Jon Leney

First and foremost I’m a copywriter. I love the power of words to create powerful messages even when budgets are tight and formats are challenging. I was a judge for DMAs in the Copywriting Category in 2021. Here’s a selection of long form copy and short form headlines I’ve written.

This campaign to put nature at the heart of the climate debate, by mainstreaming the term Nature Positive, was described as the stand out campaign at COP27 and COP15. It featured the biodiversity stripes as branding for the communications, but rather than simply using them as a metric of decline, we used them as a symbol of hope to show how a nature positive world can be achieved. Won Best Environmental Cause at Campaign’s Purpose Awards 2023.

Royal Mail Marketreach wanted to show that contrary to popular opinion, mail can be surprisingly sustainable. This B2B campaign aimed at business decision makers showed how by making the right choices, such as sourcing paper from certified forests, mail can be regenerative, plus it can be recycled up to 7 times. Meanwhile thanks to innovations in the paper and ink process, and the decarbonising of Royal Mail’s fleet with electric vehicles, the mail process is contributing to the circular economy. We invited people to rethink using the line Discover the Circular Advantage of Mail, and creating a 360 campaign using film, social and digital tools, alongside OOH, Press and of course Direct Mail itself to communicate its sustainability credentials. Shortlisted at DMA, Festival of Media and Edie awards. https://www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-sustainability

Film showing the blood, toil, tears, sweat... and inspiration that lies behind 'climate creativity', by showcasing what it takes to be an Earthshot prize winner.

We Mean Business is a leading environmental coalition of NGOs that works with the world’s most influential businesses to take action on climate change. For COP26, we created a rallying cry to address the vital need to stick to the Paris agreement goals, and to engage business leaders and employees of the world’s leading companies to get behind the 1.5 goal, to show the steps they are taking, and calling on government to ensure policy is enacted that allows real action by the business community to take place. The idea, All in for 1.5, and the accompanying look and feel, which showed through ‘mosaics’ made up of the faces of business figures and employees, the collective action taking place by participating companies. It was seen across COP26 at the Business Pavilion, as well on social media, on WMB’s website and in the mainstream media.

With the help of Mercury nominated artist, Self Esteem and simple animation, we told the horrific story of how it takes women on average 7 years to leave an abusive relationship. The work was nominated at The Drum Awards for Best Fundraising and at UK Content Awards in the Crisis Response Category.

Digital, social and experiential campaign promoting organic Swedish produce to the UK. Agency: Revolt

OOH, Digital

Your Data Self is a record of your data that companies see when you apply for credit. As part of the ongoing Data Self campaign, we created a series of OOH and digital executions featuring comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Agency: BBH

CRM, Social, Digital, OOH, Press

I have worked on two campaigns for Hiscox at two different agencies. One to promote Hiscox small business insurance using CRM, Social, OOH and digital. The other to launch Hiscox motor insurance, through a series of press ads. Here we positioned Hiscox as the insurance that only a certain type of car (and owner) deserved. 

Print. Digital.

Campaign promoting BA holidays to southern Africa. Agency: BBH

TV Sponsorship Idents

Content, Digital, Social, Print, Retail - Bronze@DMAs

How we told the public that the new iPhone was available on Virgin Media. With #phonerumour, we created social and digital content in the form of a series of animated films suggesting what the new phone could do. Picked up Bronze at the DMAs.  Agency: Rapp

TVC

We won the pitch for Marriott Hotels. As well as their digital output, we produced work to promote their sponsorship of the London Rugby Sevens, including this TV spot comparing the dedication of fans to players. Agency: Engine

Social, Digital

Fintech brand Earnd helped businesses pay their people as they earned. No more waiting for a monthly payday. No more borrowing from lenders. We highlighted the absurdity of waiting for your pay by comparing it to other bizarre things, to wake the world up to a new way of living.

Agency: VentureThree

Integrated, POS, Content

Under the theme Bring it On! We created work in all channels for this fast moving retail account which took on the big boys of the betting world.  Agency: Engine

B2B - CRM, Social, Digital.

ACCA are the world’s largest global accountancy body for finance professionals. I was CD and lead copywriter on this B2B account, which responsible for all their output. Our output comprised social, CRM and the organisations owned digital channels. We needed to speak to finance professionals, either to promote membership or specific training programmes, as well as targeting employers to hire ACCA qualified accountants. While the content needed to be professional, we sought to inject a playful tone of voice wherever possible.

TV, OOH, Digital and Print

ATL Campaign promoting Virgin Media’s V6 box, and Direct Response campaign promoting Virgin Media bundles. Agency: BBH

Integrated

One big account with four parts to it.  As CD, I oversaw and created work in every channel from DRTV to social engagement for VM's Broadband, TV and Mobile services.  Agency: Rapp

Film, Digital, Print, In App

Campaign to keep customers safe online, in partnership with Norton 360. We segmented 3 audiences - millennials, families and retirees showing threats relevant to them and featuring them bossing fraud. Agency: BBH

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OOH, POS and Digital

While other banks’ rewards schemes give you a one off payment, Barclays give you rewards that go on and on. We illustrated this through a simple visual campaign. Agency: BBH

Content, Digital, Direct

Finalist in Campaign Big Awards. A prospect relationship management programme targeting high net worth individuals, that used digital and direct channels to tell modern stories about the legendary car brand.  We created a series of online films called 21st Century Legends. 

Agency: Engine

I was ECD on global pet healthcare brand, Elanco, developing a digital personalised loyalty and reminders programme ‘Your Pet and You’ within the My Elanco portal. Detailed journey mapping allowed us to understand each stage of the pet lifecycle to create interventions at every touchpoint through the creation of highly personalised web tools and email comms that reminded and rewarded timely dosage and encouraged purchase of the Credelio and Bravecto products, through the overarching theme of ‘Big Little Wins’. Personalisation allowed ‘pet parents’ to choose emojis that resembled their pets and even name the login area of the site after their pets. I developed a fun, emotive tone of voice, and visual style for a sector that often presents itself as clinical and functional. https://yourpetandyou.elanco.com/us

TVC, Social, Digital, Press and Instore

Tesco’s position as the home of great value had been undermined by other supermarkets, and Aldi in particular. With the economic uncertainty bought on by COVID, shoppers were looking for great value staples from a name they could trust. Using simple animation In TV and social, we demonstrated how across a wide range of products, you won’t pay more at Tesco than at Aldi. Agency: BBH

TV, Print, OOH, digital, In store

Back when we got the brief to take John Lewis on to TV for the first time, who would have thought they would become Britain’s favourite TV advertiser and the most coveted creative brief in adland? I created John Lewis' first TV adverts with my then partner Rich Donovan, using the analogy of the seasons and stand out music tracks from electronica DJ and producer Steve Cobby of Fila Brazilia and classical composer Ludovico Einaudi. We also created numerous press, in store and digital campaigns and an award nominated taxi side.  Agency: DDB

Rebrand, Digital, Film, Instore

We rebranded Next’s denim offering to create ‘My Denim’ brand. Working with a UX designer, we streamlined the jeans into 7 overarching categories for next.co.uk and in store, to help customers know which fit and style is right for them. We showcased them in a film featuring 7 girls, which showed a day in ‘My Denim.’ It achieved a 27.5% growth for the denim category and moved Next to the number 1 slot for denim (overtaking New Look & Topshop). It increased sales by 1/3. Agency: BBH

Print and Digital

When you buy an approved Audi, you get more than just an approved Audi. Agency: BBH

Two direct pieces which picked up at Campaign Big, DMAs and Cannes Lions.