives.

General Chris Tickell, General Officer Commanding, Army Recruiting and Training

Division, said:

“The Army should be one of the top career choices for 16-24 year olds wanting to better

themselves, make their family proud, and do something that matters. Too many people in

this age bracket may have no idea that the Army is recruiting and those that do may not

consider it as a career because of false stereotypes and misperceptions: from thinking there

are no roles other than infantry and combat, to believing the Army is not for people like them.

“We want young people to understand the Army is much more than just combat. Currently

UK armed forces are deployed in more than 80 countries across the world, conducting a

range of activity and the Army has done some really positive work assisting with

humanitarian efforts, such as in Sierra Leone combating the Ebola crisis, and UN

peacekeeping missions in Cyprus.

“That’s why we have deliberately designed a bold, new recruitment campaign that uses

reverse psychology and a thought-provoking approach. It will encourage young people and

those who influence them to notice the Army, and start having open conversations with real

soldiers and their friends and relatives. They can discuss any reservations they may have

about joining head on and take the opportunity to consider how much the Army has to offer

them and whether it is the right career for them.”

The survey went on to reveal that three quarters of young people think the Army is a

necessary and positive part of British society. However, when questioned about the 200

different job roles on offer in the Army, the majority did not realise these roles were available.

The majority are not aware of the significant job opportunities in the Army with roles such as

painters, musicians, lawyers, carpenters, chaplins, teachers, HR specialists, personal

trainers, vets, metalsmiths or dog handlers2.

With increased investment in defensive and offensive cyber capabilities confirmed by the

Government, the Army offers young people the opportunity pursue specialist technical roles,

from apprenticeships in aeronautical engineering to becoming a geo-technician, the Army’s

experts in mapping and risk.

The Army’s new recruitment campaign - A Better You - focuses heavily on existing soldiers’

real experiences and journeys of personal growth in the Army, which have been captured in

a new survey among serving soldiers. Soldiers said:

 The Army has helped them to: learn new skills (70 per cent), become more confident

(65 per cent), gain new qualifications (59 per cent), be independent (55 per cent) and

become better at communicating with people (55 per cent).

 Soldiers’ top three reasons for joining were to travel the world (69 per cent), to have

an exciting job (53 per cent), to learn new skills (51 per cent) and to serve their

country (50 per cent.)

 Half of soldiers said their parents initially were not supportive of their decision to join,

while one in four said their friends didn’t want them to join. Yet, since joining, the

majority said these opinions had been changed.

 When asked why Generation Z should join the Army, soldiers listed the following

main reasons: job security (55 per cent), to make something of your lives (49 per

cent), for a chance to be a better you (41 per cent) for the pride of serving your

country (39 per cent).

Real soldiers will be hosting engagement events in cities across the UK during January and

February to meet with members of the public and share their own stories of personal growth

in the Army.

One such soldier, Gunner Tennessee Ross, is a 23-year-old former hairdresser from

Ashford in Kent.

Now serving with A Battery (the Chestnut Troop), Royal Horse Artillery, Gunner Ross said: “I

had nothing going for me before I joined – no self-confidence and no pride, and I didn’t know

what I was doing.

“Getting through basic training was the biggest achievement of my life, and now I’m always

trying to be a better me. I never thought I’d manage people, or make my parents proud of

me, or even overcome my fear of heights, but the Army has helped me do all that.

“A lot of my friends said I shouldn’t join. All I tell them now is: I told you so.”

The first phase of the ‘A Better You’ campaign launches today. It is digitally led and will be

supported by radio and out of home advertising, with the aim of reaching the Army’s core

recruitment audience of 16 to 24 year olds. It will be supported by a new nationwide TV

advert later this month, which is intended to also appeal to 16-24 year olds, and their

influencers, particularly parents.

All advertising will drive people to a new campaign hub on the Army jobs website and will run

until the end of February. Further bursts of the campaign are planned for later in 2016.

For more information about a career as an Army Soldier search Army Jobs.

Did you know, as an Army Soldier:

 You will be trained as an apprentice with a choice of 40 different schemes, from

engineering to animal care.

 You are offered over 500 different qualifications, from GCSE to degrees, including all

kinds of professional and practical qualifications in areas such as chartered

engineering and accountancy that will build up your CV

 You will start on an annual salary of £18,125 after training, plus pension. In

comparison, the UK’s national average apprentice earns £6,846 and may not have

job security at the end of their apprentice.

 You will be offered a clear career structure with annual pay rises and a clear

promotion path

 You receive six weeks paid leave, plus bank holidays

 You have access to free gym, sports facilities and the chance to train with the very

best coaches. You could play in overseas tournaments or on international stages like

Twickenham.

 You have opportunities to travel overseas for operations, sport and peacekeeping,

from training in Kenya to supporting the UN in Cyprus.

 You can take up adventurous training from mountaineering in the Himalayas, to sky-

diving in Florida

- ENDS – 

The joint venture will expand upon Karmarama’s existing data services and drive the agency’s ambition of always delivering data-driven creative solutions. The joint venture will operate under the Konnect brand name and will provide Karmarama with a suite of unique solutions, which the agency says will break traditional communications models and unlock greater value for clients. Konnect will also be re-launching its CRM prospecting tool “Continuum”.

The new team is made up of James Harrison – formerly the founder of FUEL the leading data agency of the decade, Stefano Matteolli - a leading Digital analyst, Mark Phillips - the former Head of Ogilvy data strategy and consulting, who will become the Managing Partner of Konnect and chaired by Nick Horswell - formerly founder of PHD

Jon Wilkins, Executive Chairman at Karmarama said “It’s great to be working with James and Nick again and to have Stefano & Mark onboard. We firmly believe that creativity without data is vanity, but data without creativity leads to those really annoying ads that follow you round the Internet. With the newly revamped Konnect team we now have a best in class data offering to support our creative business”.

James Harrison said “I am excited by the opportunity Konnect provides to combine social, digital and transactional data to deliver the next generation of data driven marketing through a fantastically creative business.”

Dolukhanov now takes responsibility for the digital and technology offering across the entire group. He reports into Ben Bilboul, the Group Chief Executive of Karmarama.

Dolukhanov joins the Karmarama senior leadership team a year after the deal was completed. He is joined on the senior team by Nice Agency co-founder, Ryan Hall, who takes on the role of Managing Partner at Karmarama. Hall will now lead mobile platform work for all of Karmarama’s clients.

Dolukhanov and Hall founded Nice in 2009 and the agency went on to produce industry-defining work such as Channel 4’s 4oD on iPad and iPhone, and user experiences for clients including Freesat, first direct, The Times and UBS. Prior to Nice, Dolukhanov consulted as a Technical Architect, while Hall was Head of Business Development with TH_NK.

Ben Bilboul, CEO, Karma Communications Group, said: “Nice are the real deal - a well resourced digital team who can go head to head with any mobile software developer. We’re just scratching the surface of what they can do for our clients and we’re delighted that Pete and Ryan are now joining the senior team.”

Separately, Phoenix Equity Partners, shareholders in Karma Communications, is investing a further £3 million into the business and reorganising the capital structure of the company in order further incentivise and align the management team as it continues to drive forward the growth of the business. 

Karmarama, which was appointed without a pitch, is made up of 300 specialists in advertising, direct, data, digital, content, social media and public relations.

The agency will work with Cancer Research UK’s strategic marketing, fundraising and innovation teams on a number of multi-channel briefs, including launching Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens and the fundraising challenge Dryathlon.

Launching the Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens brand, which raises money specifically to beat children’s cancers through research to find cures and kinder treatments, will be Karmarama’s first task.

Karmarama has also been briefed to drive sign up and fundraising for Cancer Research UK’s January 2016 Dryathlon - the charity’s fundraising challenge to give up alcohol for one month. Last year Dryathlon raised over £5 million.

The other agencies on the Cancer Research UK creative agency roster are Anomaly, Mother and Atomic.

Kate Eden, Head of Brand, Cancer Research UK, said: “Karmarama impressed us with their progressive, channel-neutral approach to creative. We’re looking forward to working with them on innovative campaigns that accelerate us towards beating cancer sooner.”

James Denton-Clark, Managing Director at Karmarama said: “The team at Cancer Research UK has ambitious goals and really understands the power of integrated creative. It is an incredible brand and a cause that we are passionate about as an agency.”

The TV ad will still feature Plusnet Joe, but price is no longer the main focus. Instead the concept centres on the unrivalled customer service Plusnet provides, with the endline “Broadband that loves you back”.

Created by lead creative agency Karmarama, the ad features a woman driven so crazy by the poor customer service she has been receiving from her broadband provider, she takes herself off-grid to live as a full time spoon whittler.

Plusnet’s Head of Marketing, Sarah Pepworth, said: “We pride ourselves on being able to offer low cost broadband without having to compromise on service, and we are delighted to have a new campaign that gets this message across in a fun and memorable way.

“There’s no need to run off into the woods to escape poor service. We treat each customer like a person, not a number. And that matters.”

Directed by Sam Holst, the campaign will run across on TV, direct response, online, display and social media.

Richard Connell, Karmarama Creative Director, said: “Over the last 5 years, we’re proud to have helped build a likable, differentiated tone and trusted brand for Plusnet, poking fun at the competitor’s broadband jargon. We’ve absolutely loved working on this evolution of the down-to-earth ‘We’ll Do You Proud’ proposition.” 

Walker and De Souza joined Karmarama in 2010 and were subsequently made Partners and Group ECDs with responsibility for the group’s entire creative output alongside fellow Group ECD, Caitlin Ryan.

During their tenure they won significant business and created successful campaigns for a number of clients, including Clydesdale Bank, Plusnet, Costa, Virgin Active and the BBC. In 2014 the ‘God Only Knows’ film they made to launch BBC Music was voted Marketing magazine’s campaign of the year.

Their exit comes after the appointment of Nik Studzinski as Chief Creative Officer.

Walker said, “We’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved at Karmarama over the past five years. We’ve done some of our best work here and have helped grow the company from a 60-person ad agency to the 300-strong, progressive and multidisciplinary business it is now. We wish them every success in the future.”

Ben Bilboul said “Sam & Joe are hugely talented and fantastically hard working. I’d like to thank them for all the late nights, the long weekends and last, but not least, their exceptional work.”

Before krow they spent freelance stints at Karmarama and Mother, where they worked on the global  “GREAT” Campaign for Visit Britain.

They paired up at Hooper Galton in 2006. Prior to this they created D&AD award-winning work for Sony Playstation and won a Cannes Gold Lion for Discovery Channel.

Jon Wilkins, Executive Chairman, Karmarama said of the appointment:

"Rob & Dave are brilliant and award-winning, multi-channel creative directors so we’re thrilled to have them back at the agency – they also previously gifted us the Karma Llama, which makes them already part of Karmarama legend."

Rob Turner said of their appointment: “Karmarama has a lure that is hard to resist. We loved our time here when freelancing so when the opportunity arose to come on board full time, it was an easy decision. We look forward to some special K times ahead.”

The agency won the business after a four-way pitch process that was handled by the AAR.

Karmarama will create a new brand platform to be rolled out across multiple channels including broadcast advertising and digital marketing.

Andrew Kirkcaldy, Group Brand Director at AO.com said: “We’re delighted to appoint Karmarama as our partner, they have a great culture that is closely aligned to ours, showed us smart ideas and have a truly integrated offer. They’ve got all the tools a business like ours needs and a modern approach to communications. We’re looking forward to working with them”.

Ben Bilboul, CEO at Karmarama said “AO.com are a great fit for us, they have a great team and are astonishingly good at what they do, so we’re thrilled to be working with them on their ambitious growth plans.

AO.com launched in Germany in September 2014, the next stage of the company’s European expansion. The company has operated in the UK since 2000 and previously worked with BMB as its UK agency since 2013.

AO.com recently won the title Britain’s Best Retailer at the prestigious Verdict Retail Awards for customer satisfaction, ousting John Lewis from top spot. This is the first time an electricals retailer has taken the top prize.

Studzinkski replaces the previous CCO, and a founder, Dave Buonaguidi who left the agency in July 2014 and marks an increasing investment by the agency in creativity. Caitlin Ryan will continue as Group Executive Creative Director of the agency along with Sam Walker and Joe DeSouza.

Jon Wilkins, Executive Chairman at Karmarama, says: “Nik is one of the most progressive leaders in the creative world and a respected craftsman, he’s also a genuinely great guy and will help us bring more creative firepower across the entire breadth of our offer. His international experience will also come in handy as we’re getting an ever increasing volume of international briefs.”

Studinski has been at Droga5 for the last five years, both in New York and London, he was one of the founders of the European office. While at the agency he was responsible for highly influential campaigns for PUMA, Mondelez International and The Coca-Cola Company. Prior to joining Droga5, Studzinski was a Creative Director at Mother London, Executive Creative Director at Publicis London and Head of Art at Saatchi & Saatchi London, where he became the youngest board member in the agency's history. Studzinski's career highlights include many award-winning campaigns for Monster, Lexus, Schweppes, P&G, Renault, Cadbury, the British Army and Boots.

Studzinski adds: "I've enjoyed an incredible journey with Droga5 and it took something exceptional to make me even think about leaving. Karmarama is a dynamic independent agency with a unique spirit, incredible talent across all the disciplines, and a great offering from advertising and content through to mobile and data. I love its ambition to become the most progressive creative agency."

About Karmarama
Karmarama is one of the largest independent marketing communications companies in the UK. It recently was named the top agency to work at in the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For. It was named as the No.1 Independent Agency in The Drum Independent Elite Agency census in 2014. The company is made up of 300 specialists in advertising, direct, data, digital, content, social media, mobile and public relations. Karmarama works with global clients such as Honda, Nintendo and Costa Coffee internationally – and in the UK its clients include BT, Cobra, Iceland and Plusnet. 

Living in social and online channels, and supported by a high-energy TV trail, the film shows a girl riding her pizza delivery bike into a warehouse, spraying her uniform gold, getting on a now souped-up moped and speeding around a cage of death through a spectacular firework display.

The campaign encourages its audience to grab life and jump in, ending with the line: “Life’s a ride. This is where it begins.” The idea brings to life how Radio 1 is at the heart of lots of new beginnings; from the starting the day with the Breakfast Show, to kicking off the Summer festivals, as well as helping launch new music artists and new music movements.

Sam Walker, Group ECD at Karmarama says, "A pizza delivery driver riding a ball of death is the ideal metaphor for Radio 1. We've tried to sum up the fearless nature of the station and its listeners."

Wilson, who is an IPA Council Member, will take responsibility as head of operations across the entire Karma Comms Group - which is now a 300-person business following the acquisition of Nice Agency, the leading mobile app specialist.

This is the first time the agency has appointed a group-wide COO, to lead the integration of specialists from advertising, direct, data, digital, mobile, social media, PR and content. Wilson will also lead day-to-day operations of the business and delivery across the group.

Wilson’s previous role saw her restructure and reposition integrated agency CMW, broadening its services to rebrand and relaunch as Stack in 2014. Prior to Stack, she was Commercial Director rising to Managing Director and finally Partner at Albion, and formerly ran Unilever's global Sure-Rexona business at Lowe. She also held the role of Chair of the IPA Client Relationship Group from 2010 to 2014.

Wilson will join Karmarama at the end of March 2015 and will report into CEO Ben Bilboul.

Ben Bilboul, CEO said: "In creating 'one Karmarama' our aim is to offer a set of best-in-class services under one roof, with one P&L and one perfectly aligned team. So we're delighted to have someone of Liz’s calibre to help us deliver this seamlessly for our clients. She’s got a great track record across a very diverse set of agencies and will fit brilliantly into the Karma family, so we’re thrilled that she’s joining us.”

Liz Wilson said: "Karmarama's impressive growth over the last few years has brought together an incredible mix of distinct, specialist skills. I'm excited to evolve how they're best blended together in one overall approach to create effective, progressive marketing for our clients and their consumers."

The agency has hired a new creative director and two creative teams to ensure the delivery of best-in-class creative across the entire customer journey.

Jo Jenkins, formerly a Creative Partner at Proximity BBDO, joins to help creative direct the CRM output of the agency. She previously ran the Volkswagen, John Lewis and Procter & Gamble creative output whilst at Proximity, winning numerous awards along the way, including Campaign, D&AD and DMAs. She currently sits on the D&AD Direct Jury.

Pete Ioulianou and Ollie Agius join from Iris, where they were the lead creative team on the Adidas account. They produced integrated campaigns across TV, print, online and experiential, including the Messi ‘All in or nothing’ campaign for the 2014 World Cup. Prior to Iris, the team worked at ais London on O2, EDF, ŠKODA and Sony PlayStation. They also launched One Direction’s debut album with the heavily awarded ‘Save The 1Day’ campaign.

Vicki Murfitt and Paul Crump, join from Engine, where they created campaigns for clients including Santander, BMW, Heck Sausages and the Payments Council. Last year, they launched the Metropolitan Phantom for Rolls-Royce with an integrated creative campaign.

Caitlin Ryan, Group Executive Creative Director at Karmarama, said: “We are one of the few genuinely media-neutral, integrated ad agencies - for that to work, you need best-in-class, highly talented creatives across the disciplines who are brilliant at collaborating. Easy to say - harder to do. Which is why Karmarama is attracting such top level talent from many different places.”

The appointment follows news of the brand’s ambitious growth targets as it plans to become a £1 billion brand within the next four years. Karmarama has been appointed to move the business on to the next level and create a mass-market brand.

The London-based online business has already achieved great success in the UK, Germany and Sweden and has recently expanded into the US, Denmark and Norway.

Goodstuff holds the Secret Escapes £3m UK media planning and buying business.

Alex Saint, CEO at Secret Escapes, said: “Karmarama really understand our business challenges and we’re looking forward to working with them to meet our ambitious targets.”

Hannah Matthews, Managing Partner at Karmarama, said: “We are thrilled to be working with such an exciting British tech business.”

The World Federation of Advertisers reports 80% of clients agree that modern integrated marketing is also top of their agendas, however 75% feel that agencies are poorly set up to deliver this.

SO HOW ARE AGENCIES TRYING TO ‘WIN’ IN THESE COMPLEX TIMES?

Jon Wilkins thinks agencies and clients are facing a huge structural challenge, recently revisiting the holding company versus independents argument, in light of the recent Sapient buyout for The Drum magazine:

“Interesting times in the marketing communications industry with the news of the acquisition of SapientNitro by Publicis. A sign of the times as the classic marcoms groups try to strengthen their global reach and deepen their ability to deliver deep digital solutions. SapientNitro was part of a group of tech enterprises that seemed keen to meet the comms groups and fight them toe to toe for lead agency status. Nitro, through several incarnations, did this with variable degrees of success.

But obviously the Publicis deal is an offer they couldn’t refuse. I would suspect this deal will be a slow burn as the businesses are very very culturally different. SapientNitro is in deep with many USA corporates but that doesn’t give Publicis a god given right to its advertising accounts.

On a broader note what does this deal mean? Well I’d say there will be a significant and multi layered flurry of mergers and acquisitions over the next couple of years. The industry is in complete transition, investors and pension funds are demanding returns, the old model is faltering and its feels like it could be the start of a the next marcoms arms race!” The Drum, 3rd November 2014.

The advertising campaign, created by Karmarama, will run across TV with the ambition to raise the profile of this fast growing marketplace and help build it into a well-known brand.

Funding Circle’s marketplace allows small businesses to bypass banks and borrow directly from all types of people, including individuals, financial institutions and Government. Using Funding Circle’s technology more than £390 million has been lent to businesses from more than 30,000 people across the UK, with over £180 million lent to businesses so far in 2014. It is one of the UK’s recent financial technology success stories, where the sector continues to expand quickly.

James Meekings, Co-Founder of Funding Circle said of the campaign: “We’re building a business at Funding Circle that is changing the global financial infrastructure. This campaign is a natural next step for us as we continue to build trust and credibility for the brand, and enables us to tell our story in a creative and exciting way.

The team at Karmarama have created a campaign which explains how we operate in visually striking and beautiful way - and we’re looking forward to seeing the results”.

Group Executive Creative Director Joe De Souza at Karmarama added: “We hope we have done justice to the innovative nature of the Funding Circle brand through this creative work. The campaign reflects the energy of the business, and the modern and mould-breaking way they operate with real people lending to businesses at fair rates”

Air New Zealand has today announced the launch of a new Trans-Atlantic online radio show, through an exclusive partnership with BBC6 Music DJ Gilles Peterson, which will showcase the best of both Los Angeles and London’s thriving music scenes.

Created by Karmarama and available exclusively to Air New Zealand’s Business Premier passengers flying the airline’s daily service from London to Los Angeles, LON/LAX FM will showcase tracks from London Grammar, Flying Lotus and Little Dragon. In the show, Gilles will also speak to American composer and producer Adrian Younge about his influences from the London and Los Angeles music scenes.

Speaking on the launch of the new show, Gilles Peterson says: “The music scene in LA is one of the most interesting and diverse around at the moment; it has amazing history which continues to influence the new talent coming through today. The show I put together features some of the best LA has to offer right now, giving passengers on board a real taste of what to expect when they touch down.”
Regional General Manager Americas, United Kingdom and Europe Chris Myers says: “We’ve been flying between London and LA for more than 30 years and have a deep understanding of the cultural synergies between both cities. This partnership allows us to provide some exclusive content on board for our customers in Business Premier that both entertains and showcases Los Angeles as a destination.”
The launch of LON//LAX FM forms part of the LON/LAX series, in which Air New Zealand is inviting three London-based creatives who travel to Los Angeles regularly as part of their jobs to detail their experiences of LA and give the audience an insider’s look at their respective LA scenes.

From BBC One to BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC iPlayer to BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC outlets will join forces in the very first pan-channel broadcast of God Only Knows, an extraordinary reworking of The Beach Boys’ classic song uniting 27 internationally acclaimed artists from across the musical genres to form ‘The Impossible Orchestra’.

The promotional film, created by Karmarama, marks the official launch of BBC Music - an ambitious wave of new programmes, innovative partnerships and ground-breaking music initiatives that amount to the BBC’s strongest commitment to music in 30 years.

God Only Knows will be released as a single in aid of BBC Children in Need. It will be available to download from midnight on Tuesday 7^th October.

Bob Shennan, Director BBC Music says: “This is an exciting moment for BBC Music as we launch to a global audience. With the 80-piece BBC Concert Orchestra at its heart and comprising an array of iconic music stars, from a wide range of musical genres, this “impossible” orchestra is a celebration of all the talent, diversity and musical passion found every single day throughout the BBC.

“Our audiences are very clear in their passion for music and that’s why BBC Music exists: to create, curate and celebrate music – for the love of it.”

God Only Knows features the song’s original writer and creator, Brian Wilson, alongside 26 award-winning musicians including popular music stars Sir Elton John, One Direction, Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, Jake Bugg, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith and Florence Welch; rock musicians Chrissie Hynde, Brian May and Dave Grohl; classical musicians Alison Balsom, Martin James Bartlett, Danielle de Niese and Nicola Benedetti; folk performer Eliza Carthy; Senegalese singer Baaba Maal; jazz performer Jamie Cullum; British Asian Music star Jaz Dhami; the BBC’s Zane Lowe, Lauren Laverne, Katie Derham, Gareth Malone and Jools Holland; with the youthful vocals of the Tees Valley Youth Choir and the BBC Concert Orchestra at its heart.

Recognised as a modern masterpiece, Brian Wilson himself says:

“I just feel so incredibly humbled that the BBC would choose God Only Knows to promote their new music initiative.

All of the artists did such a beautiful job I can’t thank them enough. I’m just honoured that God Only Knows was chosen. God Only Knows is a very special song. An extremely spiritual song and one of the best I’ve ever written.”

Sam Walker, Executive Creative Director at Karmarama, said: “The God Only Knows campaign demonstrates the pulling power of the BBC with world class talent and the huge diversity of genres that it supports. It was unbelievable that so many artists agreed to take part and help us create a campaign that hopefully demonstrates the amazing power of music."

Bringing the UK Music Industry together for the first time, in aid of Children in Need

God Only Knows will be released as a single in a first-time collaboration between Sony, Warner and Universal Music with all proceeds going to BBC Children in Need. It will be available to download from midnight on Tuesday 7^th October and will be available in shops later that week. Karmarama also designed the artwork for the single.

The campaign by Karmarama uses a Union Jack-inspired asterisk to highlight the different achievements of UK creative industries and the contribution they make to the UK as a whole. It will run in print, outdoor and digital formats.

The advertising, film and television, music, fashion and gaming sectors are among those covered by Creative Industries Council’s initiative, and they are all incorporated into the Karmarama creative strategy.

Ben Biboul, CEO of Karmarama, says: “It’s an honour to be chosen to devise the advertising strategy for the Creative Industries Council’s initiative and represent not just our own field but all the amazing creative sectors that contribute so much to the UK.”

Create UK is being backed by businesses and the government. It was launched last week at Facebook’s offices in London by Nicola Mendelsohn, vice-president EMEA for Facebook, and Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills. Cable and Mendelsohn are co-chairs of the Creative Industries Council.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said of the Create UK launch: “From film to video games, fashion to architecture, our world leading creative industries are a veritable powerhouse. They drive growth and outperform other industries, with employment increasing at around five times the rate of the national average. I have been continually impressed by the energy, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in the sector – they are an integral part of what makes Britain great and the Create UK campaign will be instrumental in promoting the sector both here and abroad.”

A new 30-second TV ad shows a working mum whipping up a chicken and pesto pastry tart for her children in a matter of moments, while dancing to 80s rock anthem ‘Breaking The Law’ by Judas Priest.

The campaign, which is centred round the tagline ‘That’s Jus How I Rol’, is created by Karmarama and is the agency’s first campaign for the brand the since winning the business earlier this year.

It aims to encourage parents to try easy-to-follow recipes in the kitchen and create quick, tasty dishes for their families with the help of Jus-Rol.

The campaign also includes 10-second TV ad cut-downs and digital display advertising.

Caitlin Ryan, the Karmarama Group Executive Creative Director, said: “We are proud to launch our first campaign for Jus-Rol and we hope it encourages busy parents to express themselves, and most importantly, to enjoy themselves in the kitchen.”

White Ribbon Alliance and its creative agency Karmarama didn't want to just rattle tins for donations, so they set about creating a unique photo opportunity worth handing over contact details for.

The campaign, by Karmarama, saw festivalgoers posing in a 3x4 metre Polaroid frame and getting an aerial shot done of themselves in front of an illustrated Glastonbury scene, thanks to an innovative piece of technology built by the agency. Celebrity festivalgoers were also keen to take part, including The Great Gatsby actress Carey Mulligan.

The shots were then sent to their mobile phones to share instantly, either on site or at home where they might have a better signal.

For the project, Karmarama built a new piece of tech using a Rasberry Pi, the British single-board computer, in order to overcome the challenges that that Glastonbury Festival presents, such as lack of phone signal and no internet connectivity.People’s contact details were inputted on an iPad, and then sent to the camera using a portable wifi hotspot. This allowed the aerial camera to send the unique shot as a link straight to the festivalgoers mobile phone.

The simple email generated overcame issues such as data caps, outdated phones and poor connectivity. It was simple to tweet, email or post the photo to Facebook from the link with a pre-populated text promoting the White Ribbon Alliance cause.

The campaign was a great success, with a photo sent every three minutes to mums in 21 countries around the world. Over a thousand people signed up to receive further communication from the White Ribbon Alliance. Following involvement by celebrities, the campaign also received national PR coverage.