Famous Campaigns goes LIVE with unmissable event

By James Herring on Wednesday, February 25, 2026

After two decades years creating famous campaigns, judging them and writing about them, I noticed something.

We rarely hear the full story. Resistance. Politics. Doubts. Battles. Strategy stand-offs. 11th hour changes. The idea that nearly got killed.

And that’s where the interesting stuff lives so……I’m excited to announce Famous Campaigns Live – a brand-fest built around the campaigns everyone’s been talking about told by the people who made them happen. Live on stage.

On Wednesday 29th April we’re bringing together the UK’s top brand leaders and creative minds behind some of the UK’s most talked-about campaigns.

Early bird tickets have gone on sale today.

What’s in store….

✮ Behind McDonald’s Secret Menu
In this session, the team behind McDonald’s Secret Menu reveal how they turned decades of fan hacks and internet folklore into a nationwide food event. Working with Leo UK the brand transformed internet whispers into a full-scale national launch. A McMasterclass in building anticipation, embracing fandom and turn an “urban legend” into reality without killing the magic. Get tickets.

Speakers: Hannah Pain, Marketing Director, McDonald’s and Mark Elwood, Chief Creative Officer Leo UK.

✮ How Absolut reclaimed its cultural swagger
The team from Absolut and Wieden+Kennedy talk about their journey of craft, history, relationships and tone – refinding the soul of the brand on the path to iconicity. Expect a session with zero talk of AI, just a shared deep passion for craft, art, and a spicy partnership. Get tickets.

Speakers: Filip Kiisk, Global Director of Brand Communications, Content and Partnerships, Absolut Vodka. Freddy Taylor and Phillipa Beaumont, Group Creative Directors. Wieden+Kennedy London.

✮ Behind the Waitrose AD that won Christmas
In this session, the team behind The Perfect Gift and The Gastronaut reveal how they turned festive advertising into cinematic storytelling. With Wonderhood Studios, the supermarket embraced long-form, blockbuster trailers and genre pastiche to launch “Home of Food Lovers”. Get tickets.

Speakers: Stacey Bird and Jack Croft, ECDs at Wonderhood Studios

✮ How Yorkshire Tea built a brand on tone, not tropes
Are British brands rich in symbols but light on conviction? The team behind the brand explore how Yorkshire Tea keeps its recognisable English charm without slipping into stereotype. With a warm, witty Northern voice, it favours honesty over performance – using humour and tone to build genuine recognition, relevance, and emotional connection at scale. Get tickets.

Speakers: Ben Newbury, Head of Brand Marketing, Yorkshire Tea. Laurence Horner, Strategy Partner Lucky Generals.

✮ Why the algorithm hates your brand and how Currys won the Internet
Currys went from being ignored to becoming one of the most talked-about brands on the internet by changing how it behaved on TikTok and Instagram. Real store colleagues front and centre. Phone-shot, humour-led content that finally gave the feed what it wanted. A must-see, practical playbook for earning attention from Ryan Todd, Head Of Social Media and PR at Currys. Get tickets.

✮ The Ordinary: Holding up a mirror to the beauty industry
In an era of ad fatigue, The Ordinary chose critique over conformity. The team behind The Periodic Fable™ unpack how honesty can feel culturally sharp rather than worthy, and how a brand can sell without “selling”. A masterclass in conviction as strategy. Get tickets.

Speakers: Yasmin O’Neal, Global Brand Senior Director, The Ordinary. Marco Del Valle, Planning Director, Uncommon Creative Studio.

✮ How consistency became ASICS’ competitive advantage
In a world obsessed with reinvention, ASICS is anchored in its founding belief: that movement benefits not just the body, but also the mind. That focus has turned consistency into a creative advantage. Gary Raucher, Global Head of Marketing at ASICS unpacks how staying the course fuels sharper ideas, stronger storytelling and lasting impact. Get tickets.

✮ How the British Heart Foundation put hope in the spotlight
“Make them cry to make them buy” has long been the charity playbook. British Heart Foundation challenged it. In this session, they reveal the strategic shift toward hope, and what it means for emotional brand building in fundraising. Get tickets.

Speakers: Damion Mower, Director of Brand, British Heart Foundation and Franki Goodwin, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi London.

✮ How Heineken stays iconic in a changing world

Heineken has mastered the art of staying globally consistent while feeling locally relevant. This session explores how cultural insight drives distinctive ideas and real-world acts that travel. A session on building resonance, not just reach, and turning creativity into sustained competitive advantage. Get tickets.

Speaker: Sol Ghafoor, Global Chief Strategy Officer, LePub Network