Kat writes: 

When petty meets piggy – Lidl’s ongoing skewering of M&S

Never one to miss an opportunity to take a pop at the bigger kids in class, Lidl has been at it again in their ongoing and open attempts to take a poke at M&S. Not content with taking the high ground on the Caterpillar cake wars – and the recent ad to that effect – they’ve also decided the champion the ‘little guy’ again in M&S’s recent open discourse with an ice cream parlour about use of Percy Pigs.

While M&S’s initial letter was actually praised for its tone and approach to curtailing copyright infringement, Lidl’s handwritten take and carte blanche approach to the Hitchin independent has upped the ante in the brand and charm stakes.

While M&S may be quintessentially British, there’s nothing more true to the tone of this nation than standing up for the little guy and attempting to puncture the pomposity of people seen as too corporate or too big for their boots. We know collabs are key at the moment – Lidl’s direct approach to spotting a viral moment and just going for it is bound to build some valuable brand goodwill.    

Grace writes: 

They say there’s nothing quite like spring in Paris. I recently went over to the French capital for the first time since I’ve lived there, and I’m here to tell you – when they say there’s nothing quite like spring in Paris, they’re absolutely bang on.

Despite my English rose-esque sunburn and blisters from walking upwards of 20,000 steps every day, I can’t fault a damn thing. Speaking French again (actually speaking, not doing a French accent in an over-priced trendy Frenglish cafe in London); seeing my sister’s photography exhibition and beaming with pride; retracing the steps I took at 21, 23 and 25; meeting old friends; poring over pages and pages in my favourite bookshop (NB: NOT Shakespeare and Co, I don’t understand queueing for Instagram photos and ignoring books) and sitting smoking and reading en terrasse – not to mention the copious amounts of wine, bread and steak – were just what the doctor ordered.

I love London, I always will, but Paris is a different way of life and, I’ll admit, I felt the pangs to move back! But one thing I didn’t realise until I got back home – in the midst of it, I forgot to eat a single croissant?!

Tom writes: 

Each year, the 1st June marks the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Originally celebrated to commemorate the heroic activists from the Stonewall riots of 1969, Pride Month has evolved drastically over the years, with cities and countries around the world hosting marches and festivals to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities.

Pride Month has also been established as a staple date in the adland calendar for advertising and PR campaigns. Some brands use this as an opportunity to promote needed change, such as Tinder’s partnership with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to end a 40-year-old policy that prevented blood donations from men who had sexual contact with other men, whereas others use Pride month as a hook for punchy PR campaigns that don’t always hit the mark.

Burger King’s infamous ‘two tops or two bottoms’ Pride Whopper fiasco was a classic example of a brand using Pride Month for clout, and one that clearly showed a lack of understanding of queer communities. For me, Pride celebrations steer clear of any virtue-signaling from international brands, and instead, this year, involved last-minute tickets to see Beyonce in London. You won’t Break our Soul, Burger King!

Photography of personnel: Raquel Diniz