Mail Unleashed with Rory Sutherland

In a world of endless scrolling and skippable content, what makes something worth holding onto?  
 
Nils Leonard, Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, joins Rory Sutherland to explore why physical, human-made experiences are earning our attention, and what that means for marketers in an increasingly digital and AI-driven marketing landscape.  

Throughout the episode, Nils and Rory explore: 

Nils’ journey from ad man to global studio founder 
Why physicality is capturing our attention again 
Why, when it comes to creativity, “different beats better” 
Why originality often comes from getting dangerously close to the line 

Plus, they unpack why human effort still hits differently in an age of AI, and what that means for marketers looking to create work people genuinely notice, value and remember. 
 
00:00 – Nils Leonard joins Mail Unleashed 
01:05 – Nils' journey from the Jobcentre to advertising 
06:15 – Learning to write your own narrative 
10:05 – Why Nils founded Uncommon 
11:45 – Why ‘different’ beats ‘better’ 
14:05 – Why advertising abandons things that still work 
16:05 – Creating physical objects people want to talk about 
18:10 – Why physicality is winning attention in the age of AI 
23:00 – Why memorable beats narrowly targeted 
30:05 – The Piers Morgan hairdryer and creating cultural impact 
33:15 – Direct mail, fame and the value we struggle to measure 
 
Nils Leonard is Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio and one of advertising’s most recognised creative leaders.  

Formerly Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of Grey London, he has been named Business Insider’s most creative person in advertising. A champion of creativity and industry change, Nils has delivered award-winning work for global brands. 
 
Follow Nils. 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-leonard-373b2b3/  
X - https://x.com/nilsleonard  

Follow Rory.  
LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/⁠  
X - ⁠https://x.com/rorysutherland⁠  
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rorysutherlandclips?lang=en 
 
Watch the full episode.  
Website - https://www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-unleashed/nils-leonard-uncommon 
YouTube - https://youtu.be/ahpwsZRpJt4  

Want to see how mail gets real results? Follow us for fresh marketing inspiration and real-life examples of mail in action. ⬇️  

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What happens when Rory Sutherland is joined by Andrew Tindall (System1), Claire Sadler (British Heart Foundation) and Kate Mackie (EY) to discuss the future of marketing?

For the first ever Mail Unleashed LIVE, recorded at Cannes Lions, our panel comes together for an honest, thought-provoking conversation about the role of mail in today's media mix.

In this special live episode, they explore:

What makes a channel a Super Touchpoint
Why trust is becoming marketing's most valuable asset
Why Gen Z continues to engage with physical mail
Where door drops fit within a modern omnichannel strategy
How marketers can balance innovation with effectiveness

Along the way, the panel challenges assumptions, shares practical insights and explores why physical marketing channels, like direct mail, continue to deliver real results.

Whether you're interested in creativity, behavioural science, marketing effectiveness or building stronger customer relationships, this episode is packed with ideas to take away.

00:00 Intro
00:35 Welcome to Mail Unleashed LIVE from Cannes Lions
01:42 Why Rory Sutherland believes marketers abandon what works
04:18 Attention, trust and JICMAIL's Super Touchpoint research
07:25 Why direct mail still has a place in the modern media mix
10:12 What Gen Z can teach us about physical media
13:45 Where door drops fit into omnichannel marketing
16:28 Audience questions and key takeaways
18:55 Outro

Andrew Tindall is Chief Growth Officer at System1 and a leading expert in marketing effectiveness.  

Specialising in the role of creativity and emotion in driving business results, he works with global brands and agencies to translate effectiveness research into practical, actionable insights that help marketers create more impactful campaigns. 
  
Follow Andrew.  
LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-tindall⁠   
X - ⁠https://x.com/andrewtindall_⁠  
TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@andrew.tindall⁠ 
 
Claire Sadler is an award-winning CMO, business transformation leader and diversity champion with extensive experience across brands including BT, EE, Direct Line, Mars and the British Heart Foundation.  
 
Renowned for combining commercial rigour with creative thinking, she specialises in driving growth, developing talent and leading high-performing teams through change. 
 
Follow Claire.  
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-sadler/  
 
Kate Mackie is Partner and Chief Marketing Strategy & Operations Officer at EY, where she helps transform marketing into a commercial growth engine in an AI-augmented world.  

A recognised leader in marketing transformation, growth and customer trust, she combines strategic insight with a passion for behavioural science, leadership and human-centred innovation. 
 
Follow Kate.  
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackiekate/  
 
Follow Rory.  
LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/⁠  
X - ⁠https://x.com/rorysutherland⁠  
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rorysutherlandclips?lang=en  
  
Watch the full episode.  
Website - www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-unleashed-cannes-live

Follow us for more marketing tips and insights on the value of mail in the marketing mix.   

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In a world where 75–80% of ad spend is digital, why is Digital Strategy Director at the7stars, Jonny Harrison, making the case for direct mail?  
 
That’s because he’s seen how it wins the attention economy. For episode 20 of Mail Unleashed, Jonny has joined our host Rory Sutherland to break down:  
 
Why digital struggles to get creative right and how direct mail can help 
How “hand-delivered communications” can earn 90 seconds of undivided attention   
Why no media channel is truly expensive if it drives the right outcome 
Why precise geo-targeted marketing is often overlooked in digital marketing 
How programmatic mail bridges digital efficiency with physical impact  
 
Plus, they reveal why the most underrated media channel could be the most effective one in your mix. 

00:00 Intro 
00:41 Welcome to Jonny 
01:47 Why is Jonny, a Digital Strategy Director, making a case for direct mail?  
04:21 Why do digital display ads struggle creatively? How looking at physical mediums can help 
07:01 Marketing vs attention. Direct mail generates 90 seconds of undivided consumer attention 
10:52 The rise of retail media and the opportunities mail can bring 
13:34 The problem with relying on AI in digital marketing 
15:18 Programmatic mail: why physicality is so important in today’s digital world  
18:00 The power of geo-targeting in physical and digital marketing  
22:48 Why digital-first brands benefit from using direct mail. Example from Ocado and Waitrose  
24:27 Is any media channel actually expensive? 
27:28 Outro 
  
Jonny Harrison is a Digital Strategy Director at the7stars, the UK’s largest independent media agency. He focuses on driving advertising performance through data, technology and experimentation across channels.  

Jonny also supports new business, leads internal events, and contributes to the IAB Mobile Steering Group and Performance Council. 
 
Follow Jonny. 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-harrison430/  
 
Follow Rory.  
LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/⁠  
X - ⁠https://x.com/rorysutherland⁠  
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rorysutherlandclips?lang=en  
  
Watch the full episode.  
Website - https://www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-unleashed/jonathan-harrison-the-7-stars 
YouTube - https://youtu.be/PWZBmXejd58   

Looking for innovative marketing ideas to spark your creativity. Follow us to get those creative juices flowing. ⬇️  

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Not every impression is equal. So, what makes mail different from a digital impression?  

In this episode of Mail Unleashed, JICMAIL’s Director of Data Leadership, Ian Gibbs, joins Rory Sutherland to discuss why mail demands attention that lasts longer, gets revisited, and works harder to drive consumer action and results. 

Together, they discuss:  
The 200 different ways that marketers measure campaign effectiveness 
Ian’s work with JICMAIL and the DMA 
Why mail delivers both short- and long-term marketing impact 
How mail plays to a different attention span than digital marketing 
 
Plus, they explore why physical mail keeps working long after the first glance.  
 
00:00 Intro  
00:41 Welcome to Ian 
02:00 Ian’s work with JICMAIL and the DMA: The metrics he uses to measure the effectiveness of physical mail 
04:30 Short term vs long term marketing impact: why mail delivers on both as a super touchpoint within the multi-media mix 
09:10 The price of attention: Mail can generate 140 seconds of consumer attention across 28 days 
10:51 The importance of creativity, physicality and targeting in performance marketing 
14:30 Mail’s positive impact within an integrated marketing strategy, helping to drive effectiveness for brands 
17:10 The context of the home: why mail delivers where and when people need it most 
18:45 How JICMAIL is helping brands see the benefits of mail in the media mix 
22:13 Outro 

 
Ian Gibbs is Director of Insight at the DMA and Director of Data Leadership and Learning at JICMAIL.  
With over 20 years’ experience in media and advertising measurement, he previously worked at Kantar and The Guardian. He also runs Data Stories Consulting, helping organisations harness effective measurement, research and insight. 
 
Follow Ian.  
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-gibbs-7b735619/ 
 
Follow Rory.  
LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/⁠  
X - ⁠https://x.com/rorysutherland⁠  
  
Watch the full episode.   
Website - ⁠https://www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-unleashed/nishma-patel-robb-the-glittersphere⁠   
YouTube - ⁠https://youtu.be/KYfcEplYQtM⁠   
  
Curious about the power of mail in your marketing mix? Follow us for fresh inspiration and real-world examples that show how mail delivers impressive business results. ⬇️  
  
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How can you build trust with your customers without physical stores or a tangible product?  

In this episode of Mail Unleashed, Sayed Hajamaideen, Head of Brand & Marketing at SMARTY Mobile, sits down with our seasoned host Rory Sutherland to discuss how mail can inject life into digital brands. 

Together, they explore:  
Sayed’s career journey from O2 to SMARTY Mobile 
How physical mail can be used to pique curiosity and deepen customer relationships 
Why marketers need to choose the right mediums to achieve results  
Why a combination of physical and digital media is so effective  
 
Listen in to find out how he uses mail to increase trust and turn promises into guarantees in our latest Mail Unleashed episode. 
 
00:00 Intro  
0:41 Welcome to Sayed  
01:06 Sayed’s marketing journey from O2 to SMARTY Mobile  
02:26 How Sayed uses physical mail to market an intangible product and build trust?  
04:17 Direct mail piques curiosity: why marketers should use the right medium for the right purpose 
06:53 How Sayed integrates mail with radio and TV marketing 
07:53 Sayed’s top 3 tips for direct mail marketing 
09:48 WARC’s research into long verses short-term efficacy of communication channels 
11:24 Why a combination of marketing media is the most effective  
12:11 Outro 
 
Sayed is a Senior Marketing Leader with years of experience in leading brands to fame and commercial success. He has worked for many of the UK’s biggest mobile brands including O2, Tesco Mobile and SMARTY Mobile.  
 
His passion lies in the art and science of how advertising can create and shift behaviours. 
 
Follow Sayed.  
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayed-hajamaideen-25403885/  
 
Follow Rory. 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/ 
X - https://x.com/rorysutherland 
 
 
Watch the full episode. 
Website - https://www.marketreach.co.uk/mail-unleashed/sayed-hajamaideen-smarty-mobile  
YouTube - https://youtu.be/hz-EEeQdY3k  

Want to see how mail gets real results? Follow us for fresh marketing inspiration and real-life examples of mail in action. ⬇️ 
 
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X - https://x.com/MarketreachUK  
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p/Marketreach-100057126832884/  
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