A Taste of FT’s Appetites

The Challenge

The Financial Times, best known for global finance and business journalism, launched Appetites in March 2025, a new food and drink hub aimed at broadening its lifestyle offering. To reach younger, culture-curious audiences who may not see the FT as part of their everyday reading, the brand needed a fresh approach.

The Strategy

This campaign marked the FT's first large-scale creator-led activation within its Life and Arts section. Partnering with five UK-based creators across food, culture, and lifestyle, the campaign positioned Appetites as a destination for thoughtful, high-quality content, not just for finance professionals, but for a wider audience interested in how they live, eat, and spend their leisure time.

Execution and Innovation

With a unique focus on under-35s, an audience that under-indexes on FT Weekend content, the campaign combined influencer storytelling, paid social amplification, and editorial assets, including videos featuring renowned food critic Jay Rayner.

Results

The campaign exceeded awareness benchmarks across Meta platforms and drove 690 registrations at an efficient £28 CPA, proving that creator-led campaigns can drive both brand and performance outcomes. It also demonstrated how legacy media can integrate journalistic voices into influencer strategies in an authentic, scalable way.

Judge's Verdict

"A well-crafted and distinctive campaign that successfully repositioned a legacy media brand in a new space through creator-led storytelling."

"The seamless blending of traditional media with modern performance marketing resulted in authentic, on-brand content."