The Big Thing by LOOP Agencies

Ed Vickers & Richard Hargrave
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What does AI actually change for creative teams working in regulated industries? Ed and Richard talk through what they're building, testing and learning in real time, sharing the hands-on experience behind the headlines. For clients, creatives and operations leaders who want substance over hype.

  1. Aug 11

    The Big Thing 021: Does AI Have a Culture Problem?

    In this episode, Ed Vickers and Richard Hargrave dig into whether AI has a culture problem in creative work, or whether resistance is just the natural friction of a big change curve. They cover where AI is (and isn't) useful in branding, why commercial creativity and pure creativity call for different approaches, and what it means to give an LLM enough context to actually be useful on a client project. Topics covered: Why AI struggles with net-new brand creation but earns its place in research and strategy validationThe difference between commercial creativity and creativity for its own sakeHow AI-generated imagery is replacing stock photography for ownable, on-brand visualsWhy underserved markets could see the biggest shift in image localisationThe EU AI Act's transparency rules, in effect from 2 August 2026, and what they mean for labelling AI-generated content in marketingWhy people forgive bad human design but won't forgive bad AI, and what that means for standardsClosing advice for anyone sceptical about AI in marketing Find us at loopagencies.com, on LinkedIn, and on Instagram.

  2. Apr 27

    The Big Thing 020: Landmark Episode! Javi Joins The Team, SpaceX IPO & Finance Future Studies

    20 episodes in. Ryan and Richard mark the milestone with a special one and they've brought a new face along for the ride. First up, the boys welcome Javi to the LOOP team. Fresh from Spain and now settled in Edinburgh, Javi sits down to share his story. Why he chose design, what brought him across Europe to Scotland, and what life at LOOP has been like so far. It's a proper welcome, and a nice change of pace before things get serious. Then Ryan and Richard turn their attention to the biggest financial story of 2026, the SpaceX IPO. Targeting a valuation of up to $1.75 trillion and a raise of $75 billion, it would be the largest public offering in history. The lads dig into what makes this one so different, why the Google comparison is so striking, and what it means that up to 30% of shares are being offered directly to everyday retail investors. A move that could fundamentally change how the public interacts with the stock market. That conversation naturally spills into something bigger, if SpaceX is the template, is this what all major IPOs look like from here? And with so much capital concentrated in a handful of private companies, what does the future of money and finance actually look like? From AI agents handling trades at Goldman Sachs to banks becoming invisible infrastructure, Ryan and Richard explore where it's all heading. Disclaimer: they are two marketers from Glasgow & London who are almost certainly underqualified to be having this conversation but they have it anyway, and honestly it's better for it. A landmark episode. No finance degrees required

  3. Apr 13

    The Big Thing 019: Sugar Bans, Platform Wars, Reddit's Secret Power & RIP Sora

    This week, Ryan and Richard dig into four stories shaking up the marketing world right now and what they actually mean for brands, creators, and digital marketers on the ground. First up, the UK's HFSS advertising rules landed on March 29, and chocolate brands found themselves locked out of daytime TV right before Easter, their biggest sales window of the year. Ryan and Richard break down how brands like Cadbury were forced to rethink their entire seasonal strategy overnight, and ask the bigger question: is regulation actually a forcing function for more creative marketing? Facebook is coming for TikTok and YouTube's creator base hard. The Creator Fast Track programme is offering established creators guaranteed monthly pay and boosted reach to make the switch to Reels. But will audiences follow? And what does a creator gold rush back to Facebook mean for brands investing in influencer partnerships right now? Turning to the platform most marketers are criminally underusing. Reddit. New data shows Reddit's ROAS jumps 82% when cross-platform Amazon conversions are properly attributed, with revenue influenced by the platform growing 257% year on year. With new Collection Ads and community-driven ad formats now live, Ryan makes a case for why Reddit deserves a serious spot in your Q2 media mix. Finally, they close out with the AI story nobody saw coming, OpenAI is shutting down Sora, its flagship video generation tool, on April 26. Even Disney, who had signed a billion-dollar licensing deal built around it, was blindsided. What does the death of one of AI's most hyped products tell us about building workflows on tools that might not be around next quarter? Enjoy the show!

  4. Mar 29

    The Big Thing 018: Scottish Government AI Strategy, Anthropic & OpenAI vs US Government

    We're back after three weeks away!! And we're diving straight into the deep end. Ryan and Richard break down one of the biggest stories in AI right now. The dramatic headlines between the US government and AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI. From Anthropic being labelled a national security risk for refusing to remove safeguards around autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, to OpenAI stepping in to fill the gap, we give our take on what it all means and what it actually says about brand trust and ethics in the AI industry. We're also joined by Ed, CTO and co-founder of LOOP, to dig into Scotland's newly released AI strategy. Is Scotland genuinely positioning itself as a global leader in AI, or is it more government propaganda than actionable plan? We get into the report's strengths, its glaring gaps, and what it would actually take to move the dial. We round things off with a wider chat about AI in education, how it's changing the way students research and write, and what skills are going to matter most in a world where information retrieval is practically free.

  5. Mar 9

    The Big Thing 017: Digital Marketing 101

    In this episode of The Big Thing, Richard flips the podcast on its head and Ryan is in the hot seat. He shares insights into the world of social media management, covering the realities of the role, industry trends and the skills needed to stand out. Discover how social media shapes brand building, the challenges faced by managers and what the future holds for digital marketing professionals.

  6. Mar 2

    The Big Thing 016: Punch The Monkey, IKEA Reaction, Unilever Levelling Up & Embracing Influencers!

    In this episode of the LOOP Podcast, Ryan and Richard discuss various topics ranging from the viral sensation of Punch the Monkey to the evolving landscape of marketing, particularly the shift towards influencer marketing as highlighted by Unilever's recent strategies. They explore the implications of AI on consumer behaviour and marketing practices, as well as the future of jobs in an increasingly automated world.

  7. Feb 23

    The Big Thing 015: Selling Rights To AI? Dead Internet Theory

    This week on The Big Thing, Ryan and Richard wade into the strange new world where AI and celebrity culture collide. From A-listers selling the rights to their own image, to fully AI-generated influencers like Neuro-sama building real fanbases, we unpack what it means when fame no longer requires a human behind it. If your likeness can be licensed, cloned or automated… who actually owns you? We also get into the increasingly uncomfortable idea behind the “dead internet theory” — the notion that much of what we see online isn’t human at all. Are we already scrolling through feeds powered more by algorithms than people? And does it even matter if the content still entertains us?

  8. Feb 16

    The Big Thing 014: Super Bowl Ads: Big Game, Bigger Budget... But Better Creativity?

    This week on The Big Thing, Richard and Ryan pull apart the biggest ads from the Super Bowl and ask the question everyone in marketing is thinking: were they actually any good? From celebrity overload to AI-assisted production, we look at what worked, what felt lazy, and what a £7m media slot really buys you in 2026. We chat through standout moments, including the Amazon Alexa spot featuring Chris Hemsworth and debate whether star power and nostalgia are replacing proper creative thinking.

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About

What does AI actually change for creative teams working in regulated industries? Ed and Richard talk through what they're building, testing and learning in real time, sharing the hands-on experience behind the headlines. For clients, creatives and operations leaders who want substance over hype.

Information

  • Creator
    Ed Vickers & Richard Hargrave
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ed Vickers & Richard Hargrave
  • Show Website
    The Big Thing by LOOP Agencies