This has been a watershed year for retail media. With more dedicated events, continued industry innovation, and the emergence of new Retail and Commerce Media Networks in 2025, brands and agencies can no longer afford to sideline commerce media.

And the numbers back it up. Commerce media is expected to account for 15.6% of global ad spend in 2025, according to WPP projections, surpassing TV for the first time.

Commerce media is now an essential pillar of any marketing strategy, delivering impact across the funnel, from awareness through to loyalty.

As pioneers in connected commerce since 2008, we’re no strangers to building effective campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands and retailers. This year has been no exception, with our teams activating campaigns across SMG’s seven partnerships, spanning food and beverage, fashion, health and beauty, convenience, and more.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a look back at some of our favourite campaigns from across SMG-operated Retail Media Networks (RMNs). From one-of-a-kind activations and data-driven precision to campaigns rooted in community, each network brought something distinctive to the shopper experience.

1. Very Media Group: Very Beauty Summer Campaign at Aintree

The brief

Bring Very’s first experiential beauty activation to life at the Aintree Races, engaging beauty-minded shoppers in an environment that reflects glamour and self-expression while showcasing the breadth of Very’s beauty offering.

The execution

Set against the buzz of Ladies Day, the team created a salon-inspired pop-up offering free hair touch-ups, professional makeup, fragrance discovery and skincare sampling. The design emphasized clean, fashion-led aesthetics with a dedicated photo wall that encouraged social sharing. Many visitors discovered aspects of Very’s beauty range for the first time.

The results

The activation attracted more than 130,000 visitors, earned national media attention and became one of the standout elements of the event, with daily queues and strong partner praise.

Nyah Hines-Crosby (L’Oréal) called the collaboration “truly positive,” highlighting the team’s clear communication and proactive approach. A renewed partnership for 2026 is already secured.

2. Boots Media Group: Sure All Over Body Campaign

The brief

Launch Sure’s new All Over Deodorant with a mass-reach, education-led activation while clarifying how it complements consumers’ existing antiperspirant routines.

The execution

The team built an omnichannel campaign targeting shoppers in high-traffic, high-heat environments. Large-format OOH, Tube takeovers and 161 branded buses delivered scale and standout, anchored by Tottenham Court Road just steps from a Boots store.

A Boots App pop-up engaged every user, while in-store takeovers and fixture media converted awareness into sales. CRM-led targeting delivered gender-relevant creative variants for a more personalized experience.

The results

With 37 touchpoints reaching 13.4 million unique viewers and more than 13.7 million OOH impressions, the campaign delivered mass awareness and clear product education across the full funnel.

3. Co-op Media Network: Meals That Matter with Coca-Cola, Special Olympics GB and Makaton

The brief

Champion inclusion, celebrate local athletes and raise awareness for a community often overlooked in mainstream media—all while driving participation in an exclusive Co-op meal deal that funded Special Olympics GB.

The execution

Coca-Cola partnered with Special Olympics GB, Makaton and Co-op to create Meals That Matter, donating 25p from every exclusive meal-deal purchase. Stores in athletes’ communities became celebration spaces through window takeovers, athlete photography and a standout lenticular installation that gave individuals a moment of pride.

Makaton-led creative ensured accessibility, while digital media, delivery-partner promotions and member communications extended reach beyond the store.

The results

The campaign delivered 63.9 million impressions and drove significant uplifts in brand ROI and featured SKU performance. It demonstrated how retail media can drive societal impact, spark conversation and elevate inclusive storytelling.

4. Deliveroo Media: The Joy of Staying In with Sky and Publicis

The brief

Celebrate the joy of staying in by pairing great food with feel-good entertainment, keeping Sky’s original content top of mind throughout the Deliveroo customer journey.

The execution

Dynamic homepage banners and entertaining order-tracker videos built anticipation from browse to checkout. The hero element—80,000 exclusive branded delivery bags—surprised and delighted customers while reinforcing Sky’s message at the most receptive moment.

The results

Brand-sentiment research showed a 28% increase in customers viewing Sky as a leader in high-quality original content and a 13% rise in perceptions of its range. The activation delivered more than 3 million impressions, with homepage engagement double benchmark rates.

Deliveroo Media Partnership Director David Moore said:
“Retail media can work brilliantly for non-endemic brands when relevance and measurable outcomes are clear, and this Sky campaign proved it.”

5. Morrisons Media Group: Bringing a Taste of Miami to the Vodka Aisle with Smirnoff

The brief

Support the launch of Smirnoff’s new peach flavour by disrupting the vodka category, driving trial, and attracting new consumers to flavoured vodka.

The execution

A bold, multi-channel campaign designed to feel both exciting and accessible. Attention-grabbing in-store media stopped shoppers at shelf, while highly original creative ran across social and email to build awareness and encourage trial throughout the customer journey.

The results

The campaign delivered standout engagement and commercial impact, bringing a taste of Miami to Morrisons stores while driving both awareness and sales. Email activity achieved a 40.7% open rate and a 40% click-through rate across more than 1.1 million sends. Social activity extended reach and engagement, including an AR reel that generated 15,000 impressions and Facebook activity that drove nearly 400 clicks.

6. LS Eleven Media Services: Chaos Has Landed with Disney’s Stitch

The brief

Support Disney’s biggest 2025 film launch—the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch—with a retail media activation that showcased the exclusive product range at George and engaged Asda’s family audience.

The execution

The team focused on showing up at the right moments along the shopper journey with category-spanning product visibility and family-friendly creative. A first-of-its-kind Asda front-of-store wrap in Milton Keynes created major impact, while first-party data powered a targeted social campaign designed to drive sales at scale.

The results

The campaign was a huge success, championing first-of-its-kind media while exceeding KPIs and driving strong results across key objectives. It was also a fantastic example of what true collaboration and outside-the-box thinking can achieve.

7. WHS Media: Amplifying Strategic Brand Moments with Shokz

The brief

Shokz, the official audio brand for the Chicago and New York City marathons, partnered with WHSmith Media Network to extend the marathon moment beyond race day. The objective was to reach travelers moving through key airport hubs (ORD, LGA, and EWR) with city-specific messaging and exclusive offers, driving awareness and sales during peak travel periods.

The execution

A city-led, in-store and off-site activation across high-impact airport environments. The campaign deployed a broad mix of formats, including pop-up banners, ticker tape screens, fascia screens, front-of-store digital screens, easel signage, and off-site digital display advertising, ensuring consistent visibility across the traveler journey.

The results

The campaign delivered strong commercial and footfall impact versus baseline performance. Stores with media activity saw a double-digit increase in sales versus the same period last year, with units and sales up week over week. Participating stores also recorded an uplift in visits compared to typical weekly footfall.