Thinkbox
Step inside the world of award-winning TV advertising with Beyond the Box, our exclusive podcast series hosted by Harry Ward Masters.
Each commuter-friendly half-hour episode brings you behind the scenes of the Thinkbox TV Planning Awards 2024, spotlighting last year’s winners, unpacking the creative strategies and bold decisions that made their campaigns stand out.
Expect insightful conversations with industry leaders, from MG OMD, EssenceMediacom, Yonder Media and Wavemaker, as they share what it really takes to make TV advertising work in today’s fast-changing landscape.
Whether you’re in media, marketing, or just love a great TV ad, Beyond the Box is your go-to for inspiration and expert knowledge. And if you’re gearing up to enter this year’s awards with an exciting campaign, this is your chance to learn from the best.
Listen to the episodes below and subscribe on Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Series 2
Episode 1. Best Standout Idea: An uncomfortable reality in the Big Brother house
In this new series of Beyond the Box, we kick off with the team behind our special award, Best Standout Idea. Age UK partnered with Big Brother and ITV to create a powerful campaign, and we’re joined by the experts who made it happen. Tamara Cross (Managing Partner, Head of Creativity), Hannah Gardner (Planning Business Director) and Maddie Taylor Wilson (Partnerships Business Director) at MG OMD break down the challenges Age UK faced and how TV played a pivotal role in addressing them. Known for bold, attention-grabbing campaigns, Age UK leveraged a major cultural moment to spark conversation. Tune in as we explore how the stark emptiness of the iconic Big Brother house brought an uncomfortable reality into the spotlight.
Episode 2. Best Ongoing Use of TV: Hillarys brand evolution
Agency Relationship Manager Harry Ward Masters is joined by Chris Hughes (Deputy Head of AV), Claire Spencer (Client Partner) and Bronia Ramsay (Associate Director) from EssenceMediacom to explore the power of consistent TV advertising. They take us on the journey of how Hillarys evolved from a DRTV advertiser to a sustained brand presence on TV, using a strategic mix of direct response, brand campaigns, product placements and Advertiser Funded Programming. Join us as we hear a true story of brand transformation.
Episode 3. Best Small Budget Use of TV: Alzheimer's Research UK, Change the Ending
On today’s episode we’re joined in the studio by the brilliant team behind Alzheimer’s Research UK’s (ARUK) impactful TV campaign, which took home the Best Small Budget Use of TV award. Adam Boucid (AV Investment Director) and Chen Cui (Business Director) from Yonder Media, alongside Anna Fotheringham (Managing Partner) from Above+Beyond share insights into the campaign’s success. Having grown enormously in the five years prior, ARUK went for a high impact strategy, targeting a new audience who considered serious health issues a long way off. Through strategic ad placement and a powerful animated ad, they bought Alzheimer’s awareness into the spotlight, proving that even a small budget can make a big impact.
Episode 4. Best TV Newcomer: the power of TV to build trust
Join host Harry Ward Masters as he sits down with the winners of our Best TV Newcomer award. Wavemaker’s success is driven by their work with Back Market, the online refurbished tech marketplace making its debut in UK TV advertising space. Daniel Trout (AV Account Director) and Edd Wells (Managing Partner) from Wavemaker share how they overcame the challenge of Back Market’s low brand awareness — harnessing the power of TV to build trust and exceed their ambitious goals. Tune in for valuable insights on breaking into the market, smart targeting strategies and making a lasting impact as a new to TV advertiser.
Episode 5. Young TV Planner of the Year: Sophie Gildert
For the first time on the podcast, our Young TV Planner of the Year, Sophie Gildert, shares her journey in the media industry. From googling what ‘AV’ meant to becoming AV Account Director at EssenceMediacom, Sophie discusses her career growth with Harry. Based in the Manchester office, Sophie worked with the team to perfect the fundamentals, while also championing women in the industry as Marketing Lead for The Blooming North podcast. All this, whilst managing major clients like Butlins, Universal, Salvation Army and Visit Malta. Hear from one of our future industry leaders in this episode.
Series 1
Episode 1. TV for Good: eBay x Pre-loved Island
In today’s episode of Beyond The Box we’re joined by the team behind our special award, TV for Good, with eBay’s partnership with Love Island. Tara Harris, Account Director, and Holly Carters, Creative Futures Lead, at EssenceMediacom discuss eBay’s aim to reframe second-hand clothing. By partnering with Love Island to become the show’s first ever pre-loved fashion partner, eBay provided the islanders with a wardrobe of fashionable second-hand clothes, chosen by a celebrity stylist. The partnership encouraged the nation to start talking positively about second-hand fashion and generated positive behaviour change to benefit the environment. Listen to find out more about the brilliant planning behind this highly successful campaign.
Episode 2. Best use of Content: Ring My Bell
Agency Relationship Manager Harry Ward Masters is accompanied by the team from MG OMD that won Best Use of Content and the Grand Prix prize. Their success is attributed to the Ring partnership with Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Ring partnered with ITV, using the fame and reach potential of their trusted broadcast platform to put Ring at the heart of one of the UK’s favourite shows with an in-show segment. Join Ellie Howard, Client Account Director, Harriet Fisher, Head of Partnerships and Will Selwyn, Media Creativity Director, as we delve into how this innovative product placement campaign came to life.
Episode 3. Best use of Sponsorship: McVitie’s x Britain’s Got Talent
On today’s episode we’re joined in the studio by Ruairi Biollo (Client Account Manager) and Cal Dawson (Social Account Manager) at MG OMD. They take us behind the scenes of the partnership between McVitie’s and Britain’s Got Talent. Aligning on McVitie’s ‘shared moments’ strategy, the partnership aimed to drive sales, promote their Britishness and make the brand stand out in stores. Dive into the narrative of how strategic TV sponsorship played a pivotal role in establishing McVitie’s as the reigning champion of biscuits across the nation.
Episode 4. Best TV Ad Planning: Nationwide planning for empathy
In the latest instalment of Beyond The Box, Harry Ward Masters welcomes the brilliant team from Wavemaker UK, winners of the Best TV Ad Planning award. Strategy Partner Rachel DCunha and AV Lead Jack Henderson delve into their innovative ‘planning for empathy’ approach employed for Nationwide. They discuss how they crafted a compelling strategy to emotionally connect with people, encouraging them to seek help during the cost-of-living crisis. Tune in to explore the intricacies of the strategic planning that underpinned the remarkable success of this campaign.
Episode 5. Best TV Newcomer: Home Office with Enough campaign
Harry Ward Masters is joined by the winners of our Best TV Newcomer award. The triumph of MG OMD is credited to the Home Office initiative named ‘Enough: Violence Against Women & Girls’. This powerful campaign effectively drove education and awareness, leveraging TV to provide the trusted, emotive and storytelling platform. Join Charlotte Dickson, Partnerships Account Director, Jessica Tosh, AV Investment Director, and Claudia Barker, Client Account Director, as they delve into the Channel 4 partnership with Hollyoaks and explore how this campaign propelled this serious issue into the public spotlight.
Episode 6. TV Planning Agency of the Year: MG OMD
In the final episode of this limited series we have the pleasure of welcoming the winners of the TV Planning Agency of the Year, MG OMD, into our studio. Emma Withington, Chief Planning Officer, Damian Nott, Head of AV, and Mike Williamson, Head of AV Planning, discuss their exceptional year, the distinguishing factors that set them apart and the reasons behind their triumph in receiving this prestigious award.
