Amplify Marketing Festival review | Scotland

Amplify 2024: A Festival for Ants? You Might Be Surprised

When I read that Amplify Marketing Festival had undergone a 2024 creative rebrand which featured ants, I admit I was a little perplexed. As a first-time attendee of this acclaimed Edinburgh event hosted by The Marketing Society, I wondered if I had missed something. Was it a surrealist nod to last year's theme of 'bringing humour back to the marketing world'?

Well, not exactly.

A deeper dig led to a much more profound explanation offered by Dentsu Creative, the event's esteemed creative partners:

‘This year's theme 'marketing for good' is about how our industry can positively impact the world. We have chosen to show this using ants as they represent the ideals of cooperation, hard work and resilience, with this festival being the space for each individual to express their creativity and unique point of view.’

Rebrand aside, if the goal was to showcase original and creative viewpoints, then it’s safe to say Amplify achieved this and then some.

Like a team of Avengers, the line-up introduced eleven leading figures in the Scottish marketing and communications industry to the stage, one by one. Each had their own unique style and qualities (read: superpowers, if you will) and over the course of the day we witnessed the distinct ways they approached the chosen topic, sometimes even engaging in intellectual battles amongst themselves, much to the delight of the eager attendees - many being industry leaders in their own right.

The challenge was uniting these diverse voices in a way that empowered the audience to make marketing decisions that benefit humankind and our planet.

Spoiler alert: they succeeded. Through a combination of insightful talks, thought-provoking debates and inspiring case studies, Amplify successfully empowered the audience to consider the broader impact of their marketing decisions.

Marketing for Good

Zara Janjua, highly commended at the Women of the Future Awards for her humanitarian efforts, expertly hosted the event. The day began with the annual Cannes Lions Review by Julian Boulding, Founder & President of thenetworkone.

He spoke of a recent shift away from corporate virtue signalling towards a much smaller number of companies actually demonstrating the work they're doing for good—and better yet—what the rest of us can do to help. Julian described this as a ‘Walking the Talk’ approach, highlighting electronics giant Philips’ ‘Refurb’ ad, which puts the onus on us as consumers to return items so that they can be resold at a lower price.

The theme of introspection recurred several times throughout the event, not least when Julian challenged the audience’s beliefs about women’s football with a short case study on the iconic French Women’s Team ad. For those who haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil the surprise—prepare to be inspired.

Orange - WoMen's Football (case study) (youtube.com)

A Fresh Perspective

Julian's Cannes Lions Review left us eager to experience the world's premier festival of creativity. If we weren't sold on it at that point, we soon would be. The inimitable Barrington Reeves, Creative Director & Founder of Too Gallus, captivated the audience with tales of networking, big deals and Cannes revelry. By the time he excitedly recalled being ‘stood on a table with a bottle of rosé’—it's safe to say a few emails to 'accounts' had already been fired off, hoping to set aside tickets for next year's Cannes. Barrington’s advice? Forget official passes—just book your flights, show up and take part.

This confidence to go against the grain was representative of Barrington’s whole speech. He candidly discussed the benefits of enjoying oneself while advancing professionally, essentially asking, ‘Why not have fun while making money?’ He encouraged everyone to ‘get out of Scotland’ to expand their horizons and grow their networks. He also shared his perspective on being a black man in a predominantly white industry—and country.

As a fellow black Scot, I found this segment particularly resonant, though I couldn’t help but notice it ruffled some feathers in the audience. Barrington’s confident assertion, though, was that if half the people in a room are immediately put off by his appearance and behaviour, it's actually beneficial because he can then focus on the remaining 50% who are receptive.

David Eustace: Humility, Hilarity, Laughter & Lessons

Shifting gears from Barrington's bold approach, the next speaker offered a starkly different yet equally impactful perspective. David Eustace, the renowned Glasgow portrait photographer, offered a masterclass in humility and humour. His hilarious, often tangential stories kept the audience in stitches, while subtly demonstrating the power of authenticity in an industry often fixated on self-promotion. His reluctance to directly discuss his talents and success was refreshingly endearing. He delivered perhaps the most engaging interview of the day without once speaking of his own achievements. If that's not 'Marketing for Good,' then what is?

AI in Marketing: A (Friendly) Discussion

It was after lunch that we were treated to the first mention of 2024’s biggest buzzword: ‘AI’. The Amplify Debate was contested over the notion that ‘AI is the best marketing tool ever’.

Arguing for the motion were Pete Martin, co-founder of Always Be Content, and Natalya Ratner, Marketing Director at Robotical.

Against the motion were Chris Marsh, Managing Director of Dentsu Edinburgh, and Cara Chambers, CMO at C&C Group.

The Marketing Society Scotland’s very own Chair Claire Prentice, also Head of Marketing for Brand Scotland, served as the Debate Chair.

The guest debaters presented harsh truths, wise lessons and—most importantly—distinct perspectives for the dozens of industry attendees to consider. This was not a space for mincing words or encouraging uniformity of opinions. One could tell their competitive instincts took over, with Marsh’s targeted dismantling of the ‘For’ team’s arguments exemplifying that no one was going through the motions here. It was good-natured, but competitive, fun - and we all learned a lot in the process.

The Ogilvy Lecture

In the afternoon, the ‘Father of Advertising’, David Ogilvy’s legacy lived on through the annual Ogilvy Lecture. Laura Vipond, Chief Growth Officer at Ogilvy, took the stage to initiate a conversation on ‘Marketing for Good’, before introducing Boots UK CMO Pete Markey for the day’s flagship speech.

What followed was a tender, insightful and personal lecture on everything from how to be a great leader to society’s growing trust for advertising and business as a whole. He highlighted the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer's surprising finding: business is now the most trusted institution, outranking NGOs, government and media.

While this is encouraging news for the business world, Pete emphasised that this increased trust only heightens our responsibility in shaping minds and attitudes across the world. ‘Be the change you want to see,’ he says. Again, the concept of actions speaking louder than words rang true across the lecture theatre.

Perhaps the most profound moment was when Pete shared his hesitance to create work for the LGBTQIA+ community because he’s not part of that community. He shared that a colleague responded, ‘That’s the point.’ It was another moment where introspection was highlighted as a means to overcome inaction. Hearing from such an experienced figure, at an international firm with a proven track record and reputation for doing good, was such an enlightening experience. It was a pleasure to be a part of. 

Agencies vs. Clients: The Battle Continues

The day concluded with the Creative Challenge, pitting Clients against Agencies for the 10th year running. They each pitched award-winning campaigns from across the world and encouraged the audience to vote for their ideas. Across a range of categories aligning with the festival’s theme, we watched showcases of ten inspiring campaigns and heard rousing pitches on both sides before the Agencies narrowly secured the win on a tiebreaker.

Continuing the Celebration

Of course, the fun wasn’t over there. The festivities continued with food, drinks, music and comedy into the evening for those keen to stick around. Even beyond the undeniable educational aspect, there really was something for everyone.

From the brazen and charismatic Barrington Reeves to the enigmatic humility of David Eustace, my takeaway from Amplify was clear: there’s no one-size-fits-all template for achieving a greater good through marketing. As demonstrated by our diverse group of marketing 'superheroes,' by staying true to our ideals and embracing creative individuality, we can come together to build something greater than the sum of its parts: marketing with true purpose.

As we headed home, the 'ants' theme resonated more clearly than ever. Like a colony of ants, each with its unique role, we left as a collective of marketers inspired to work together towards a greater good. Amplify's 'Avengers' and 'Ants' alike… Assemble for a brighter, more purposeful future in marketing.

Chris MacRae
Senior Account Director, Muckle Media

Published on 17 September 2024