There’s PR, and there’s PR. Spot the difference.

The Noel Edmonds campaign against Lloyds Bank, which has led the news agenda for more than a year now, has won the day for its emotional appeal and direct connection to customers, both existing and future of the bank. Moreover, it’s had the energy and creativity to keep moving the needle and drive the message into the minds of not only the bank, but of the crowd.

It’s hijacked Lloyd’s own advertising campaign and used it against them, and drawn on personal experience to disrupt a narrative on mental health. A ComRes survey was commissioned and the results shared, which suggest that more than half of the British population are now aware of the campaign against the bank. This must be causing sleepless nights in the bank’s marketing and financial departments where consideration is a priority currency.

The campaign is really about compensation. Not only for Noel Edmonds but for the many other victims of the HBOS fraud. Lloyd’s have been slow to react but mostly they have learned that hard 21st century lesson. A story keeps rolling these days if it has momentum and energy to keep it stoked. The damage to the brand is gathering a pace. Shame.

Anyway the point is, that this campaign has worked because it was driven by creativity, by bravery and by a client who totally understood the power of good PR and how to give space for a campaign to breathe and develop organically. It’s been described by Mark Ritson as “a textbook approach for activists looking to effectively target a large company and elicit a response.”

It’s results must feel good. In fact they do feel good. I know because I am deeply proud that Borkowski has been behind every stage.