Regardless of your opinions on the British Monarchy, it’s undeniable that the coronation of King Charles III was something of a historic event and something that deserved chronicling and (of course) parodying. With that in mind, I’ve looked over some of the most inventive coronation-themed ads from the last week, so you don’t have to. Please enjoy, respectfully.
Marmite
Marmite partnered with food artist and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Nathan Wyburn to create a portrait of the King using Marmite and toast. It took Wyburn two hours to complete the portrait of King Charles, which he created in one sitting with a single jar of Marmite and 42 slices of toast. The question is though, do you hate it or love it?
Tesco
Ahead of the Coronation, supermarket Tesco encouraged the nation to do good by going to the pub, as it opened the doors to its first ever public house: The King in the Castle. Located in London’s Farringdon, the aptly named “King in the Castle” invited people to come together with friends and family, whether they were marking the historic occasion or simply making the most of the long weekend, with all proceeds from the pub going to the supermarket’s longstanding charity partner, youth charity The Prince’s Trust.
easyJet
A mini replica of Buckingham Palace made entirely out of sand, has been unveiled following research revealing that 70% of Brits on holiday over the long weekend planned on celebrating the Coronation. The stunning sculpture of the UK’s most popular landmark was put together with the help of Taylor Herring using a specially crafted Buckingham Palace sandcastle bucket and was commissioned by easyJet Holidays to mark its ‘Holidays Fit for a King’ summer promotion.
Burger King
This campaign for Burger King France by Buzzman featured several clever little jibes featuring all of the chains French ingredients moaning about the coronation. It’s irreverent and a bit silly but it’s certainly got character.
ASDA
Former royal chef Darren McGrady has released three royal recipes to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. Chef McGrady has partnered with Asda to create a Banquet on a Budget costing less than £3.30 a head - cheaper than a takeaway coffee. Inspired by King Charles III’s favourite foods, the recipes consist of three celebratory dishes, including Coronation Crown Smoked Salmon Custards. As the cost-of-living crisis prevails, the recipes have been developed to help customers cook their own royal banquet at home, without the royal price tag. A nice touch.
KitKat
KitKat took its iconic “Have a break” tagline to the nation with a campaign to mark the coronation thanking the king for the extra break. The ad features a three-finger KitKat, along with the subline “Thanks for the extra break, Sir”, thanking Charles for the extra bank holiday. Created by integrated marketing agency Wunderman Thompson UK, they appeared across national newspapers and meta platforms over the long weekend. A nice subtle one here.
Alzheimer’s Society
A new Alzheimer’s Society campaign alludes to the Coronation, highlighting that one in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. The campaign leads with the headline "A day one in three of us won’t be able to tell our grandkids about", which is placed on a Coronation "Unmemorabilia" mug. The agency New Commercial Arts worked on the campaign, which is a typically sobering affair.
Hellmann’s
Balancing traditional and modern tastes, W Communications brokered a partnership between café royalty E Pellicci’s (a cafe housed in a Grade II-listed building) and caff frequenter and actor Shaun Williamson, best known for playing Barry in EastEnders, to dish out free Coronation sarnies to royal revellers on behalf of Hellmann’s. All in aid of their new coronation mayonnaise, of course.
The Dog’s Trust
Dogs Trust is launching a themed fundraiser in the run-up to the Coronation to raise funds for dog rehoming centres. Drawing attention to the fact that thousands of dogs, including “King Charles spaniels” (featured in the AI-generated campaign creatives) live in Dogs Trust rehoming centres, the charity is calling on the public to donate or purchase a “golden digital item” (available on the official website) to generate proceeds.
TheOr
London-based creative shop TheOr is seeking to change the meaning of commemorative items with the release of its “Anything’s Commemorative” sticker pack. This way, everyday objects can be adorned with royal iconography – including household power tools, pot plants or other items of choice. I thought I’d end with an idea that pokes fun at the whole thing because, let’s be honest, it’s all just a bit of pageantry really, right?
