Untrended Podcast
Untrended Podcast
Podcast Description
Tired of business podcasts that promise silver bullets and spoon-feed you cookie-cutter advice?
Well, this isn’t one of them.
Welcome to the Untrended Podcast, where we uncover extraordinary stories about business and culture.
Brought to you by Publicis Pro, this show isn’t about “growth hacks” or corporate fluff. It’s about raw, honest, and sometimes ridiculous tales from the world of marketing and business.
From unexpected challenges to out-of-the-box ideas, we’re here to talk about the truths you won’t find in a handbook—the ones that truly shape creativity, strategy, and success.
The Untrended Podcast. Real stories. Real laughs. Nothing held back.
Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes of business and culture, focusing on candid discussions about marketing and innovative strategies. Episode examples include deep dives into the impact of AI on creativity, with topics like AI-generated ads and their implications, fostering original thought versus technology dependence, and the long-term cognitive effects of AI in the workplace.
Tired of business podcasts that promise silver bullets and spoon-feed you cookie-cutter advice?
Well, this isn’t one of them.
Welcome to the Untrended Podcast, where we uncover extraordinary stories about business and culture.
Brought to you by Publicis Pro, this show isn’t about “growth hacks” or corporate fluff. It’s about raw, honest, and sometimes ridiculous tales from the world of marketing and business.
From unexpected challenges to out-of-the-box ideas, we’re here to talk about the truths you won’t find in a handbook—the ones that truly shape creativity, strategy, and success.
The Untrended Podcast. Real stories. Real laughs. Nothing held back.
Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.
From John Lewis to Coca-Cola, Christmas ads have become a cultural event—part entertainment, part national sport, and occasionally the trigger for a heated debate about the true meaning of festive storytelling.
In this special holiday episode of UnTrended, Nicole Jones is joined by Jamie Fewery, Louise Brooks, and Billy Hamilton-Stent to unwrap the history, nostalgia, and creative madness behind Christmas advertising, including the ones that make us cry, the ones that make us cringe, and the ones that make us immediately donate £50 to charity.
The team also sits down with Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, to talk about taking the reins on the iconic John Lewis Christmas advert, the pressure that comes with it, and how you build a festive film that becomes not just a campaign but a cultural moment.
Plus: stuffing discourse, office party confessions, Christmas jumper controversies, and the eternal question… will B2B brands ever make a truly great Christmas ad?
Subscribe to The UnTrended Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and never miss an episode.
Chapter Markers:
(01:00) How Christmas Ads Became a Cultural Phenomenon
A whistle-stop tour from Coca-Cola Santa to John Lewis’ “The Shadow” and the birth of the Christmas ad as an annual national event.
(09:00) This Year’s Standout Christmas Ads
Shelter’s hard-hitting realism. Tesco’s painfully relatable family vignettes. Morrisons’ behind-the-scenes take on working Christmas. What lands and what doesn’t?
(13:30) The Shift in Christmas Storytelling
Why brands are moving from sweeping universal emotion to more specific, lived-in stories and why that might be the smartest path forward.
(19:00) Will B2B Ever Make a Christmas Ad?
The team explores seasonality, budget realities, category constraints, and whether a B2B brand will eventually take the leap. (Spoiler: it’s “inevitable” according to Jamie.)
(22:00) If We Could Make One: Our B2B Christmas Ad Pitches
Twilio emotional storytelling. Aviation rom-coms. Santa supply chain logistics. Red-and-white Caterpillar diggers. Genuinely good ideas? You decide.
(31:00) What We’re Looking Forward to This Christmas
Family reunions, young kids’ excitement, Boxing Day bubble & squeak, home cooking, and a rare chance to do absolutely nothing.
(32:00) Making the John Lewis Christmas Ad
Franki reveals how the team builds the brief, the early inspiration, and how music shaped this year’s story.
(36:00) How the Process Really Works
From open briefs to agency-wide idea generation and why everyone wants to work on the John Lewis Christmas ad.
(44:00) Story First, Product Second
Why John Lewis will always lead with emotion, not product, and how that shapes the creative process.
Useful Links
Get to know Franki Goodwin on LinkedIn
Follow Nicole Jones on LinkedIn
Touch base with Louise Brooks on LinkedIn
Connect with Billy Hamilton-Stent
Learn more from Jamie Fewery
For more information visit the Publicis Pro Website
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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