Memorable TV ads, a trip down memory lane and making the most of influencer marketing in 2025 | Vol.11

We're back for the first time in 2025 with another #VitaminEE newsletter.

January has certainly been off to a busy start, with new clients, campaigns and projects landing with the team from the get-go.

It's great to see exciting content and campaigns landing across the industry too, as the team has explored in this month's Vitamin EE.

Junior Account Manager, Emily Macbeth , explored the inspired launch campaign for the new season of Squid Game, which PR Intern, Skye Mellor , judged from a Gen Z perspective.

Junior Account Director, Sarah Bradley , shared the influencer marketing trends for the year ahead, digital executive, Gim Perera , explored the future of Facebook and Creative Lead, Jessica Smith , highlighted the heart-wrenching advert from Cadbury in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK.

We hope you enjoy this month's edition!

Squid Game 2: A Millennial vs Gen Z take

I’m lucky enough to have witnessed some of the most memorable modern adverts. From “Hi, I’m Barry Scott” to Howard from Halifax and still wondering whether Skodas are made from cake, I’m a firm believer in the power of TV advertising.

But nowadays, it seems that the majority of brands are switching to online and social media advertising. You simply can’t scroll through more than a handful of TikToks before being greeted with an ad.

In this edition of Vitamin EE, we’re putting my Millennial self up against Gen Z (our PR Intern Skye Mellor) to take a deeper dive into the marketing world of one of the most anticipated Netflix shows, to see how ‘traditional’ and online advertising came together.

Did somebody say…

The sequel to grizzly Korean show Squid Game 2 was released on Boxing Day 2024, and so was Just Eat’s ‘The Next Game is Served’ TV ad.

Netflix partnered with the online food delivery provider to release their take on Squid Game, featuring the show-favourite ‘Red Light, Green Light’ game starring giant doll Young-hee.

The activation paired the ad with an interactive game titled ‘EliminATE’, where players had to chomp down their food without being detected by Young-hee. Accessible by ordering from one of the special Squid Game inspired restaurants on Just Eat, players had the chance to win a range of prizes. EliminATE merged traditional TV advertising with a mobile experience, effortlessly blending traditional and modern promotional methods.

An OOH challenge

Over in the US, Korean food brand Bibigo launched an out-of-home campaign with an exciting Squid Game twist to celebrate the launch of their limited edition Bibigo x Squid Game 2 dumplings.

In the show, debt-ridden individuals are approached by ‘The Salesman’ to compete in the card-flipping game Ddjaki. If they win, they receive a mysterious business card with a number to call, and they are invited to take part in Squid Game. Bibigo channelled this into their campaign, installing billboards in different cities across the US and scattering business cards which contained an incomplete phone number.

Players had to complete the phone number by finding the different sections, taking them on an immersive adventure. Once completed, players could phone the number and have the chance to win a yummy reward from Bibigo.

I’m a big fan of experiential marketing and getting people involved to leave a lasting impression. In a world where we’re so used to seeing carefully curated ads on our phones, it’s great to see brands reaching outside of this to create memorable experiences for fans. Let’s make 2025 the year we broaden our horizons and encourage people to put down their phones for a while?

That’s my millennial take, but let’s see what Gen Z’er Skye thinks…

It’s hard to ignore just how much Squid Game has disrupted the marketing space. As a Gen Z’er, I’ve seen brands get creative before, but this level of integration with pop culture is next-level. Squid Game’s success isn’t just about its storytelling, it’s about how brands have tapped into that cultural wave to create marketing campaigns that feel fresh, engaging, and even a little bit daring.

Immersed in language

Take Duolingo, for instance. They've taken something as educational as language learning and made it creative by adding over 40 Squid Game phrases to their Korean course. It’s great marketing because it combines learning a language, with the show’s world and culture, all while feeling like you’re part of the action.

And that’s the beauty of these kinds of campaigns, they don’t just sell a product, they offer fans a richer experience that feels personal and relevant.

It's not all bad

And then, there’s Domino’s. Just when you thought pizza and Squid Game couldn’t possibly be more enjoyable, Domino’s has come through in the most strategic way. In partnership with ‘Squid Game: The Experience’ in New York, they gave players with the lowest scores a chance to win free pizza for a year! Meaning, if you’re eliminated in the most dreaded game of all, at least you’ll have an emergency pizza on your side...

This combination of real-world experience and a much-loved takeout created a buzz that could only be rivalled by the actual stakes of the show itself, creating memorable moments alongside brand loyalty.

Game over

For all the gamers out there, Xbox’s collaboration with Netflix gives fans the chance to play with their very own Squid Game-inspired controllers. The Pink Guard Instinct Pro Controller for Xbox, plus the chance to win an exclusive ‘Game Over’ controller designed after the player tracksuits from the show, are no brainers for anyone who wants to showcase their love for the series while gaming in style. This partnership proves that Xbox doesn’t have to be solely about gaming, but immersing fans into the Squid Game universe.

Looking at these campaigns, I can’t help but admire how brands are taking traditional advertising and pushing it into the digital, experiential space. In a world where ads are often skipped or ignored, these campaigns have found ways to grab attention and keep people engaged. In 2025, I think we’ll see even more brands embracing this kind of creative, boundary-pushing marketing, and I, for one, am all here for it.

That’s my take on it—what do you think?

A trip down ‘memory’ lane

We are passionate about authentic storytelling, as are the iconic brand, Cadbury’s. The brand's newest campaign ‘Memory’ commemorates their seventh year of their ‘generosity’ brand platform, known for its heartfelt and emotional storytelling.

The sixty second advert begins with a daughter visiting her father with a bar of Cadbury Whole Nut chocolate in one hand. Her father, who is living with dementia smiles at the sight of the chocolate bar, igniting the memory of the gift his daughter has bought for him since she was child. The ‘memory’ provokes an inside secret of how this ritual of gifting always makes his wife laugh, as he proudly reveals, he’s always hated nuts!

Dementia is a cruel disease that can be very upsetting for families, but the man’s daughter can’t help but laugh after being touched by the idea that her father has kept this secret for so long. Her father aptly adds, please don’t tell her, meaning his daughter, as ‘it makes her so happy’, and she adds ‘it does’. This act of her father recognises his long-standing generosity of the joy he feels when he receives the gift that keeps on giving, even if he doesn’t always remember his daughter.

The advert resonates with the nation, it’s an inclusive story that recognises the struggles families face when family members are diagnosed with dementia. But it also highlights that generosity and kindness have the power to bring people closer together; a small gesture of gifting a bar of chocolate can hold special meaning and connect us in unexpected ways.

Cadbury has renewed its partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK to support the charity’s mission for a cure for dementia. To ensure human truths and correct representation of the charity was portrayed in the advert, Cadbury consulted with specialists throughout the development of the film.

The campaign shines a light on the little things in people’s everyday lives that make a difference, if only getting them to remember a special part of their lives for a few minutes, it creates a beacon of hope for their family members on the sidelines of this disease.

Let us influence an emotion in your next campaign, get in touch here.

Are you deleting Facebook anytime soon?

Just twenty days into 2025—during what feels like the longest month of the year—we’ve already witnessed the inauguration of President Donald Trump, with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and X’s Elon Musk front and centre. When you first created your Facebook account, did you ever imagine it would become a driving force in the politics of the world’s most powerful nation? Probably not. You wanted to update your status, change your relationship status to 'It's complicated' after an argument or post your pixelated, overexposed photos from that house party so everyone knew you had friends.

Facebook has?3.07 billion?monthly active users, with 2.11 billion daily active users. When Zuckerberg announced the withdrawal of third-party fact-checkers across Meta, did we all collectively envision the downfall of Facebook? Meta’s fact-checking program spans 130 countries today and is the biggest single funding source for fact-checking worldwide. The initiative was set up following heavy scrutiny for 'fake news' on Facebook during the 2016 US elections, but in less than a decade, we seem to be regressing.

What does this mean for brands on Facebook?

In 2024, Facebook advertising revenue hit $121 billion and is projected to increase incrementally over the next few years. Next to Google, it's firmly in the second spot for the best place to advertise, contributing to 19% of all global ad revenue.

You might be wondering if the future looks bleak and whilst I can't answer that, I believe we are far from the obseletion of Facebook. Firstly, as a nod to EU regulation laws, there appears to be no “no immediate plans” to end fact-checking in the EU.

Secondly, and most importantly, Facebook is synonymous with connecting. Whether you're part of your local community groups, scoring bargains on Marketplace or simply tied to a university group chat from ten years ago, it feels like deactivating your account will be like parting with a telephone, shop and prized photo album in one fell swoop. Users have a personal attachment to Facebook and as a brand, you should be taking advantage of the vast user base. The targeting capabilities that Facebook offers in advertising alone give you an upper hand to market your brand to the right people and connect with your target audience in a meaningful way.

If you're interested in exploring Facebook advertising for your business, get in touch with us today.

We're only days into 2025 and we've already seen the US wave goodbye to TikTok, and welcome it back a mere 12 hours later.

The rest of the world watched as popular US based creators made dramatic farewells to their followers, encouraging them to stay connected on the 'other app', in a bid to not lose the audience they have most likely spent years growing.

And whilst we as marketers are often at the mercy of these social media platforms to achieve our marketing goals, it's interesting to hear that influencer investment is expected to be at an all-time high in 2025.

According to a recent report from award-winning influencer marketing platform, LTK, marketing leaders are showing no signs in reducing their influencer spend this year. According to the figures, 41% of marketing teams said that in 2025, they will be "investing at least half of their digital marketing budget on creators".

So, how should they be utilising this increased influencer budget? Here are some trends and tips on how we think it's worth investing in your influencer partnerships in 2025...

IRL influencers

Whilst influencer events are nothing new, the way in which audiences view them have changed. When brands invite high-profile celebrities or influencers on lavish brand trips, this can often be looked at negatively within online communities for a number of reasons. Instead, some brands have seen success by inviting longstanding customers (notably with no online following or influence) who truly love the brand to their events. These are the customers that invest in your brand, so it makes sense to give them something back!

Make a short story, long?

The battle of long-form versus short-form content still exists, but many marketers are suggesting that long-form content will be the way to go in 2025. I think this is down to great storytelling, particularly on TikTok, where users are keen to hear a full story, but often happy to do so in a number of different parts. As you don't need a huge following on TikTok to have your content seen, it means that anyone can go 'viral' if they have a great story to tell! When working with influencers, is there a way to encourage storytelling through your partnerships? Wouldn't we all want to hear the way a product has helped a person, rather than hear a list of all the key features?

Putting social first

For many years, we've seen brands spend thousands on polished, perfect content to showcase a new product, service or campaign. But, whilst we've heard how important creating 'authentic' content for social is for a good few years now, it's fair to say this more 'budget friendly' content shows no signs of slowing.

Of course, this still depends on the platform (Instagram still hasn't captured the relaxed vibes of TikTok just yet), but today's social media user loves to see a behind-the-scenes look of a business, with less of a polished style, and more of a chatty, chilled out vibe.

If you're looking for inspiration of a brand who does this perfectly, then look no further than luxury fashion brand, Loewe. Whilst its high prices and on-trend looks and accessories make it an obvious high-end brand, its TikTok page is far from serious. Whilst the nature of Loewe would easily fit into the aesthetic of lookbooks, fashion shoots and clever creatives, instead their social team chooses to tailor its content to the platform - from an iconic puzzle bag being carried by drone to a soundtrack of Wicked's 'Defying Gravity', to an inflating Balloon jacket, I'd highly recommend checking out the brand's channel!

We're sure there'll be plenty of changes to happen in 2025 in the social media/influencer world, but we'll be keeping an eye on all the changes as and when they happen! So if you're looking to scope out your social influencer superstars in 2025, why not get in touch?