Hails & Fails – October 31st 2025
As the chill sets in, brands have been turning up the heat with creativity that’s impossible to ignore. Heinz got steamy with a soup-filled stunt, Emirates took delivery to new heights at one of the world’s biggest football matches, and South Western Railway proved you can call out bad behaviour with humour and heart. But while brands were basking in the spotlight, Buckingham Palace found itself in the glare of a very different kind.
HAILS
Heinz invites Brits to bathe in soup
Heinz turned heads this week by inviting Brits to quite literally bathe in tomato soup. The playful, tongue-in-cheek campaign served up incredible visuals and pure seasonal comfort, providing the perfect mix of weird and wonderful that keeps the brand’s sense of fun alive and well.
Emirates delivers match ball by plane drone
Emirates made sure all eyes were on them during one of the biggest games in football, El Clasico, delivering the Real Madrid vs Barcelona match ball via a plane-shaped drone. It was an attention-grabbing stunt that merged aviation with sport in a way only Emirates could pull off. Bold, cinematic, and impossible for fans to miss.
South Western Railway sends fare dodgers on a guilt trip
In a clever twist on commuter culture, South Western Railway’s new campaign takes fare dodgers to task with tongue-in-cheek messages that mix wit with moral weight. By highlighting the real cost of skipping fares, and doing it creatively, the brand manages to make a serious point with a smile.
FAIL
Prince Andrew hits rock bottom
Once again, the former Prince Andrew is dominating headlines for all the wrong reasons. This week, he was stripped of his remaining royal titles and told to vacate his residence, in a fall from grace that’s both historic and deeply humiliating. For the Royal Family, it’s another PR nightmare that shows just how far the damage has spread, and how hard it will be to recover the crown’s reputation.
