Safely cosseted in an ad-free world of boxset streaming, it had been a while since I’d seen a ‘normal’ ad break. But watching a film one night I noticed there was something that felt kind of off. I put it down to the annoyance of having ‘The Martian’ interrupted by people trying to sell me things. But the next day, about to start flicking through the channels in a break, I noticed it again. Only when the announcer read out the caveat that the next programme was filmed ‘pre-social distancing’ did it click.

What the UK's coronavirus campaign can teach us about messaging that resonates.

When the team at Zenzic approached us in 2019 with an idea for a video, little did we know this wasn’t to be just any promo film. Having created and launched the Zenzic website earlier in the year, we were raring to get back in the realm of connected and automated mobility (CAM).

When in doubt, where do we go? If we have a burning question, or a sudden desire, who do we ask? As my beloved Granny said, when I asked for some gardening advice, ‘Just Google it!’

Our latest series, the ifour Lockdown Chronicles, offers a sneak-peek into the realities of working from home during the COVID-19 crisis. From fence weaving and virtual pub quizzes to makeshift noticeboards, we’re lifting the lid on the ‘new not-so-normal’ for the ifour team.

Over the last few weeks, many games developers and publishers have been hammering home the idea of #PlayApartTogether. The aim of the movement is to encourage individuals to connect with friends via the artistic medium of video games during this period of strict isolation. Which is definitely more interesting than staring into your cereal for hours on end.

Our latest series, the ifour Lockdown Chronicles, offers a sneak-peek into the realities of working from home during the COVID-19 crisis. From DIY haircuts and wildlife rescues to remote client calls and radio appearances, we’re lifting the lid on the ‘new not-so-normal’ for the ifour team.

We know we’re in murky waters. There’s so much uncertainty about what we should do, as marketers, as consumers, as individuals. But we’re all being more empathetic, to ourselves and others. Ad spends and marketing budgets have been paused, shaken up or slashed, so as marketers we are all trying to find new ways to reach out to our audiences. And yet, ad space is still available and there to be filled (and there is only so much Netflix/Prime/Disney+ we can all watch before we turn back to conventional broadcast channels). So we thought we would take a look at some of the best of the Corona-era ads to see who’s embracing the newly open, honest and emotive vibe whilst sticking to their brand strategy.