Grey vs Saint Elmo's

Klarna's Olivia Butter on Consumer Research, AI, and Trust

Olivia Butter, Head of Global Brand Direction and Strategy at Klarna, discusses the limits of consumer research, the evolution of Klarna from a payments brand to an 'everyday money partner', and the role of AI in marketing. She emphasizes that consumers cannot always articulate what they want, so marketers must use psychology and leadership to present novel solutions. She also outlines Klarna's new global brand campaign 'Shower Thoughts' and its strategy of being culturally relevant to build trust, contrasting with traditional financial institutions. Butter shares insights on team leadership, the importance of consistent brand presence, and her views on the distinction between marketing and brand.

• Klarna is launching a new global brand campaign called 'Shower Thoughts'.
• Klarna has evolved from a 'buy now, pay later' service into a comprehensive money app.
• Olivia Butter believes consumer research should not be used to expect consumers to know what they want.

ING Deutschland: First major campaign by Saint Elmo's

ING Deutschland has appointed Saint Elmo's as an additional agency for strategy and creative in August 2026. The creative agency, which won the pitch against several competitors, has now unveiled its first major campaign for the financial services provider. The campaign, titled '1000 Meinungen' (1000 Opinions), focuses on retirement savings. Details of the campaign execution are limited due to the paywall, but the partnership marks a significant addition to ING's agency roster.

Dallmayr launches new umbrella campaign for Italian coffee moments at home

Dallmayr, the German premium coffee brand, has launched a new umbrella brand campaign titled 'Jedes Mal besonders' (Every time special). The campaign aims to position Dallmayr as the brand for special coffee moments at home, evoking Italian café culture. The centerpiece is a 20-second TV commercial created by agencies Fantomas and Saint Elmo's, with production by E+P Commercials, directed by Duncan Winecoff. The spot features a couple dressing up for a fancy restaurant but ultimately enjoying coffee at home, reminiscent of a recent Frosta campaign. The campaign includes five TV and digital spots for Dallmayr's product ranges: Prodomo, Crema d’Oro, Home Barista, and Röstkunst, each telling a distinct coffee moment. The commercials will run online from now until end of November, and on linear TV from October 26 to November 15.

• Dallmayr launched a new umbrella brand campaign with the motto 'Jedes Mal besonders'.
• The campaign includes a 20-second TV commercial created by agencies Fantomas and Saint Elmo's.
• The commercial was produced by E+P Commercials, directed by Duncan Winecoff.

Penny Rewards Funny TikTok Comments with Shopping Vouchers

German discount supermarket chain Penny has launched an interactive TikTok campaign called 'Comment Coupons' to reward users who post particularly funny and creative comments on its videos. Running from June 1 to the end of September, the campaign uses a proprietary AI scoring system to evaluate comments based on community resonance and content relevance, assigning voucher values of 10, 25, or 50 euros. So far, over 4,000 comments have been rewarded with a total of 45,000 euros in vouchers. The campaign was developed by lead creative agency Saint Elmo's, with social media execution by Charles & Charlotte, media planning by Pion3ers, and AI support from Plan.Net Belgium. Digital out-of-home billboards in eight German cities also displayed rewarded comments. The initiative aims to strengthen Penny's brand platform 'Echte Freude' (Real Joy).

• Penny launched the 'Comment Coupons' campaign on June 1, running until end of September.
• The campaign rewards funny TikTok comments with vouchers worth up to 50 euros.
• Over 4,000 comments have been rewarded with a total of 45,000 euros in vouchers.