Les Binet and Sarah Carter are back for our yearly special, tacking the biggest marketing stories of the year and what to focus on in 2026. We explore the power of consistency, disguised repetition, and why brands so often misunderstand campaigns. Les and Sarah explain why big brands can’t behave like small ones (and vice versa), how marketers can persuade businesses to invest more in the long term, and whether we’re seeing the end of the purpose era and a return to product-led growth. We also look ahead to the role of AI versus craft in advertising, and what the evidence suggests for the year ahead.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:38 - The year of consistency
05:26 - Disguised repetition
11:13 - Do we define campaigns wrong?
12:27 - Why you need to go big on your media spend
17:07 - Why big brands can’t market like small brands and vice versa
23:15 - How can you persuade your business to spend more
28:52 - Why don’t we do the long term work, despite the evidence
34:19 - Why everyone is wrong about CMO tenure
37:18 - Have we seen the end of the purpose era? (and the renaissance of product)
44:50 - AI vs craft in advertising

In this special crossover episode, we’re joined by Jimmy McLoughlin, host of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, to explore the intersection of politics, media, and marketing. Jimmy shares how he built one of the UK’s most influential political podcasts, landed interviews with the Prime Minister, and why big podcasts now rival traditional media in shaping public opinion.

We also compare the most impactful episodes from both shows, debate trust in marketing and politics, unpack why some of today’s biggest tech brands struggle with branding, and make the case for humour in advertising.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:37 - How Jimmy McLoughlin became a podcaster
04:21 - How Jimmy got the Prime Minister of the UK on the pod
08:50 - The power of big podcasts
11:43 - Why can’t politicians be honest?
12:56 - The top 5 episodes of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future
16:59 - The top 5 episodes of Uncensored CMO in 2025
21:25 - What episode has inspired Jimmy the most
23:27 - What episode has inspired Jon the most?
29:34 - What politician would Jon most like to interview?
30:33 - The danger of all the new podcasts being released
33:27 - The most untrustworthy professions; marketing and politics
34:39 - Webinars need a rebrand
35:56 - Why no marketer was involved with branding ChatGPT
37:27 - Monzo’s great marketing in 2025
39:33 - The serious case for humour in advertising
39:58 - The different types of happiness in advertising
41:46 - The shifting advertising landscape
46:13 - Approaching marketing like a politician
47:51 - Career advice in 2026 from Jimmy McLoughlin
49:20 - When politics and marketing collide

This week’s bonus episode comes from Never Mind the Adverts, hosted by Jon Evans and joined by returning Uncensored CMO guest Orlando Wood. Together, they look back on the biggest marketing stories, debates, and creative moments of 2025. Expect festive cheer, some interesting tipples, and a healthy dose of advertising showmanship.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:41 - Starting with some festive cheer
02:04 - The big news stories from 2025
02:20 - The multiplier effect
03:51 - The creative dividend
05:05 - The Cost of Dull Media
07:17 - Les Binet Go Big or Go Home
09:22 - The Wild West of Influencer Measurement
13:00 - How the pause screen has become an advertising channel
14:30 - Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle and Jaguar - The Crisis
16:15 - Mergers and WPP
17:26 - Drinks Trolley Break
19:00 - Jon’s highlight - awards
20:12 - Orlando Wood’s highlight of 2025
21:46 - Rory Sutherland vs Scott Galloway
22:35 - Jon and Alix Earle in Cannes
23:52 - Jon cycles up a mountain with Zwift
25:12 - Becoming trustee for the History of Advertising Trust
26:42 - The History of Christmas Advertising with a special guest
33:10 - Who won Christmas in 2025?
34:27 - Aldi and Kevin the Carrot
35:18 - Waitrose’s strong Christmas showing
36:28 - The most viewed Christmas Ads on YouTube
37:25 - Amazon re-airing their Christmas ad this year
38:20 - The growth of Christmas Ads in 2025
39:47 - The right brained nature of the successful Christmas ads
40:51 - The Coca Cola AI Christmas Ad
43:23 - The Never Mind the Adverts Awards
44:02 - System1 Star of the Year
44:51 - System1 Turkey of the Year
45:32 - Name that ad