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edited and compiled by James Herring
Uber has sent a branded tissue truck out to console England fans following their exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, part of a wider “Sorry for Your (Team’s) Loss” activation running across the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada.
A towering Trojan Horse appeared overnight in Trafalgar Square to mark the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, transforming one of London’s best-known public spaces into a curtain raiser for the forthcoming film. Standing 11 metres high, the four-tonne installation rose from a sand-covered base between the square’s famous bronze lions and fountains, beneath Nelson’s Column.
The British Museum illuminated the White Cliffs of Dover with a giant projection inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry as the 11th-century masterpiece made its journey to London ahead of a landmark exhibition.
Volkswagen is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its GTI with a new campaign from Bernbach that traces the car’s enduring place in British culture through the memories of the people who have loved it.
Partner post | Tracksuit
Listen, we like a heartfelt five-minute ad slash short film as much as the next guy, but we love a genuine social media moment where it feels like we’re on the same wavelength as everyone we know, plus the guy we’re sitting next to on the bus, plus maybe some strangers from Brazil or Norway. Enter, Levi’s.
Levi’s has had a truly stellar year. One of its ads has just been nominated for an Emmy (the SuperBowl one with Doechii), and sales have been up, too, having recently risen 8%.So when this World Cup thing landed on their desk (that is, when everyone became obsessed with its covered up logo), they took it and ran.
“What started as a naming rights sponsorship restriction at the Levi’s Stadium became the most commented and shared post in Levi’s history,” Kenneth Mitchell, Levi’s chief marketing officer, wrote last week. “Leaning fully into it with a profile change on our social channels sealed the deal.”
Toyota built Lexus in total secrecy under "Project F1," terrified that slapping its own name on a $35,000 sedan would remind buyers of the Corolla in their driveway. The naming firm floated over 200 options; "Lexis" won early, blending Latin luxus, French luxe, and Greek lexis (language) into something that sounded expensive and vaguely intelligent.
Only problem: a software company already owned "Lexis." So they swapped one letter and called it a day. ("Luxury EXports to the US" is the acronym everyone repeats — it's a backronym invented after the fact, not the actual origin.) The LS 400 launched in 1989 undercutting Mercedes and BMW on price while matching or beating them on quality — quieter, more reliable, better dealer service. German luxury makers took a real hit. The clever part wasn't the name's Latin roots — it was that "Lexus" let Toyota charge Mercedes-level prices without the Toyota badge scaring off buyers who'd never pay that much for a Toyota.
partner post | Ad Forum
Empower your teams with AdForum’s Creative Library and access award winners at Cannes Lions, ANDY’s, Clios, D&AD, LIA, One Show, FAB Awards, Eurobest, EPICA, +++. Take a test drive here or contact us for more info.
loveholidays is inviting Londoners to discover the world’s most unusual crisp flavours with a two-day Soho pop-up created alongside creative agency ARK. Crisps From Abroad transforms a vacant store into an immersive celebration of one of the UK’s favourite holiday rituals, with more than 4,600 bags of crisps from destinations around the world covering the space from floor to ceiling.
partner post | words and pixels
The Insight: Football’s match day culture is still often built around pubs, pints and environments that do not work for everyone. For Muslim fans, people who do not drink and anyone looking for a more welcoming way to watch the game, The Shared Ground created an alternative: an alcohol-free football community where people can watch the game, meet others and, for those who wish, pray together.
The Intervention: Since launching in May, The Shared Ground reframed what a football watch along could be, showing football culture doesn’t need alcohol to bring people together. Its disruption has now been recognised by mainstream brands, with Just Eat and Popeyes sending a delivery squad featuring Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi and Bruno Fernandes lookalikes to deliver halal food for the community before watching the match.
The Impact: In just a few months, The Shared Ground has helped broaden the image of who football culture is for and what participation can look like. Just Eat and Popeyes meeting them where they are is a sign that its alternative match day model is moving beyond the margins. The disruption has officially reached the mainstream.
Got a problem in need of disruption? That’s our kind of brief www.wordsandpixels.co
Carlsberg is encouraging fans to rediscover the joy of a kickabout with Goal Posters, a campaign that transforms everyday flyposters into playable football goals across UK cities. The idea is rooted in new research from Carlsberg, which found that while 75% of adults are watching football this summer, a third have not had a kickabout in more than six months.
Sony take over The London EDITION in Fitzrovia, 23 to 26 July, with 15+ free workshops, talks, photowalks and challenges led by Sony Ambassadors and leading creatives. The lineup spans cinematic filmmaking with Luke Jackson-Clark, portrait photography and lighting with Diana Kenyeres, black and white street photography with Daniel Murray, and lighting and video sessions with Eric Peng.
Director Oska Zaky closes the week on Sunday with a Cinematic Breakdown of his commercial video workflow and a hands-on spec ad shoot on Sony Cinema Line cameras. Full lineup and tickets are on Eventbrite.
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