Hails & Fails – June 20th 2025
In a week which saw the troubled HS2 rail project face further delays, a leadership overhaul and Blaise Metreweli named as the first female head of MI6 there were some seriously good PR campaigns in the headlines too.
Online graphic design tool Canva got cheeky with a billboard rollout, stars from Leeds United took on an F1 car, and flood hit dairy Dumble Farm turned to ‘cow cuddles’. It was not a great week for fashion guru Karen Millen though after she was forced to apologise for her controversial views on breastfeeding.
HAILS
Canva Gets Cheeky with Bold Billboard Takeover at London Waterloo
Canva, the online graphic design tool brand, took over over all 14 billboards at London Waterloo with a bold, tongue-in-cheek campaign.
The fun billboards showed off Canva’s design tools in the real world – from oversized logos to misplaced aspect ratios.
“It’s a playful way to show what Canva can do – with a nod to classic design dilemmas,” said Tom Carey, Canva’s European creative director.
It worked because the billboard hijack quickly became the capital’s most loved conversation starter, selfie backdrop and most shareable moment this week.
Leeds United Stars Outpaced by F1 Car in High-Speed Elland Road Showdown
Leeds United may have stormed their way back to the Premier League, but when it comes to raw speed, even their fastest players couldn’t keep up with Formula 1 power.
Willy Gnonto, Largie Ramazani and Isaac Schmidt lined up at Elland Road to race a Red Bull Racing F1 car driven by F2 star Arvid Lindblad – and the car made light work of the footballers on the penalty-box-to-penalty-box dash.
The stunt marked the latest high-octane moment in Red Bull’s growing presence at Leeds, following their minority stake and shirt sponsorship deal earlier this year.
Flood-hit Dairy Farm Offers “cow cuddles” as an Alternative Income Source
Floods, climate chaos and rock-bottom milk prices forced Dumble Farm in north-east England to ditch dairy – and start charging £95 a pop to cuddle cows instead.
Now, visitors brush, stroke and snuggle the gentle giants in a straw-filled barn, with a Highland cattle safari thrown in.
“It’s been so worth it,” said one guest. “They’re so loving.”
Fun, clever and a headline winner everywhere this week.
FAIL
Karen Millen Slammed by Mums After Calling Extended Breastfeeding ‘Selfish’
Fashion designer Karen Millen sparked outrage this week after branding extended breastfeeding “selfish” on live radio, prompting a fierce backlash from mums and a swift video apology from her cottage in Kent.
The 64-year-old designer, known for dressing women for decades, dismissed breastfeeding beyond six months as emotionally damaging – comments social media slammed as “judgemental” and “plain wrong.”
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