Hails & Fails – October 16th 2026
This week’s Hails & Fails brings together an early dose of Christmas cheer, a fresh recipe for food delivery advertising and a much-needed MOT for mental wellbeing. Debenhams is getting the festive season started ahead of its rivals, Just Eat is taking celebrities off the menu in favour of everyday moments, and Kwik Fit is encouraging Brits to check in on their mates while their cars are being checked over. Meanwhile, Hovis has found its latest advert hard to digest, with its nostalgic campaign facing criticism over how it portrays the brand’s breadmaking heritage.
HAILS
Debenhams steals a march on Christmas ad fever
Brazen kicked off Christmas ad fever with a bang this week, spearheading the PR launch of Debenhams’ star-studded festive campaign and making sure the retailer’s first-mover advantage delivered maximum impact. Featuring Emily Atack, Mathew Horne, Kym Marsh and Gabrielle, the nostalgic four-minute film Christmas. For Everyone brought plenty of star power, romance and feel-good festive moments. And the results? Blanket coverage across the national and trade press, including Daily Mail Online, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Metro and Retail Gazette, plus a whopping two-minute segment on Good Morning Britain, which hailed Debenhams for getting out of the festive starting blocks first and setting the bar high for Christmas ads. Proof that getting in early, coupled with a smart earned-media strategy, can make a brand impossible to miss. And with 69 days still to go, this is just the beginning!
Just Eat takes celebrities off the menu
Just Eat is serving up a fresh approach to advertising, ditching its celebrity-led campaigns in favour of a more emotional direction. After years of star-studded adverts featuring the likes of Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry, the delivery giant has unveiled ‘Stay Just Where You Are’, a new global brand platform celebrating the everyday moments people don’t want to interrupt. The campaign features eight films capturing everything from a grandfather bonding with his grandchild to friends enjoying time together, showing how deliveries can help keep those moments going. It’s a bold change for a brand famous for its catchy jingles and celebrity appearances, proving that sometimes the most relatable stories don’t need a superstar to make an impact.
Kwik Fit gets the nation talking with a little mental maintenance
Kwik Fit is encouraging motorists to check in on their loved ones while their cars are being checked over, launching its new ‘Kwik Chat’ campaign to support mental wellbeing. Created by VCCP, the campaign encourages customers to use the time spent waiting for an MOT or service to pick up the phone and have a meaningful conversation. A humorous advert features a technician gliding around a garage on a mechanic’s trolley, reminding customers to make time for a chat. With more than one million MOTs and services carried out annually, Kwik Fit hopes to turn everyday waiting time into something positive. It’s a clever way of using humour to tackle an important issue, showing how even a simple conversation can make a difference.
FAIL
Hovis finds its latest advert hard to digest
Hovis has found itself in hot water after its latest advertising campaign sparked a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The bread brand’s new ‘Strength Baked In’ campaign celebrates its heritage and the traditional neighbourhood bakeries that helped build its reputation. However, the Real Bread Campaign has accused Hovis of misleading consumers, arguing that its nostalgic imagery overlooks the company’s shift towards industrial production and changes to its ingredients. The group has even described the advert as an insult to independent bakers, while Hovis has defended the campaign and insisted it is performing well. It’s a reminder that leaning on a brand’s heritage can be a risky move when the story being told doesn’t reflect how everyone sees the business today.
