The Drum Awards winners that proved humor is marketing’s sharpest weapon

With entries now open for the The Drum Awards for Marketing 2026, this yr’s manufacturers have a brand new benchmark to beat. Listed here are among the 2025 winners that proved humor nonetheless works when it’s courageous, exact and constructed on actual perception.

Paddy Energy ‘Europe’s Favourites’ (Gold)

When England arrived at Euro 2024 as match favorites, Paddy Power constructed a marketing campaign across the acquainted mixture of swagger and skepticism that follows the group into each main competitors. An Irish bookmaker overtly backing England added friction, notably with European rivalries nonetheless carrying political undertones.

The 60-second TV spot staged mock interviews with European followers who warmly listed their “favourite” English qualities, from German reward for “humility in success” to French admiration for “gracious exits.” Each praise was delivered as if it had been honest, which made the punchline sharper.

Casting Danny Dyer alongside former England striker Peter Crouch rooted the satire in soccer bravado. The concept stretched past broadcast right into a 3,000-person penalty shootout, the launch of ‘Paddy Fairlines’ transporting followers to the match and a horror-style social trailer imagining a Scotsman watching England raise the trophy.

Throughout the match, the marketing campaign generated extra on-line dialog than Adidas and delivered Paddy Energy’s strongest TV efficiency in eight years. In exaggerating long-standing rivalries and presenting them with a straight face, the model turned match nervousness into leisure that traveled far past match day.

Snickers ‘Mourinho’s Personal Aim No No’s’ (Gold) 

Forward of Euro 2024, Snickers constructed on its ‘Own Goal ’ platform by specializing in the type of errors that dwell without end in group chats. Missed predictions, untimely celebrations, ill-timed boasts. In soccer season, embarrassment travels quick and barely dies quietly.

To ship the warning, Snickers enlisted José Mourinho. Working with T&Pm, the model developed what it described as the primary licensed, fan-controlled superstar deepfake. A customized AI system skilled on Mourinho’s post-match interviews recreated his voice, expressions and cadence inside strict model and expertise parameters. By means of an internet app and a WhatsApp bot, followers may generate personalised video messages during which Mourinho addressed their pals immediately, calling out their newest “personal purpose” with trademark deadpan authority.

The humor labored as a result of it felt dangerously near actual. Mourinho’s supply carried the burden of each press convention followers had watched earlier than. The AI was introduced as a device for mischief inside non-public chats, the place soccer banter already thrives. With the joke within the palms of supporters and letting Mourinho do the scolding, Snickers stored its long-running starvation message intact whereas turning rising tech into one thing followers may deploy on one another.

Subway ‘Footlongest Summer season of Sport’ (Gold)

Subway entered 2024 needing to regain floor in lunch, the place visitors had softened and specialist opponents had been gaining traction. With international consideration fastened on Paris and monitor occasions, the model noticed a chance to connect itself to sport in a manner that felt distinctive.

Whereas most manufacturers chased the headline disciplines, Subway threw its weight behind the area of interest sports activities, briefly having fun with airtime. Occasions that often sit outdoors primetime protection had been handled with outsized enthusiasm, with Subway positioning itself as their loudest supporter. A refreshed All-Star menu and a broad above-the-line marketing campaign amplified that stance, giving smaller competitions the type of highlight often reserved for medal favorites.

Gentle consumer penetration rose by 7 share factors, perceptions that Subway “serves meals I crave” elevated by 4 factors and “has a variety of more healthy choices” improved by 6 factors. By celebrating the underdogs and giving them middle stage, Subway discovered a strategy to stand out throughout a summer season dominated by greater sponsors and larger budgets.

Ikea ‘Mattress Progress By Getting The Nation Off Their Screens And Into Mattress’ (Gold)

Ikea entered the beds and mattresses market trailing specialist manufacturers, with many consumers questioning whether or not it was a severe sleep contender. It wanted to strengthen high quality perceptions and construct a clearer affiliation with good sleep.

iProspect labored with broadcasters, podcast networks and social platforms to insert bedtime prompts into locations designed to maintain folks awake. ITV continuity bulletins throughout prime-time exhibits reminiscent of The Voice urged viewers flip off the tv and head to mattress. Acast podcasts featured intentionally drowsy segments, together with Jessie Ware calmly studying out 200 greens. Placements throughout TikTok, Meta and Reddit echoed the identical message, interrupting scroll time with reminders that sleep is perhaps the higher choice.

Mattress consideration and high quality perceptions improved, gross sales elevated and natural search curiosity climbed. After encouraging audiences to cease watching and begin resting, Ikea strengthened its declare within the class and transformed that credibility into measurable progress.

Peppa Pig ‘Mummy Pig’s Being pregnant Announcement Breaks The Web’ (Silver)

Peppa Pig stays a preschool staple, however Hasbro and PrettyGreen discovered a strategy to pull the model squarely into grownup dialog. The hook was deliciously absurd: deal with a cartoon pig’s being pregnant like a worldwide superstar announcement and let the actual information cycle run with it.

Branded as ‘pig information,’ Mummy Pig’s being pregnant was revealed with the complete drama of a prime-time unique. She gave her first ever televised interview, breaking the fourth wall and answering questions as if she had been a family identify fielding press after the Met Gala. The joke labored as a result of it was performed fully straight. Each beat mirrored the tone of a real leisure scoop, which made the premise land more durable.

Inside 24 hours, the story generated greater than 800 items of protection, 127m TikTok views and 1.26m engagements. Peppa Pig captured a 75% share of voice throughout earned media versus opponents. In trusting adults to benefit from the absurdity, the model turned a fictional being pregnant into headline information and a preschool property into dinner-table dialog.

Lidl ‘Only a Lidl Bit’ (Silver)

To advertise its Lidl Plus ‘Coupon Plus’ affords, Lidl revived a slice of 90s pop with full grocery store theatrics. The marketing campaign reworked Gina G’s hit ‘(Ooh Aah) Only a Little Bit’ right into a ‘Middle Aisle ’ music video, full with checkout choreography and a figuring out nod to the chain’s famously unpredictable particular buys.

Fronted by Martine McCutcheon, the movie handled weekly offers like chart-topping drama, swapping romantic eager for worth cuts and turning the bagging space right into a stage. The humor got here from elevating on a regular basis grocery purchasing to pop video spectacle, performed straight and carried out at full quantity.

The video generated widespread PR protection, sturdy social traction and a notable uplift in Lidl Plus app engagement. Pairing 90s nostalgia with low cost retail, gave Lidl’s loyalty scheme a hook that buyers may sing alongside to.

Greggs ‘Bag Some Pleasure: The Gameshow’ (Silver)

Greggs has spent the previous few years increasing past its repute as a conventional bakery and positioning itself as a contemporary food-on-the-go model. That evolution known as for promoting that felt greater than product photographs and worth boards.

Drummond Central responded with a full-blown gameshow constructed round the concept Greggs meals is its personal reward. ‘Bag Some Joy ’ handled sausage rolls and bakes as grand prizes, with contestants competing for the type of snack often picked up between errands. The humor got here from inflating the stakes. Studio lights, dramatic reveals and presenter patter framed on a regular basis pastries as life-changing wins.

The marketing campaign showcased the model’s playful streak whereas giving its menu middle stage. Wrapping its merchandise within the construction of a tv gameshow turned a well-recognized buy into leisure and reminded audiences that typically the prize actually is only a sausage roll.

Currys Repairs ‘Strongman Issues, Stronger Options’ (Silver)

Currys needed extra folks to realize it repairs damaged tech, even merchandise purchased elsewhere. That message by itself not often grabs consideration, so Platform Media constructed a social collection round somebody who seems virtually indestructible: former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Corridor.

The four-part comedy paired Corridor with ‘Gary,’ a gradual Currys customer support assistant tasked with guiding him by way of a string of self-inflicted tech disasters. Corridor crushed, dropped and mishandled devices with the boldness of somebody who can pull vans however can’t handle a pill. Gary stayed calm, strolling him by way of repairs step-by-step. Watching the world’s strongest man decreased to calling tech help created the joke with out anybody having to clarify it, and the restore service turned a part of the punchline moderately than the pitch.

Launched throughout expertise channels and social platforms, the collection handed 17m views, exceeding its KPI by 94%. Engagement on Currys’ personal channels rose sharply, with web follower progress up 163% in the course of the marketing campaign interval. The collection revealed restore steerage as character-driven comedy, making the service a part of the story moderately than the promote.

Daz ‘Fancy Cleansing For Everybody’ (Silver)

Daz has lengthy been one among Britain’s extra joyful detergent manufacturers, however BlueSun and YOU Company needed to reconnect it with youthful households who’re used to skipping previous conventional cleansing advertisements. The marketing campaign, titled ‘Yes It Daz,’ put web character Troy Hawke on the middle of that effort, turning the weekly wash into one thing unexpectedly grand.

Hawke, identified for his exaggerated manners and mock refinement, delivered breathless encouragement to the British public as they tackled laundry. Overflowing baskets and cussed stains had been described with the reverence often reserved for wonderful eating or grand estates. Inexpensive detergent was spoken about as if it had been a luxurious indulgence. The comedy sat in that imbalance, with on a regular basis cleansing handled like excessive ceremony.

Throughout TV, social and OOH, the marketing campaign generated 24m social impressions, achieved a 56% video completion price and reached greater than 10m folks. Optimistic sentiment reached 81%, and shopper relatability rose by 35 factors. The aristocratic remedy made Daz stand out in a class dominated by lab coats and technical guarantees.

British Hen Welfare Belief ‘A Royal Rehoming of the One Millionth Hen’ (Silver)

Every year, industrial hens attain the top of their laying cycle and are culled. For almost 20 years, the British Hen Welfare Trust has rehomed them as pets. When the charity approached its one-millionth hen, the milestone risked passing with little greater than a well mannered press launch.

Glad Yolk determined the hen deserved a story. Teasers confirmed her touring by carriage, boat, automobile and horseback, as if she had been en path to one thing far grander than a yard coop. A riddle narrated by Bob Mortimer stirred hypothesis on-line. David Beckham, Deborah Meaden and Lulu Guinness amplified the thriller, whereas Guinness created a handcrafted royal hen provider that shortly turned the marketing campaign’s most photographed element.

The reveal gave the buildup its payoff: the one-millionth hen was rehomed by King Charles III. The journey from industrial farm to royal residence generated 1.8m impressions, constructive sentiment above 95% and a surge in attain and engagement that continued months later. A rescue hen arriving at a royal doorstep proved way more shareable than any press launch may have been.

Wash & Go ‘The Academy of Banter’ (Bronze)

Wash & Go has been a part of British loos because the late 80s, however competing in opposition to haircare manufacturers with far bigger budgets calls for invention. For a number of years, the model has aligned itself with soccer followers aged 18–35, constructing recognition by way of match tie-ins and influencer partnerships.

For Euro 2024, You Company targeted on one among soccer’s least glamorous traditions: the beer bathe. When a purpose goes in, pints fly. Celebrations flip sticky. Hair takes the hit. The marketing campaign turned that ritual into an anthem, transforming ‘It’s Raining Males’ into ‘It’s Raining Beer ’ and positioning Wash & Go because the unlikely hero of post-match cleanup. Soccer influencer Mark Goldbridge helped carry the joke, encouraging followers to embrace the chaos and put together for it.

By centering the work on a messy, acquainted fan expertise and giving it a chant-worthy soundtrack, Wash & Go stored itself seen throughout a match dominated by greater sponsors. When the beer comes down, the punchline writes itself.

Dulcolax ‘Pooping Princesses’ (Bronze)

Analysis commissioned by Dulcolax discovered that one in seven ladies in Portugal keep away from utilizing public bathrooms as a result of they had been taught as kids that going to the toilet was soiled or improper. These habits contribute to constipation, notably amongst women and younger ladies who develop up absorbing that discomfort.

Weber Shandwick responded by transforming the picture of the flawless fairy-tale heroine. The campaign launched a forged of princesses seated comfortably on bathrooms, robes pooled round them, asserting their must poo with out apology. Created utilizing a customized generative AI mannequin developed with Adobe, the characters mirrored a broader vary of identities than conventional storybook royalty. The visuals ran throughout social and greater than 200 digital OOH placements nationwide, alongside an Instagram AR filter that remodeled customers into their very own model of a pooping princess.

The work prolonged right into a kids’s e book titled The Princess and the Poo, which depicted royal characters matter-of-factly excusing themselves in settings from yoga lessons to public speeches. It’s laborious to cling to bathroom disgrace when a princess in a tiara is calmly saying she must go.