20 Moments for 20 Years of Drummond Central

Since 2007, Drummond Central’s partnership with the global betting giant bet365 has produced countless epic campaigns. This 17-year collaboration is packed with memorable moments, enough to fill this list alone, but here are four that really stand out. 

This was the first TV ad bet365 had ever made. Strategically placed first in the breaks during live football games, it was the first time Live-Odds were introduced to the world – something Drummond Central created in-house, later to become the industry standard. In-Play betting was also introduced here, again, later becoming the global industry standard. The Burt Kwok ad included so many firsts, not just for the agency, but for the gambling industry as a whole. 

For over 16 years, Ray Winstone was the iconic face of bet365 (as seen here in 2010). The work Drummond Central created with Ray helped to cement bet365 as the world's favourite betting company. As bet365 expanded into international territories, the agency introduced new figureheads, including the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Travis Fimmel and Aaron Paul, to name a few. 

To encourage responsible gambling by bet365 members, Drummond Central created the ‘Play Safe’ campaign. Initially intended just for the 2019-20 season, the campaign's messaging and style has since been developed and continued. For the 2022-23 season, the campaign took an innovative approach to responsible gambling messaging. Rather than emphasising negative outcomes, it encouraged the use of tools to enhance positive gambling experiences. 

In 2023, bet365 was looking to shake things up and break the mould of what people expect from gambling ads. With ambitious ideas being what Drummond Central does best, the agency created the ‘Never Ordinary’ brand platform. In the spot, the world is taken over by curling-mania after a single curling throw triggers a cultural phenomenon – highlighting that with bet365, any sport can have its Premier League moment. The campaign was shot over a month on a combination of large-scale locations and set builds with a cast of over 150 characters and 900 extras. Working with Academy and Selected Works, ‘Never Ordinary’ won three Clio Sports Awards, including Silver for Film and Bronze for Cinematography and Direction. 

On a particularly rainy day in January 2016, Drummond Central decided to set up a live Periscope stream of the entertaining action unfolding right outside their office window – a constant stream of people struggling to navigate their way through a giant puddle. Aptly named ‘DrummondPuddleWatch’, the stream documented the many ways people attempted to cross the puddle. It went viral and #DrummondPuddleWatch became the number-one trending topic on Twitter UK and number two worldwide. With tens of millions of views, it was a watershed moment for the new Periscope app, becoming its biggest ever stream. Twitter’s CEO thanked the agency for boosting its share price and demonstrating the new Periscope app to a worldwide audience. To this day, the location of the Drummond Puddle still gets tourists, wanting to see where it all happened. 

When Ouseburn Farm in Byker, a beloved inner-city farm, lost its main funding in 2016 and faced closure, the agency stepped in to help out a fellow Newcastle-based business. Established in 1976, the farm is a haven for animals, complete with gardens and educational classrooms for schoolchildren and disadvantaged communities. Drummond Central helped cover the farm’s deficit over a number of years and lent a hand in boosting its marketing efforts by creating a fundraising campaign. The partnership helped save Ouseburn Farm from closure, preserving an integral part of the region's community.

Kit launches are undoubtedly one of the most exciting moments of any football season. And for Stoke City FC, who have partnered with Drummond Central since 2009, the 16/17 season was one for the books. As well as unveiling a new, bespoke kit design to fans, the agency also announced the club's new manufacturer, Macron. Filmed in Bologna, where Macron is located, the launch brought Stoke-on-Trent to northern Italy, showcasing the design and manufacturing process to eager fans. 

In 2017, Drummond Central tragically lost a dear friend and much-beloved member of the agency to sepsis. In her memory, the team is dedicated to raising funds for the Sepsis UK charity. This commitment is woven into the fabric of Drummond Central, seen in the fundraising events the agency has made part of its culture. Examples include taking part in The Great North Run, Tough Mudder, skydiving, agency Bake Offs and one particularly daring challenge where a team member was tattooed with a design chosen by donation votes. 

Dedicated to nurturing aspiring creatives and advertisers, Drummond Central launched the School of DC back in 2018. Each year, the agency opens its doors to a select group for a two-week, paid crash course in creative advertising. “School of DC is one of my favourite things we do here. Too often ‘work experience’ involves sitting in a corner and doing the tea rounds, but that's not us. We immerse our class in the day-to-day of our agency life, giving them a real brief and deadline – and because we work them so hard, we think it’s only right that we pay them the real living wage.”, Drummond Central’s Managing Director, Dan Appleby said. 

Drummond Central has worked with Greggs, the iconic British bakery since 2019, so picking just one moment is near impossible. Their partnership has served up countless outstanding pieces of work over the years, so here are a few that really take the cake. 

The world stood still when Greggs first introduced the Vegan Sausage Roll. So when the bakery transformed another one of its famous menu items, the Steak Bake, into a vegan delight, they needed the same to happen again. Drummond Central helped launch Greggs’ second vegan addition across the UK, by tapping into the ‘drop culture’ often seen from big fashion brands. The launch positioned the Vegan Steak Bake as the season’s must-have item, with a social campaign to create hype, a takeover of a Newcastle flagship shop and an exclusive preview tasting event which saw customers queuing around the block on New Year’s Day to be amongst the first to try. During the week of the launch, the VSB was featured on Good Morning Britain, across multiple daytime TV and radio shows – and even had a shoutout from Lorraine. 

It was a meeting of giants when Greggs and PlayStation came together to celebrate the launch of the PS5. The campaign kicked off with statement out of home that paid homage to both brands by creatively reimagining the PlayStation shapes to be made out of iconic items from the Greggs menu. This created the suspense and excitement for the launch of the Greggs | PlayStation Launch Box. The once-in-a-lifetime offer consisted of four of Greggs’ best-selling menu items, packaged in a luxury presentation box, complete with a dual branded sleeve that mirrored high-end console product packaging. The Greggs x PlayStation partnership was named the No.1 'Coolest Thing of the Week' by GQ Magazine and scooped up a Marketing Week Award for Best Sponsorship and Partner Marketing. 

Virality was always on the menu when Greggs and Primark came together for their first collaboration in 2022. Working with the wider Greggs team, Drummond Central helped bring the delicious fashion range to the high street with a string of carefully choreographed teasers, exclusive pop-ups and product drops that helped build anticipation, and appetites, nationwide. The collaboration generated millions in revenue and a spike in brand health, and after its launch, many items went on to be resold for a much higher price online. 

Fast forward to 2024 and Greggs now has its own game show (well, sort of). In March this year, Greggs released ‘Bag Some Joy: The Game Show’, a delightfully surreal trailer-style advert. In the spot, contestants compete in a series of games whilst cheered on by an audience of Greggs fanatics, guided by a dazzling host. From Greggs-themed spin the wheel and guessing the product games, to answering the question ‘What’s the best way to enjoy Greggs?’ – everyone’s a winner, and the prizes are all a delicious selection of Greggs items. Teaming up with The Gate and That Jam, Drummond Central brought this flavour-filled trailer to life which celebrates the endless possibilities Greggs offers.

Amid the global turmoil of covid-19, Drummond Central did their bit by creating various impactful campaigns to help combat the spread – partnering with local authorities and national public services alike. 

During the coronavirus pandemic, seven councils in the North East united to curb the spread. Working with SD Advertising and McBryde & Co., Drummond Central launched an impactful social behaviour change campaign. Backed by research carried out by the agency, 'Thank You North East' addressed the concerns of the region, with an emotionally charged campaign featuring real people, including high-risk individuals and key workers. A much-needed alternative approach from the authoritarian comms from the government, the campaign was a resounding success – with 94% of people understanding its message and over half of people who saw the campaign taking at least one action. The campaign scooped accolades at a number of the UK’s most recognised award schemes, including The Drum Marketing Awards and Marketing Week Masters. 

Another way Drummond Central played their part during the pandemic was when they stepped in to help the NHS Integrated Covid Hub change young people’s minds around getting the Covid vaccine. Again, calling upon behavioural analysis research, the agency’s campaign addressed the many barriers and motivations to getting a vaccination in the north-east. Featuring four storytellers who shared their initial hesitations and subsequent 'Change of Heart', the campaign exceeded targets, with 65% of the audience recalling it and 84% of those people taking desired actions. Importantly, 24% got vaccinated after seeing the campaign. 

To celebrate the launch of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power', KitKat and Prime Video joined forces in 2022. Enlisting the help of Drummond Central, the world of Nestlé was dramatised in this epic spot showcasing the forging of a four-finger KitKat that parodied the show's opening. The agency also created two TVCs, reminding people to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life – and enjoy a moment of escapism in Middle-earth. 

Creating highly effective work is what Drummond Central is all about. So it was a proud accomplishment for the agency when they became one of just 30 agencies to be awarded the IPA Effectiveness Accreditation for 2023-25. The programme recognises an agency's commitment to building an effectiveness culture and delivering impactful results for clients. 

This was the first campaign Drummond Central created for Triumph Motorcycles, after winning a competitive pitch and becoming their lead creative agency in 2022. Tapping into the special bond between rider and bike, ‘The One’ redefines the classic love story narrative. Featuring the bikes from Triumph's iconic Modern Classic range, the campaign took the agency's creative team to Soggy Dry Lake in California to shoot. 

After Triumph announced their plans to enter the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross championship series, Drummond Central helped launch their all-new motocross bike, the TF 250-X. Developed by world-leading engineers in collaboration with racing champions, including icon Ricky Carmichael, the highly anticipated bike demanded a campaign that could match its prowess. Drummond Central delivered an epic showcase of the TF 250-X's superb abilities, featuring thrilling stunts filmed on Triumph’s purpose-built track in Georgia, USA. 

Putting its trust in its people, Drummond Central became an employee-owned business in 2023. “When we explored what employee ownership meant for us as founders and for the people who have been a part of our success, it just clicked and felt right. We couldn’t think of any better people to be responsible for the future of the agency than the people who’ve helped us get to this point.”, Julie Drummond, Chief Executive, commented in 2023. The agency has recently celebrated its first anniversary of being employee-owned, ahead of its 20th birthday.