As the world paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on her death at the age of 96. Britain has lost its longest-serving monarch and has entered 10 days of national mourning. On the other hand the British advertising industry joined in the tributes paid to the Queen. Various broadcasters, news outlets and media companies spent years planning special editorial coverage and industry executives had to spend Thursday afternoon (September 8) rearranging media schedules and plans, before the official announcement of his death at 6:30 p.m. Many media owners, from ITV to MailMetroMedia to Ocean Outdoor, said they had temporarily suspended some or most advertising.
Paul Bainsfair, Chief Executive of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), said: “It is with heavy hearts that we hear the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was Head of State and our Queen all our lives and she was revered around the world for her wisdom and sense of duty. The greatest honor bestowed upon the IPA in its long history was when Her Majesty bestowed our Royal Charter in 2015. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family as the nation enters a period of mourning.
The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) said: “Everyone at ISBA is deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. All of our thoughts are with the Royal Family at what will be a moment of great sadness.” ITV said its main channel would run special news programs and no advertising during its coverage of the Queen’s death for the first 24 hours, Mail Metro Media told agencies it would not run any advertising across all of its print and digital platforms for at least 24 hours, and Ocean Outdoor has dropped all advertising on its digital screens, including the Piccadilly Lights, in favor of a tribute message to the Queen.
A branch manager, who was involved in reorganizing plans, said: “We’ve been talking to our customers all day. This is having a huge effect on all of our clients – not only pulling their ads, but also revamping their media placements for when things come back. When your brand starts advertising again, you want to make sure your ads are appropriate. »
A second agency executive said, “I have pretty much every advertiser who wants to be off air for at least 24 hours. Some advertisers will make a business decision, others will just protect their brand.
After the funeral, industry executives don’t expect a return to all publicity.
