Gruen (2015 - 2026)

This week the panel looks at the rise of one brand, & the fall of another; controversial car-sharing app Uber; & cheating website Ashley Madison. Can an ad agency convince us we need a home grown royal family?

Brands love to be loved, but the far stranger phenomenon is when people really love brands. Enter Aldi. How does an airline advertise? Can two agencies convince us that the great Australian dream is NOT owning a home?

As he tours the USA, Gruen looks at Pope Francis as a brand, & all the brands who are cashing in on him; the stuffed-crust pizza wars; & a pitch to restore our faith in politicians, from the next generation of creatives.

Gruen examines the ad breaks in the footy grand finals. Who exactly is being sold to and what's the value of being a major sponsor? Plus ad agency DDB takes the competition in house in a pitch challenge to ban divorce.

The team deconstructs the latest advertising trend: anti-advertising. And they take a look at the communication around the issue of domestic and family violence including a recent ad targeted at teens.

We look at toilet paper ads to ask why something white, square & occasionally embossed sells itself using puppies & kids; YouTube pre-rolls; & a Pitch to convince us that Australia should manufacture nuclear weapons.

The Gruen team talk about when sledging meets marketing - ads that go negative & what to do when your brand is in the news for the wrong reasons. Toyota, ISIS & a Pitch to convince multi-national companies to pay tax.

The Gruen team looks at blockbusters & their merchandising; the ads that pretend to be movies - like the star-studded 16 minute film for James Packer's new casino & they look at the most expensive commercial ever made.

Wil Anderson, Todd Sampson & Russel Howcroft unwrap some Christmas ads & look at their favourite ad of the year. How kids are used to sell plus two agencies show us that wrinkles can be sexy in The Pitch.