Hails & Fails – September 25th 2026
This week’s Hails & Fails brings together a rethink of our digital diets, the British high street taking on Fashion Week and some old-school creativity from Apple. The Online Responsibility Network is encouraging Brits to check what they consume online, M&S has taken the high street to the high-fashion runway, and Apple is putting human craft back in the frame. Meanwhile, Oxford United’s American-inspired clothing range got lost in translation, leaving the club apologising for a mistake that should have been spotted long before launch.
HAILS
Online safety gets the food label treatment
The Online Responsibility Network has taken inspiration from the supermarket aisle for a new campaign encouraging people to think twice about the content they consume online. A giant billboard in London recreates the look of familiar food packaging, coinciding with the launch of a new trust mark for platforms that take steps to protect their users. It’s a simple visual idea that makes the everyday habit of scrolling feel a little more like something worth checking the label for.
M&S takes the high street to the high-fashion runway
M&S celebrated 100 years of fashion by making its London Fashion Week debut, putting 59 womenswear and menswear looks on the catwalk alongside some familiar faces, including Erin O’Connor, Karen Elson and Lennon Gallagher. Rather than simply borrowing the glamour of Fashion Week, the retailer kept the activation rooted in what it does best, with half of the collection priced under £50 and the looks available to buy straight away. It’s a confident way of showing just how far M&S fashion has come, taking a brand synonymous with the British high street and putting it comfortably alongside some of the biggest names in fashion.
Apple puts human craft back in the frame
Apple has gone back to basics for its latest Apple Games campaign, using handcrafted models and stop-motion animation to bring the world of gaming to life. With the finished ad looking polished enough for some viewers to question whether AI was involved, Apple followed it up with a behind-the-scenes film revealing the painstaking work that went into building, painting and animating the characters and sets. At a time when AI-generated advertising is becoming increasingly common, showing the human creativity behind the campaign feels almost as important as the ad itself.
FAIL
Oxford United scores an own goal with ‘United 93’ range
Oxford United has apologised after launching an American sports-inspired clothing range featuring the words ‘United 93’, intended as a nod to the club being founded in 1893. Unfortunately, the branding carried an entirely different meaning, the range was pulled after around two hours, with the club admitting it had failed to carry out proper due diligence. There was clearly no malicious intent, but it’s a striking example of why even the simplest creative idea needs to be considered in its wider context before going live.
