Have you checked out Mark Ritson’s most-read columns of the year?
After joining The Drum as a columnist in September, Mark Ritson has had a significant impact on industry discourse. Having picked his 10 global marketing moments of 2025 earlier this week, we were inspired to review his catalog and see what resonated with our readers this year.
Topping the list is Ritson’s analysis of Nestlé’s new CEO and what it signals for no-nonsense CPG turnarounds, a column that reflects continued appetite for hard-headed thinking about organisational change and commercial discipline in large brands.
Close behind is his take on the Labubu bubble, where Ritson argues that Pop Mart can still save the brand, sharing concerns about hype cycles, collectables and the sustainability of fast-growth brand models.
Advertisement
Technology features prominently, with strong readership for his column on ChatGPT’s new ad and what it says about the enduring power of TV for brand building, even as AI reshapes creative and media conversations.
Further down the list are critiques of WPP and British Airways, reinforcing Ritson’s role as a consistent commentator on agency strategy and the risks of abstraction in brand communications.
So without further ado, here’s the full list
10. Tesla has scrambled a fighter brand. History suggests it will crash
9. Pleasing? Yes. But Harry Styles’ brand extension still leaves me wanting more
8. We know what distinctive marketing looks like. Now let’s agree what to call it
7. John Lewis at 100 proves there is a way back from slogan self-sabotage
Advertisement
6. British Airways’ ‘Reflections’ campaign flies too close to abstraction
5. Martin Lewis shouldn’t be alone in calling out Meta’s lucrative scam ads
4. Is Cindy Rose telling too much truth at WPP?
Advertisement
3. ChatGPT’s new ads show even AI can’t deny the brand-building power of TV
2. The Labubu bubble is bursting but Pop Mart can still save the brand
1. Nestlé’s new no-nonsense CEO is rewriting the rules of CPG turnarounds