Hails & Fails – November 6th 2026
This week’s Hails & Fails brings together a splash of winter sunshine, a different kind of Christmas countdown and an Icelandic twist on artificial intelligence. British Airways is turning Britain’s rainy weather into a reason to escape, Shelter is putting a powerful spin on festive advertising, and Visit Iceland is swapping AI meeting notes for handmade knitted summaries. Meanwhile, weight-loss brands are finding their advertising claims hard to swallow, with the ASA banning a series of adverts promoting prescription-only treatments and leaving the companies facing an unwanted dose of bad publicity.
HAILS
British Airways makes a splash with rainy-day campaign
British Airways is turning Britain’s miserable weather into a reason to escape with its new outdoor advertising campaign, ‘Puddles’. Created by Uncommon, the campaign uses photographs of everyday British life reflected in rain-soaked streets, with a plane appearing in the grey skies above and the tagline ‘It’s always sunny somewhere’. The adverts, appearing across digital screens at London railway stations, tap into the familiar desire to escape the cold, dark days of autumn and winter for somewhere warmer. It’s a clever example of using a relatable British experience to sell the appeal of travel, proving that sometimes the best way to advertise sunshine is to show people a little rain.
Shelter unwraps the true meaning of Christmas
Shelter is putting a powerful twist on traditional Christmas advertising with a moving new film highlighting the reality of homelessness. Created by Meanwhile, the two-minute advert follows a mother and daughter excitedly counting down to what appears to be Christmas Day, before revealing they’re actually waiting to receive the keys to a safe home. Launching as part of the charity’s Winter Appeal, the campaign draws on real experiences of families living in temporary accommodation, with Shelter highlighting that more than 177,000 children in England are currently affected. It’s a clever and emotional way to challenge the usual festive focus on presents and celebrations, reminding viewers that for thousands of families, the greatest gift this Christmas would simply be somewhere safe to call home.
Visit Iceland gets its latest campaign all knitted up
Visit Iceland is giving artificial intelligence a handmade makeover with the launch of ‘AI Knittakers’, a quirky new service that lets workers send an Icelandic knitter to their online meetings instead. Standing for ‘Authentic Icelandic’, the free initiative sees real knitters join video calls and stitch together a one-word summary of the conversation, with phrases ranging from ‘Pivot’ to ‘WTF’. Created by M+C Saatchi and Peel, the campaign taps into growing frustration with unnecessary meetings, while showcasing Iceland’s knitting traditions and encouraging people to spend less time working and more time exploring. It’s a clever way of combining humour, cultural heritage and a topical conversation around AI, proving that sometimes the best way to stand out is to do something completely different.
FAIL
Weight-loss brands get a bitter pill from advertising watchdog
Weight-loss providers Voy, Juniper and MedExpress have found themselves in hot water after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned four adverts promoting prescription-only weight-loss pills. The campaigns, which appeared across buses, social media and video platforms, used phrases such as ‘The weight is over’ and ‘New weight loss tablets’ to attract customers. Although the adverts avoided naming prescription-only medicines directly, the watchdog ruled that their imagery and wording still gave consumers the impression they were promoting treatments such as Wegovy, breaching UK advertising rules. The brands have faced unwanted headlines as a result, highlighting how even carefully worded campaigns can backfire when their overall message crosses regulatory boundaries.
