OPEN Media & CPB London: Offering Britain an uplifting antidote to the UK’s ‘gloom and doom’

13 July 2023

Conventionally known across the globe for our Royal Family, our Cool Britannia spirit, our stoicism and unparalleled patience (cue the queues), in a post-Brexit landscape unsettled by a cost-of-living crisis and an impending recession, do these traditional notions of Britishness ring true and reflect the current reality?

In recent years, it’s fair to say that we as a nation have experienced somewhat of an identity crisis – perhaps compounded by recent events, including several Prime ministers later and the Partygate scandal…

Committed to seeking out some truths on this, leading creative agency CPB London (our partner in this year’s unmissable International Women’s Day campaign) set out to unravel what exactly Britishness means today.

In conducting a poll of 2,000+ UK adults, the agency set out to understand the thoughts, feelings and anxieties of the modern British public, alongside the views of over 100+ global counterparts.

The research affirmed that many Brits currently have a dystopian view of the country’s future, with 78% found to not be optimistic about the current state of the nation.

What’s more, the findings indicated that Brits generally have lost a sense of their core values and that we as Brits are generally viewed more negatively by our international friends.

A pretty bleak picture all round, right?

Determined to alter some of the negative preconceptions surrounding British culture, OPEN Media are proud to announce their latest collaboration with CPB London – an uplifting, national campaign which looks to ‘rebrand Britishness’.

Kicking off earlier this week (during what is dubbed to be a summer of modern Britishness), the campaign entitled The A to Z of Brilliant Britishness seeks to highlight that for every bad thing about current life in the UK, there’s also plenty worth celebrating – as well as lots to feel proud of and grateful for.

Adding to a host of other marketing initiatives, as the sole and exclusive out of home media partner for the campaign, OPEN will be working to drive awareness of The A-Z of Brilliant Britishness nationally, through showcasing the campaign across the OPEN Connect network, alongside social media amplification.

“The A-Z of Brilliant Britishness was created to remind us cynical Brits that it’s not all bad. There’s so much to be proud of, from our food, to our music, to our brands. Our hope is that it cracks a few smiles on our predictably grey and rainy summer days.

Working with the team at OPEN Media has allowed us to amplify and scale the campaign across the UK, and ensure more Brits feel the love. Not only does the work look incredible, but the team is another reminder of British things to be proud of.”

Helen JamesCEO, CPB Europe.

“Owing to our longstanding relationship as well as collaboration across previous campaigns – including the recent Double Standards campaign for IWD, the decision to work with CPB London to support their latest A-Z of Brilliant Britishness campaign was a no brainer for us.

With the objective to celebrate the positive aspects of British culture at scale, the campaign is a natural fit for OPEN Media with a national footprint of sites and the ability to reach audiences in 12 core cities across the UK.”

Mike SmithCEO, OPEN Media.

Launching this week, the campaign will be live nationwide through the remainder of July and August across the OPEN Connect network.