Last November 2025, Pope Leo IX, who is North American, visited Lebanon and gave his speech in French. The French-speaking world is wider than some people think. The influence of French is enormous, far-reaching, and is spoken in places you may not suspect. That crucial fact ought to be taken more seriously, especially in advertising. I first came to the UK because I was hired by Guinness Brewing Worldwide, as Guinness was known at the time. Their agency, Grandfield Rork Col

Because if your visuals don’t match your target market, forget it. Your transcreator, or translator, can always do a good job with your copy; if the visuals still betray where it originates from, they haven’t. It’s been a waste of your time and money. And the vast majority of them won’t even see the issue. What you really need is a consultant in French advertising. Sorry, Ken, but barbecues with burgers? The French eat merguez and lamb kebabs (and yes, even though France is t

Ask Cara, Poppy, and Chloe Delevingne. The Celebrity sisters are the co-founders of vegan prosecco brand Della Vite. Unfortunately for them, the advertising campaign they’ve devised has triggered a furious response from the Comité de Champagne. The Comité is the official representative of the Champagne producers' interests, and more precisely the use of the appellation Champagne. For them, it’s simple: if you are not an official producer of champagne, you just cannot use the

Whether you’ve been a Sex Pistol or still a creative in the advertising industry (and a punk rocker), getting old has become a huge issue. I have too much experience. Should I shave some years off my CV to fit your idea of the ideal candidate? Do the words pioneer, first ever, skills, extensive experience, 100s of brands spell red flags to you? It’s an upside-down world where the young are tasked to recruit the old with all the ignorance and prejudice to go with it. And I’m s

Matty Matheson - Soups, Salads, Sandwiches A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Matty Matheson, the chef made famous by The...