In late April, Ozone proudly served as headline sponsor at Future of Brands 2025, reaffirming our commitment to impactful, human-first digital advertising. Hosted by Adwanted UK, this leading industry event explored the power media and advertising hold for brands in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
A standout session, “From Connection to Action – Making Change Happen,” hosted by Ozone’s Senior Director of Advertising, Emma Cranston, highlighted the power of advertising in driving real societal change through journalism.
Emma was joined by Beth Gordon and Caroline Gammell from The Independent, to discuss their campaign “Brick by Brick” – a partnership between The Independent and Refuge aiming to raise awareness about the economic cost of domestic abuse and the inadequacy of current refuge accommodation. The campaign, launched in September 2024, brought to light the true scale of domestic abuse, which affects one in six women and costs the UK economy £23bn annually. Through campaigning to The Independent’s readers, Brick by Brick was able to fully fund two safe houses for women and children fleeing domestic abuse, enabling more inclusive refuge for women.
Beth highlighted The Independent’s role in this impactful campaign, emphasising that their readership “is passionate about making a difference”.
The results powerfully demonstrate the potential of advertiser-funded journalism to inform, advocate and protect democratic values.
“Without advertising, independent journalism wouldn’t be journalism” – Beth Gordon.
As Emma concluded, Brick by Brick is a powerful example of what happens when we move from connection to action, a clear reminder that brands have a vital role to play in funding journalism that makes a difference.
At Ozone, we’re proud to support trusted, quality journalism that drives real impact. By connecting brands with audience-first media businesses, like The Independent, we help create spaces where purpose-led campaigns such as Brick by Brick can thrive – proving that when advertising and journalism work together, they don’t just inform and inspire, they create lasting change.
