Hails & Fails – July 25th 2025
It’s been a headline-heavy week in the UK with Married at First Sight star Jess Potter swapping drama for nappies, MasterChef cooking up a shake-up with Grace Dent stepping in to replace Gregg Wallace, and the rock world reeling as Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne died. But there have been some great PR campaigns cutting through the noise too.
Domino’s was battling beachside seagulls with robots, Waitrose skewered summer with giant 3D kebab billboards and McDonald’s went full rodeo with its ‘Cowboy Closeups’ campaign. It was not a great week for M&S, who came under fire after an ad featuring an “unhealthily thin” model was banned by the ASA.
HAILS
Domino’s Unleashes Robot Dog to Deliver Pizza and Battle Seagulls on the Beach
Domino’s has unleashed Domidog – a seagull-scaring, pizza-protecting robot dog that delivers your slice right to your towel.
Trialling now in Eastbourne, this high-tech hound is built to navigate sand, dodge obstacles and stop pesky gulls from nicking your margherita.
Armed with 360° vision, onboard sensors and enough tech to make NASA jealous, Domidog is Domino’s latest play to keep your pizza safe and sizzling – even by the sea.
Waitrose has shoved a giant skewer through summer
Posh grocer Waitrose has unveiled 3D billboards in Camden and Westfield White City featuring supersized kebab skewers bursting through posters, bringing to life the campaign line: “Anything’s a kebab if you put a skewer through it!”
It’s part of their cheeky ‘Let Your Summer Side Out’ campaign – ditching the usual BBQ blah for something bold, unexpected and a bit more spontaneous. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: yes, even halloumi, strawberries, or a crumpet is a kebab… if you skewer it hard enough.
McDonald’s has gone full rodeo
To celebrate Calgary Stampede 2025, McDonald’s launched ‘Cowboy Closeups’ – a cheeky OOH campaign where classic Western wear is secretly stuffed with McD’s icons.
From beadwork ice cream cones to Big Macs embossed on leather, the campaign gives a stylish nod to the Canadian farmers and ranchers behind the menu. Yeehaw meets yee-maw, and you’ll never look at a suede tassel the same way again.
FAIL
M&S Ad Banned Over Body Image Backlash
M&S has had an ad banned for featuring a model deemed “unhealthily thin” – with regulators slamming the fashion giant for promoting unrealistic body standards.
The ASA ruled the ad, which featured a model in slim-fit trousers and pointed shoes, was irresponsible and made her frame look exaggeratedly slim.
M&S defended the campaign, saying it aimed to show “confidence and ease” – not extreme thinness – and claimed it promotes fashion inclusively and responsibly. The ad has now been pulled, but the incident has reignited debate around body image in fashion marketing.
