Ad Power, the UK’s first self-service platform to book mainstream audio & outdoor media in minutes, is inviting the next generation of brands to embark on a relationship with outdoor and audio advertising. The Global offshoot is sending Love Letters to 100 SMEs in a campaign by Stink Studios. The recipients span different industries, audiences and stages of growth – from self-care brand, Grace & Stella and bakery, Bread Ahead to women’s health start-up, Daye; natural deodorant company, AKT; & reusable bottle brand, Ocean Bottle.

Every letter is personalised to its recipient, weaving in references unique to the brand, from “Wrap me in seaweed, and let’s spread the word ” for the UK’s first build your own sushi concept, SushiDog, to “Your velure demure is pure allure, and I want to hold it up for all to see” for cult TikTok womenswear brand, Kaiia, known for its soft hoodies, giving each business its own piece of creative. The letter is written from the perspective of the billboard, for luxury footcare specialists, Margaret Dabbs, the copy starts “I know this is a long shot. I don’t have any feet and that’s what you’re all about. But let me tell you, this relationship has legs.” 

To give the campaign its distinctive look, all 100 letters were individually typed on a typewriter, embracing the imperfections, textures and physicality of analogue creation. The letters were then photographed, turning each one into a unique, one-of-a-kind billboard.

The ads will run on billboards close to the brand’s offices or stores, putting the personalised Love Letters message directly in front of the founders and teams behind the businesses.

Kat Thomas, creative director, Stink Studios, commented, “We love the symmetry of one of the oldest media types (billboards) getting a modern revamp with a new platform, and using an old school typewriter to craft messages to new brands. With one hundred singular gestures, we’ve drawn on our out-of-home expertise and our history working with brands to understand what makes each business distinctive. We’ve then translated that insight into a personalised experience and a large-scale expression of love and respect for every brand that features in the campaign, built with craft and genuine human effort.”

Miranda Mathews, director, AdPower, stated, “Many SME brands have spent years flirting with the idea of brand advertising, especially in iconic places like the Tube, on a London bus, or alongside household-name brands like Heart and Capital. But for many, that world has historically felt complicated or out of reach. AdPower was created to change that – making premium media much easier for small but ambitious businesses to access. We hope ‘Love Letters’ helps more small and medium sized businesses turn a long-held interest in brand advertising into something real.” 

‘Love Letters’ is the first part of a major marketing campaign that includes brand-building outdoor across the UK, starting in late September, on Street Hubs, Billboards by Global and the Transport for London network, radio adverts on Global’s brands including Heart and Capital, and an AV campaign to follow this autumn. 

Ed Currie & Andy Coxon, co-founders of AKT, commented, “When we received our Love Letter, we did what any self-respecting West End alumni would do. We read it out loud, dramatically, more than once. It was a proper ‘pinch me’ moment. We built AKT from a kitchen experiment in Camden into a brand people are obsessed with and loyal to. This recognition is the ultimate validation that AKT is a genuine contender ready for an even bigger stage. It honestly means the world.

“Outdoor and audio play a massive role in the next stage of AKT’s brand-building, giving us the chance to build a different kind of trust by showing up in the real world, not just on our customers’ feeds. AdPower’s ads are unmissable because they are unscrollable. The Love Letter campaign shows that mainstream advertising isn’t just for brands with the biggest budgets, but those with the boldest stories.”

Caroline Finn, chief marketing officer at Grace & Stella, added, “We’re all about creating little feel-good moments that have big impact in people’s busy lives, so having AdPower’s Love Letter campaign help us bring our own brand promise to life to a bigger audience means so much. Having  Grace & Stella on a billboard was a goal of mine when I joined Grace & Stella, which makes it even more exciting. There’s already such a buzz in the office and everyone is coming out to see it.”

The 100 brands featured in the campaign

AKT London, Bad Brownie, Bound, Bread Ahead, Brindisa, Buller + Rice, Byway Travel, Cane & Grain, Cheddar, Coq Boutique, Crazy Pedro’s, Cutter & Squidge, Cuvva, Daye, DCYPHER, Delhicious, Dinny Hall, Dizziak, Dreem Distillery, East London Liquor Co, Equi London, Federal Cafe Bar, Forest, Form Lifestyle Store, Frive, Grace & Stella, Graham and Green, Hayman’s Gin, Heartcore, Hello Klean, Honi Poke, Housekeep, Hunter & Gather, Joe & Seph, Josh Wood Colour, Kaiia, Koru Kids, Kricket, Labour and Wait, Laylo, London Sock Company, Margaret Dabbs London, Merry Go Round, Much Better Adventures, MyoMaster, Neem London, Nell’s Pizza, Neya Technologies, Nonna Bakery, Nugget Savings, Ocean Bottle, Old Spike Roastery, Olio, Ova, Padium, Pause Studio, Peachaus, Percy & Reed, Perello, Pollen Bakery, Pophams Bakery, Pott’d, Puresport, Reboxed, Redemption Roasters, Resi, Roarsome, Sacred Spirits, Salford Rum, Scamp & Dude, Seep, SIX Physio, Sixes Cricket, SKN to SKN, Sofa Club, Sons, Sureshot Brewing, Surreal, SushiDog, The Curators, The Makers Market, The Nunhead Gardener, The Seam, The Tenth, The What Supp Co, Track Brewing Co, Troubadoor Goods, Tuggs, Ultra Violette, Unplugged, Updraft, Urban, Urban Greens, Urban Jungle, Uskees, Volcano Coffee Works, Waggel, Workshop Coffee, Yard & Coop, Yum Bun.

Credits
Client: AdPower 
Director: Miranda Mathews 
Head of Marketing: Jenna Herman
Senior Brand Designer: Jacqui Lee
Designer: Kevin Kremer
Campaign Manager: Sophie Waller
Head of Customer Success & Proposition: Philip Irons
Head of Business Strategy & Operations: Digby Flitton
Senior Outdoor Operations Manager: Katherine Mou 
Managing Director Marketing, Global: Simon Barnabas 

Creative Agency: Stink Studios
Executive Creative Directors: Rick Dodds &  Cameron Temple
Creative Director: Kat Thomas
Senior Creatives: Eytan Smith & Duncan Temple
Creatives: Tom Norland, Eliza Beresford & Ben Howell
Managing Executive Producer: Vicki Banwell
Producer: Meg Everett
Head of Strategy: Tom Barnes
Head of Design: Viv Greywoode
Designer: Ben Potts
Motion and VFX Director & Photographer: Tim Gardiner
Business Director: Ben Ingle