Freshfield roundtable: The standout campaigns of 2024 and what they taught us

Our team gathered at Freshfield HQ to look back on another eventful and tumultuous year in the world of PR and communications, idenitfying some of the best (and worst) campaigns and moments of 2024 and what they teach us.

Let’s Get Growing – Bupa Business’s first campaign for SMEs

Niamh Heron

This integrated B2B brand building campaign was aimed at changing the way SME leaders feel about health insurance by focusing on the bigger picture.

The “Let’s Get Growing” campaign plays on audience insight data revealing today’s SME leaders’ focus on business growth. Using a hero film and series of accompanying digital assets, Bupa tells an emotive story where happy, healthy employees drive business growth, positioning Bupa health insurance as a worthwhile business investment.

The campaign, devised by Edinburgh-based agency Rationale, appeared across personalised TV adverts, digital radio and podcast advertising, as well as billboards targeting commuters and trade SMEs on popular routes. There was also paid social media activity across LinkedIn and Meta.

It achieved 4.4m views on YouTube, with Bupa also reporting a significant increase in visitors to the SME landing page and leads.  I liked this campaign because it highlights how the most effective campaigns are based on solid research and audience insight data.

Self-Esteem Project – Dove’s inspiring use of AI stays true to brand values

Jacqueline Ballard

This powerful and emotive campaign by Dove Australia was a timely reminder that perception is not always reality, and that businesses and brands need to be careful about how they use AI in their PR and marketing.

Dove predicted that by 2025 AI will create 90% of the images we see online. By asking the question “What kind of beauty do we want AI to learn?” the campaign highlighted the need for people to learn how to tell AI what we are aiming to achieve from using it, and not letting AI dictate what we think and see.

Dove did this by creating a short video asking AI to create the image of a perfect woman, but then changed the brief to create an image of a perfect woman according to a Dove real beauty ad. This was a great example of a company thinking creatively and using the zeitgeist topic of 2024 to stay true to its brand values and beliefs.

Change – Labour election campaign’s clear message

Andrew Taylor

I’ve always been intrigued by election campaigns and how they are won. Often, it’s not about the politics, but who can communicate most effectively. Labour’s election campaign worked well because it was able to boil down the sentiments of a large number of people into one word – change.

Of course, it’s easier to talk about change when people have been used to something else for a long time. And Labour faced accusations that its campaign was too cautious and lacking in detail. However, they kept coming back to their key message that it was “time for change” and ultimately that’s what stuck in the mind of the electorate.

Change was the word you saw behind Keir Starmer every time you turned on the TV news, checked social media, or when election flyers dropped through the letterbox. It was simple, clear and practically inescapable. The Guardian has provided further insight on Labour’s Change campaign from those who worked on it.

Nationwide – False claims lead to trouble with advertising watchdog

Simon Turner

In 2024, Nationwide experienced a significant reputational and regulatory challenge when its advertising campaign featuring actor Dominic West was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The ads, which aired in late 2023, claimed Nationwide was not closing branches, positioning it as distinct from rival banks. However, the ASA ruled the campaign misleading. It revealed Nationwide had recently closed branches and that its commitment to maintaining operations was only guaranteed until 2026. The campaign attracted 281 complaints, including one from Santander, which had closed fewer branches during the same period.

While Nationwide quickly updated the ads with a renewed commitment on branch closures until 2028 (below), the incident underscores the need for absolute transparency in marketing. Misleading or incomplete claims not only risk damaging consumer trust but also invite regulatory penalties. Leaders must ensure marketing aligns with verified facts, using clear and prominent disclaimers. Even if you’re making a claim about your position in the marketplace (eg, ‘leading law firm’), back it up with evidence. I always say that a claim without evidence will be dismissed without evidence. Genuine, long-term trust is built on accountability and honesty – not just clever branding.

Abrdn and Jaguar – Don’t take negativity personally

Joel Durkin

In April this year, historic asset management firm Abrdn’s chief investment officer hit out at the media over persistent “corporate bullying” and “childish” jokes regarding its 2021 rebrand, which included changing its name from Standard Life Aberdeen. Peter Branner made the claims in an interview with publication Financial News. Unsurprisingly, the attack on the financial media backfired.

City AM responded with the front-page headline ‘Abdrn: an apology. Sry we kp tkng th pss ot of yr mssng vwls’ and there was further negative reaction across the national, business and marketing media, prompting a new wave of negativity toward the rebrand. Abrdn’s chief executive Stephen Bird, who oversaw the controversial rebrand, stood down the next month.

A similar chain of events took place in November 2024 when luxury car manufacturer Jaguar’s managing director Rawdon Glover hit out at ‘vile hatred and intolerance’ in response to the firm’s controversial recent rebrand, which included moving away from the iconic big cat logo with an eccentric, modern style.

Both examples are high-profile reminders that rebrands are subjective. When any company rebrands, the public, media, competitors and clients are all entitled to their opinion – and this is not always positive. Using the media to openly address negative publicity risks further amplifying the criticism.

Spotify Wrapped – Using new techniques to keep an established campaign current

Danny Green

Celebrating a decade of Spotify Wrapped, the streaming giant launched its annual global campaign which transforms users’ yearly listening habits into a shareable cultural moment.

This year, Spotify focused on personalisation and in-depth reporting using new technologies like music video playlists and AI. Major artists and podcasters also created thank-you videos for the top 1% of their listeners.

While the campaign did receive some negative feedback from some Spotify superfans and influencers, it still generated an unprecedented number of memes and user-generated content, with brands like Jet2 sharing their own Wrapped stats.

But what can businesses with more modest marketing budgets learn from this campaign? It shows how the same campaign can evolve over many years. Spotify did this by listening to its audience, using data, and adopting new techniques like AI and video to offer a highly personalised approach to customers.

Making Buildings Safer – Regulator’s campaign to simplify complex legislation

Paul Tustin

Having worked on several building safety projects for businesses in the built environment supply chain, this ongoing campaign struck a chord with me as an important awareness campaign.

The government’s changes to building and fire safety regulations through the Building Safety Act are wide-sweeping and comprehensive, coming as a result of the Dame Judith Hackitt Review into the Grenfell tragedy.

However, many of the changes are complex and difficult to understand. The Making Buildings Safer campaign, created by the government’s Building Safety Regulator, sets out to help all parties in the supply chain understand what the legislation means for them from designers through to building owners, managers and residents.

The campaign demonstrates the benefits of targeting specific audiences with guidance to a complex piece of legislation. Indeed, the new government has now ordered a review in 2025 to develop further guidance to ensure the information being shared is clear, accurate, and practical. This can only help speed up the knowledge and understanding required to make this legislation work and, ultimately, protect lives and property.

Freshfield has been delivering award-winning campaigns for over 20 years. If you want to discuss a project, contact us at hello@freshfield.com.