Podcast Summary: Never Mind The Adverts 2025 Review

Podcast: Uncensored CMO
Host: Jon Evans
Guest: Orlando Wood (System1)
Date: December 31, 2025

Overview

This festive, light-hearted episode of "Never Mind the Adverts" offers a comprehensive review of the marketing and advertising industry's major developments in 2025. Jon Evans and Orlando Wood dissect the year's pivotal effectiveness research, discuss standout Christmas ads, share personal highlights, and dig into trends in both performance and brand marketing. The show weaves in expert perspectives, memorable stories, and a healthy dose of humor—all over a few rounds of classic Christmas drinks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Major Effectiveness Research and Industry Reports

Segment: 02:00–11:49

• Effectiveness as the Central Theme: 2025 saw a bumper year for effectiveness studies and publications.

• The Multiplier Effect (System1 & WARC):

  • This US-based collaboration explored the “performance penalty”—the lower ROI of focusing solely on performance marketing versus a mix of brand and performance.
  • Jon: “Most people are over-invested in performance and should be doing brand. So the big win is still for brand … based on data.” (03:03)
  • Multiple sources (System1, WARC, Profitero, Analytic Partners) aligned on findings.

• The Creative Dividend (System1 & Mark Ritson):

  • Showcased the importance of emotion and fluency in advertising, plus the risk of "changing cakes too soon":
  • Jon: “We get bored of our work way before the audience do.” (04:48)
  • Also highlighted the underinvestment in brand-building.

• Cost of Dull Media (Karen Nelson-Field & Adam Morgan):

  • Estimated $189B wasted globally on dull, low-attention media.
  • Peter Field tied in the idea that dull media leads directly to dull creative.

• Attention-Weighted Media Analysis:

  • TV remains highly effective, with 80% of attention-adjusted media consumed—debunking myths about younger viewers abandoning TV.
  • Jon: “TV’s the second cheapest media to buy after podcasts.” (07:08)

• Les Binet’s “Go Big or Go Home” (IPA Effectiveness Conference):

  • Emphasized need for broad-reach, big-budget thinking.
  • Orlando: “We’ve become a kind of industry of little thinkers... We need to remember to think big.” (08:52)

2. Influencer/Creator Marketing & Measurement

Segment: 09:24–11:49

• Influencer (Creator) ROI:
  • Recent research showed long-term ROI from creators is strong—“probably better than online video and paid social”—though still not matching TV for reach.
  • System1/TikTok study split advertising into “salesmanship” (performance) and “showmanship” (brand)—showing brand-led content builds trust and fame long-term.

3. Performance Marketing News & Personal Achievements

Segment: 11:49–14:20

• Jon noted his own progress in performance marketing league tables and shared playful banter about potentially headlining Performance Marketing World Live in 2026.
• Novelty Media Opportunities:
  • Discussion of “pause screen” TV ads and the untapped opportunity in Zoom “waiting rooms”.
  • Jon: “The biggest untapped media opportunity ... is when you’re waiting to get into a Zoom call.” (13:25)

4. Industry Turbulence & Agency Holding Companies

Segment: 16:12–17:21

• WPP’s Downturn:
  • WPP falls to third among agency holding companies, as IPG and Omnicom merge to top spot.
  • Jon: “WPP are on their ass ... And IPG and Omnicom have merged to create the biggest holding company.” (16:23)
  • The panel lamented creativity’s relegation within the industry, comparing current trends to the pre-creative revolution era of the 1950s.

5. Personal & Show Highlights (“Best Of 2025”)

Segment: 19:02–25:25

• Podcast Wins:

  • The hosts’ own work, including the Uncensored CMO podcast, won the Marketing Week B2B Achievement Award.
  • System1’s "Measuring the Magic" film with Peter Field and industry collaborations with ITV and Aardman were highlighted.
  • Orlando’s accidental notoriety from a “naked” ad appearance and out-of-home campaigns in Stockholm were also playfully recounted.

• Special Guests, Content Milestones:

  • Standout interviews included Jaguar’s relaunch and the Sydney Sweeney/jeans “crisis” (which turned out not to be a crisis after all).
  • Jon’s favorite event was facilitating a discussion between Scott Galloway and Rory Sutherland (“the logic vs. emotion coming together—explosive!” at 21:47).
  • Cannes highlight: presenting with influencer Alex Earl, whose collaboration led to a $2bn brand sale.

• Cycling Feat:

  • Jon recounted the “brutal” but exhilarating experience riding the Tour de France Femmes ascent with Zwift.

6. The History of Christmas Ads (with Dr. David)

Segment: 26:44–33:04

• Historic Perspective:
  • Dr. David (History of Advertising Trust) shared a 1928 Gillette ad from Punch magazine featuring Santa Claus tempted by a safety razor—illustrating how gifting tropes and playful sentimentality have shaped Christmas advertising.
  • Dr. David: “A razor as a gift for the man in your life was not out of the ordinary … pens, cigarette lighters, big gifts for blokes back then.” (29:35)
  • Importance of not mocking or “undermining” the sacred traditions of Christmas.

7. Christmas Ads 2025: Winners & Trends

Segment: 33:08–41:10

• Record Setting Year:

  • The average System1 star rating hit a record 4.6 stars; more five-star ads (“about five or six advertisers got the top score”) than ever before.
  • Orlando: “It’s not just sentiment—it’s humor, character and personality. Bags of personality too.” (34:01)
  • Consistency and fluency rewarded: e.g., Aldi’s 10th year of Kevin the Carrot (“A decade of Kevin.” - 44:49)

• Notable Brands:

  • Aldi: Celebrated the 10th year of the Kevin the Carrot campaign, evolving with mini-series storytelling.
  • Waitrose: Culturally referential spots with Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, “beautifully done” and leveraging tradition.
  • JD Sports’ UGC Campaign: Most engaged ad on YouTube, based on engagement-to-view ratio, utilized crowd-sourced video content.
  • Amazon: Successfully re-aired a high-scoring, previously “turkey-ed” (i.e., critically panned) Christmas ad—challenging the wisdom of industry pundits.
  • M&S & Amazon: M&S topped YouTube Christmas ad views.

• Scale Still Matters:

  • Uplift in digital/ad view numbers, with total Christmas ad views on YouTube jumping from 50 million in 2024 to 500 million in 2025 (38:50).

• Use of Music & Characters:

  • Storytelling, fluent devices, and music were common success factors.
  • Heathrow’s recurring bear and Lego’s use of music/adaptation called out.

8. The AI Coke Ad—A Harbinger?

Segment: 40:50–43:06

• Coca-Cola’s AI-generated ad scored well overall, but Gen Z found it underwhelming (“lazy” and “uncanny”).
  • Jon: “Gen Z scored it quite low because they were put off by the fact… they actually want the real thing.” (41:45)
  • Orlando referenced “effort bias”—people value craft; AI can cut costs but not always deliver perceived quality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brand vs. Performance:
  “Most people are over-invested in performance and should be doing brand. So the big win is still for brand, in my opinion, based on data.” —Jon, 03:03

• On Changing Creative Too Soon:
  “We get bored of our work way before the audience do.” —Jon, 04:48

• On Scale:
  “We’ve become a kind of industry of little thinkers, little and narrow targeting. And we need to remember … big media, big ideas that go with big media. That’s how you cut through in this fragmented media.” —Orlando, 08:52

• On Consistency:
  “Christmas is a season … where we remember family, friends, traditions ... and it rewards consistency.” —Jon, 34:23

• On AI Ads:
  “It’s a weird inversion, isn’t there, where actually the younger generation probably wants the real thing, whereas for older generations it’s still got a novelty.” —Jon, 41:50
  “You still gotta apply the same levels of rigor and craft to what you’re doing … Otherwise you will come in for criticism. And when your product is all about the real thing, you’ve got to be particularly careful.” —Orlando, 42:52

• On Industry Melodrama:
  “WPP are on their ass. Right. They’ve managed to royally screw everything up. And IPG and Omnicom have merged … so WPP have gone from number one to number three.” —Jon, 16:23

• On Podcast Impact:
  “It was interesting… I think the sentiment switched to about 80% in favor... Show[ing] the influence of a podcast, you know, to get people to think a bit more about things.” —Jon, 15:07

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Effectiveness research overview: 02:00–11:49
• Influencer/creator marketing: 09:24–11:49
• Performance marketing banter and “pause screen” ads: 11:49–14:20
• WPP/IPG/Omnicom shakeup: 16:12–17:21
• Personal highlights and favorite moments (Scott Galloway/Rory Sutherland, Alex Earl, Zwift cycling): 19:02–25:25
• History of Christmas ads (with Dr. David): 26:44–33:04
• 2025’s winning Christmas ads: 33:08–41:10
• AI in Christmas ads (Coca-Cola): 40:50–43:06
• Award segment – Star of the Year/Turkey of the Year: 43:10–44:51
• Classic ad music trivia/finale: 45:37–48:21

Awards and Show Finale

• Star of the Year: Aldi Collie (dog) and Kevin the Carrot for campaign consistency and impact (44:37)
• Turkey of the Year: Playfully awarded to Campaign magazine (45:06)
• Classic Ad Quiz: Ends with Orlando stumping Jon on the “Everyone’s a Fruit and Nut Case” campaign using music from The Nutcracker (47:19)
• Christmas Wishes: Closing thoughts on relaxation, family, and having fun over the holidays.

Tone and Style

The episode is upbeat, witty, and candid. Jon and Orlando blend data-driven marketing insight with personal anecdotes, gentle industry ribbing, and a festive spirit—making it entertaining and informative for marketing pros and casual listeners alike.

Bottom Line

A must-listen holiday edition, bursting with 2025's biggest marketing effectiveness lessons, Christmas ad trends, and “real talk” on the state of brand, performance, and creativity in modern advertising.